An article in yesterday's Globe here in Boston highlighted the anxiety of New Orleans colleges and universities to get their students back for the second semester. Many of those students are here in Boston, and area universities have a kind of ethical/courtesy requirement of not allowing visiting students to transfer over. It is critical for the New Orleans schools to get back about 85% of their student body, and so far Tulane is quite close to that goal, but Loyola and Xavier have only 75% and 74% of committed returns so far. Most of my family members graduated from Loyola for undergrad and either Loyola (Dad, Harold: law) or Tulane (Thomas, law; Nell, social work) for grad school, and my sister Mary had been pursuing her Master's in nursing at Loyola (I believe). I went to Loyola for a year before entering the convent (communications and music!).
I had thought that the two schools escaped major damage, and I suppose that compared to other parts of New Orleans that is true. (Xavier I knew sustained serious damage, and with inadequate insurance.) But evidently they had first-floor flooding, because the Tulane rep who came to speak here in Boston was minimizing the problems, saying that all the lower-level floors already had their walls and so on stripped out. My godmother is blocks from the two campuses and she had three feet of water.
One thing that struck me about the re-recruitment efforts is that they are failing to appeal to young people's idealism. I would think that the invitation to come and be a part of the rebuilding would be very attractive. To help people in particular need, to collaborate in designing and building houses, etc. There are so many possibilities for creatively doing good, major good, and also gaining life experience, too.
Do you think I should write to those people and suggest the obvious?
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
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3 comments:
Absolutely, myself having been a higher education administrator, sometimes the obvious isn't obvious. I think it's worth the effort.
Lisa
Jane also graduated from Loyola (medical technology), and Nell, a Loyola 1990 sociology grad, went on to get her master's in social work from Tulane!---MKH
Sure, go ahead. "Give it a go."
I think people in general are eager to help. However, they need someone to lead and organize the effort. Plus they can only provide labor, not materials, and most probably can't provide tools either.
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