Columbia and Katrina

Since Haroon asked: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/news/05/09/columbia_katrina.html

Columbia Extends Sympathy and Assistance to Hurricane Katrina Victims

The Columbia community is deeply saddened by the magnitude of the pain and suffering that has resulted from Hurricane Katrina. We join the rest of the nation in seeking ways to aid those in need. The University would also like to express its deep appreciation of the extraordinary response efforts by volunteers, state and local government agencies and relief organizations.

We in New York City know deeply and personally how difficult and painful a disaster of this magnitude is for the individuals and families experiencing it. As we reach out to help those affected by Katrina, we will do so in the same spirit of generosity and compassion that the nation showed New Yorkers following the September 11th terrorist attacks.

The University is prepared to assist the many students who attend colleges and universities in the region and whose lives and education have been disrupted, so that they may continue their education without interruption. While it will not be possible to provide housing, the University will make it possible for such students to explore taking courses at Columbia University.

Interested undergraduates should contact the School of Continuing Education for further information and help in applying at ce-info@columbia.edu or 212-854-9699.

The deadline for new applications is Tuesday, September 6, at 6 p.m.

Further information is available at the School of Continuing Education Web site: http://www.ce.columbia.edu/hurricane.cfm

Columbia University Engineering School’s Columbia Video Network (CVN) will open its distance learning to students entering their senior year of undergraduate studies and to graduate students. Courses are available in computer science as well as in most engineering and applied science disciplines.

Further information is available at the CVN Web site: http://www.cvn.columbia.edu/katrina.htm

Graduate Professional School students should contact the admissions offices of the specific school in question. See the Academic Programs page on the Columbia University Web site for links to each school’s Web site. http://www.columbia.edu/academic_programs/index.html

Graduate students interested in exploring the possibility of taking courses at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences should contact the office of the dean at 212-854-2861 or ca2117@columbia.edu.

Health services will be available to students currently enrolled at Columbia from the hurricane-affected areas. Students on both the Morningside and Medical Center campuses may access medical and counseling services by contacting the Health Services on their campus. For more information or to make an appointment at Health Services at Columbia (Morningside) visit http://www.health.columbia.edu or call 212-854-2284. For more information or to make an appointment at the Student Health Services at the Medical Center visit http://www.columbiahealth.info/ or call 212-305-3400.

The University is also offering counseling services to faculty, staff and students who may have been affected by the hurricane. For more information about drop-in hours or to make an appointment with Health Services on the Morningside campus, visit http://www.health.columbia.edu/ or call 212-854-2878.

In addition, the University has contracted with an independent organization called the Employee Development Center (EDC). EDC has worked with Columbia over the past few years to offer faculty, staff and their families confidential counseling and referrals to other services, if necessary, at no cost to the individual. To contact EDC, call 212-935-3030 or 800-327-9092, for calls from outside of New York. For further information about the EDC, visit the Employee Assistance Program page on the Human Resources Web site: http://www.hr.columbia.edu/hr/benefits/eap/eap/index.html

The University is working on ways to raise funds within the community to aid in the relief efforts and will soon be announcing a mechanism to gather contributions for those within the Columbia family who have been affected by this disaster. In the meantime, anyone wishing to make an immediate contribution to the relief effort can consult the organizations listed below for various ways to do so.

Federal Emergency Management Agency: http://www.fema.gov/

American Red Cross: http://www.redcross.org/

Salvation Army: http://www.salvationarmy.org/

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