Dive Brief:
- Colleges in the southeast are getting back on their feet after Hurricane Florence swept through late last week. The News and Observer reported that several colleges in North Carolina are still closed while others have reopened to students.
- The University of North Carolina System has requested support from the U.S. Department of Education, which could include financial aid for students and help covering the cost of placing students at other UNC institutions and expanding online course offerings while affected campuses are repaired. UNC Pembroke and UNC Wilmington are closed without a scheduled reopening date, and campus officials say students should not return until instructed.
- Many colleges in the region evacuated ahead of the storm. They used their websites, digital alerts, social media and mass media to announce campus and dorm reopening dates, along with when they expect classes to restart.
Dive Insight:
Less than a year ago, the UNC System undertook Operation Zephyr, a simulation designed to test UNC Wilmington's ability to handle a major weather emergency. University leaders were tasked with safely and efficiently relocating students, transferring records and protecting campus infrastructure.
Campuses that house, employ and educate thousands or tens of thousands of people are of particular concern when it comes to preparing for a weather emergency.
Old Dominion University, in Norfolk, Virginia, cancelled classes and evacuated campus days ahead of Hurricane Florence in order to give its 25,000 students and 3,000 employees time to get to safer ground. The university bused 40 students who were unable to leave on their own to hotels elsewhere in the state.
Weather emergencies such as Florence can be life-threatening, and early evacuation can help ease the emotional and financial burden on students and their families. Yet as Houston-area colleges experienced with Hurricane Harvey in 2017, addressing housing and financial insecurity among students resulting from the storm is a challenge administrators should anticipate. An estimated 500,000 in-state college students at Texas schools were from counties affected by Harvey. Several colleges in the state set up relief funds for students.
The federal government also offers resources for colleges and universities to help ensure their evacuation and safety plans are up to date.