Smith School Responds to Victims of Hurricane Katrina

The Robert H. Smith School of Business, along with the University of Maryland, is opening its doors to help undergraduate business and MBA students displaced from Gulf Coast universities by Hurricane Katrina.

The Smith School is working with the university's Undergraduate Admissions and Registrars Offices to admit as many displaced undergraduate business students as possible for the fall semester. As of midday Friday, nearly 40 students had been enrolled in classes at the Smith School. The visiting students are primarily from Tulane University with a few from Loyola University.

This is a devastating natural disaster and we are aware that there are many, many Maryland students attending schools in New Orleans, said Patricia Cleveland, assistant dean for undergraduate studies at the Smith School. We are very pleased to be able to accommodate these students so they can continue to make progress toward their degrees. Smith student leaders will also be reaching out to invite visiting students to participate with us in social activities to make them feel welcome during this difficult time.

Displaced undergraduates seeking to enroll in business classes at the Smith School should first contact the university's Undergraduate Admissions Office at 301-314-8385. Once admitted as visiting students, they will meet with the Smith Schools admissions staff, so that they can be placed in appropriate classes based on their current academic program. A face-to-face advising meeting must be set up because students do not have access to their records as a result of the disaster.

The Smith School is also welcoming MBA students displaced by the disaster. The school is working to place these MBAs in courses held at the school's College Park, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Shady Grove campuses. MBA students wishing to enroll should contact the Smith School's Masters Programs Office at 301-405-2559.

The Smith School will continue to accommodate displaced students as long as class space is available. Many of the students who have contacted the university are Maryland residents who want to return home. The university is making every effort to assist others enrolling here to find housing in the local community.

Counseling Services
The University Counseling Center is prepared to offer services to displaced students arriving on campus as well as current Maryland students who have family and friends in the hurricane ravaged areas. Persons seeking counseling support should contact Jonathan Kandell or Akira Otani in the Counseling Center at 301.314.7651. 

Spiritual Support
A Prayer Vigil for the victims of Hurricane Katrina will be held Sunday, Sept. 4 at 9:30 p.m. in the West Chapel at the university's Memorial Chapel. It is a simple service of prayer and meditation in the Christian tradition, sponsored by the Episcopal/Anglican Campus Ministry. The University Chaplains are available as needed to the campus community and invite those who are so inclined to visit their worship community this weekend for prayer. For a list of regularly scheduled campus religious services, click here.