The notices from the university administration started going out last Tuesday at Texas Southern. That week, Dr. Austin Lane, the president of the Houston institution, gathered his cabinet, the chief of police, and other members of university leadership to address the incoming storm.
“Fortunately, we had time to prepare,” said Lane. “The planning and preparation made all the difference.”
With 38 people dead and 30,000 in shelters as of Wednesday, Harvey has ravaged Southeast Texas, destroying buildings and roads. Although physical damage to Texas Southern University has been relatively minor, countless students, staff and faculty have lost their homes.
“Buildings may be standing but our people have been devastated,” said Melinda Spaulding, Vice President of University Advancement.
President Lane and his crisis management team discussed plans for providing food, back-up power, and communication. He explained that notices were sent out through multiple platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, and email.
Five hundred freshmen students had already moved in when Harvey hit, but many Texas Southern students were en route to their campus. The university’s communication efforts were made to warn these incoming students, but they also comforted parents of the freshmen who endured the storm in their dormitories.
“The parents were more upset than the students,” said Spaulding. “We wanted the parents to be reassured, and images were the best way.” The university’s official Twitter account posted photos last Saturday of students watching the Mayweather MacGregor fight.
