UHCL and Hurricane Harvey Update (09/01/2017)
Dear UHCL Students, Faculty and Staff:
As we continue to repair our community and our lives after the devastating floods
from Hurricane/Tropical Storm Harvey, I want you to know that my thoughts are with
all of you. I have only been in Texas since late July, and I grow increasingly more
impressed with the people of Texas, their resilience and their heartwarming and giving
ways in the face of tragedy. Despite your own personal circumstances, many of you
have been actively seeking ways to support others, and I applaud you. I feel proud
to call myself a Texan and even more proud to be a UHCL Hawk.
I know many of you are curious about how the university fared during the storm. UHCL
was very fortunate, and I am happy to report that UHCL and UHCL Pearland Campus sustained
very little damage, with only minor flooding reported in Pearland. Clean-up efforts
have already begun, which will allow the fall 2017 semester to begin Sept. 5 at all
UHCL locations. Education is our top priority and providing a safe, welcoming environment
for students to learn, faculty to teach and staff to work is important.
Keeping our university safe, preparing it for what might come in a storm like this,
and responding when there is an issue is no easy task. Members of our Facilities,
Maintenance and Construction team, UHCL Police and Emergency Management have worked
tirelessly for the past week staying on top of issues as they arose. Behind the scenes,
Academic Affairs, including Enrollment Management, have been responding to the many
issues and answering the questions that our students have during the first week of
any semester, let alone a semester that is starting off with such fanfare as this
one. Our Student Services team has been working to make sure our current students
are safe and that their questions are answered as it relates to the support they receive.
Meanwhile, Human Resources made sure our faculty and staff were paid on time.
As we all know, this storm has had a devastating effect on many, including our students.
I'd like to offer you a way to help them if you are able. I encourage you to contribute
to a priority fund that will be used to support UHCL students who have been displaced
or face hardships because of Harvey. To help UHCL students affected by the storm,
visit https://giving.uh.edu/uhcl/, select “other” from the drop down box under Gift Information and enter “Harvey Relief”
in the designation box. Once campus returns to normal operations next week, I plan
to announce more ways you can help make a difference post Harvey.
As you know, UHCL will reopen for faculty, staff and students on Tuesday, Sept. 5.
I urge you stay abreast of all the latest university information by visiting our homepage,
www.uhcl.edu, where you will find a link for Harvey Updates and Harvey FAQs.
If you have questions about the storm and its impact on UHCL, email Harvey2017@uhcl.edu.
I wish all of you well as we recover from this devastating weather event. As I mentioned
before, we will make it through this ... together. We are #UHCLStrong!
With warm regards,
Ira K. Blake, Ph.D.
UHCL President