Like all of you, I have been deeply touched by the fate of the thousands who were ravaged by Hurricane Katrina. I am writing to update everyone on what we as a community are doing to help those who have been affected by this terrible tragedy.

As of Wednesday, we received calls from 13 students (four first-year and nine transfer) inquiring about the possibility of enrolling at Southwestern this semester. We offered all these students the opportunity to enroll as visiting students for the fall semester, with the option to continue next semester if they meet academic requirements.

Three new students - two from Tulane and one from Loyola - have already arrived on campus and there is a possibility that one additional student will come to Southwestern. Representatives from Admissions, Financial Aid and the Provost's Office have worked hard to make tuition arrangements for these students.

In the meantime, many on campus are organizing efforts to help others who have been displaced by the hurricane. University Chaplain is coordinating an effort to put together "help kits" and "flood buckets" to be sent to refugees. She also is collecting donations for the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR). Every dollar donated through UMCOR goes directly to relief efforts. If you are interested in participating in these efforts, please contact Beverly at 512/ 863-1965. Students are collecting money outside the Commons for the Red Cross and are planning a fundraiser for later in the fall. , associate dean for student life, (512/ 863-1345), is coordinating these student efforts.

Many members of our community are involved in outside relief efforts as well. For example, Laura Hobgood-Oster met with the Georgetown city manager this morning to help coordinate an effort to bring homeless dogs and cats to Georgetown. If you are involved with such efforts, I encourage you to post information on our lists so others can get involved if they would like to.

I would like to encourage everyone to continue dialogue about what else we can do to assist those who may have been affected by the hurricane. Our core purpose here at Southwestern is to foster a liberal arts community whose values and actions encourage contributions toward the well-being of humanity, and there is no better time to fulfill this mission than during a tragedy such as this. I thank you all for your care and compassion and will keep you posted as other initiatives develop.

Jake B. Schrum

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