<p>On another thread here, I said I would love to hear other families' thoughts about when to decide on plans for this term. </p>
<p>Our partially formed thoughts: We are waiting, at least that is our current plan, to hear Scott Cowen's "definitive" information (at least that's what I'm told he said on the Today show) which I think means holding on for about another 72 hours. Then we will consider the various schools who have offered visiting student status if there will not be a fall term at Tulane. A "gap term" of some sort is also possible, in particular helping rebuild New Orleans, but it may be premature for that (young and energetic, but untrained kids may not be easily usable right now).</p>
<p>Waiting means S might have to play catch-up if he decides on visiting another school, as most have begun class. I'm sure that can be handled somehow. If it is to be "visiting student," I am hoping for some wise advice on whether he would best begin core courses for his Engineering degree, or instead take some electives which would fill distribution requirements. I'm imagining and hoping that if Tulane cannot re-open, they will set up some sort of phone/e-mail academic advising.</p>
<p>We'll wait for that announcement and, if they cannot have a fall term of any sort, my son will take SOME basic easily transferable courses somewhere--we don't yet know where. I've sent an e-mail to Chapel Hill, where he was also offered a scholarship, to ask whether they will offer him a temporary place, but I haven't heard anything yet. They still have students in temporary housing. We still hope for some kind of fall term at or with Tulane.</p>
<p>Jmmom, we just had a discussion about this at lunch. My son says that the engineering department at Tulane is much more accepting of humanities, languages and social studies as transfer credits. They are picky when it comes to math, science and engineering credits - which is where my son's problem lies. Major courses is pretty much what he lacks.</p>
<p>However, the freshman year is spent filling math, science, english and computer science, which is what sophomore engineering classes are built on. Hopefully, if they do tell kids to take a transfer semester, they will have department advisors available to answer these questions.</p>
<p>My son is currently enrolled in 2 courses at a local university, one English and one History. He was afraid to take the 2 required Neuroscience courses with labs needed for his major or the one Math course left for his Math minor. He feels comfortable that he can take these somewhere if not Tulane in the spring after some advisement from Tulane and his advisor. Taking two classes allows him to be in school without risking not receiving credit for the courses. </p>
<p>As school has been in session for two weeks he also will play catch up, but I know he can handle it. He feels a sense of relief that his life isn't in total limbo today, that he has made some progress in getting thing in order.</p>
<p>Well, now at least we know--I've had an e-mail back from UNC-CH, and it looks as if they are doing NOTHING for the students who have no place to go. There is a site for some sort of continuing education, but it would be available to anyone regardless of the circumstances. What made me angry was that they surrounded it with rhetoric suggesting that they were doing him a big favor.</p>
<p>HOWEVER, I also got a call saying that UNC hasn't made their real decisions yet--they are being respectful of President Cowen and what he will announce, so we need to just be patient and see what they will be able to do after Tulane makes its decisions.</p>
<p>After five days on campus, our emergency team has just arrived in Houston from New Orleans, where we will be joined by the rest of our senior leadership team from locations around the country. We will be working out of Houston effective immediately. Now that we have access to electricity and Internet connectivity, we will be corresponding regularly via this website: <a href="http://emergency.tulane.edu%5B/url%5D">http://emergency.tulane.edu</a></p>
<p>Our immediate priorities are:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Attend to the needs of our faculty and staff who remain on campus. They are safe but living conditions are not good. We evacuated the entire uptown campus safely. As of today, only a core team of public safety and facilities personnel remain. We are in the process of evacuating personnel from the Health Sciences Center downtown . Additionally, we are trying to continue to supply provisions to the remaining staff on-site at the Primate Center in Mandeville. All of the students who were evacuated to Jackson State University in Mississippi have returned to their homes or are in the process of returning to their homes.</p></li>
<li><p>Re-establish our communications with constituencies ASAP. In particular, we will be giving guidance within 48 hours about our plans for this semester. I understand everyone's anxiety but we need additional time to assess the situation in New Orleans. </p></li>
<li><p>Begin the recovery process. The campus did sustain some damage, though it generally fared very well during the storm. There are many downed trees, some buildings sustained water damage, and some roofing tiles were damaged. The necessary repairs are manageable. The dorms are intact and students' belongings are safe.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>I will update you again no later than 11 a.m. CST tomorrow, September 2, 2005. Please disseminate this email as widely as you can through any additional means you may have.</p>
<p>ctymomteacher - That is indeed disappointing, to say the least, especially in comparison with what so many other schools are doing. They will certainly have egg on their faces.</p>
<p>We are very happy to know that Bates College here in Maine has stepped forward to be on of the "rescue" options offering visiting status. S and I think that will be his option if Tulane will not have a fall term. He can commute (45-60 minutes) if necessary, but Bates has said they will help in the search for housing, and I do think it would be nice for him to flee the nest if possible. Bates is a top quality school, is strong in sciences and other fields, so S can either do his pre-engineering science work or "fun" electives, depending on advisement.</p>
<p>I hope you can find some possible "visiting status" colleges from among those who have stepped forward, if we are going to need that. The list is growing.</p>
<p>jmmom, please see my edit to that post above. The same man who sent the e-mail called me a few minutes after I wrote it. It seems all is not lost yet for NC Tulane kids.</p>
<p>I called Bates yesterday regarding my son, and he was previously accepted as a freshman, but they told me they were over enrolled but would have wiley Mitchell retunr my call within then next 24 hours, so far I haven't heard from them. I guess I am going to be calling them again tomorrow. Boston University is being horrible, they offered my son to go to a satellite GED program, I said wait a minute my son has completed a succuess ful year at Tulane I don't think he needs to get his GED.Anyone here going to Syracuse or Miami speak up, they have bot opened the doors. My son will probably be going to one of those schools if he can find a roommate, so if anybody needs a rommate, please let me know, ny email would be fine, <a href="mailto:LShops@aol.com">LShops@aol.com</a>. He is presently registered at Miami, but will go to Syracuse. Speak up, anyone, male or female roommate would be fine.</p>
<p>Jamismom - are you speaking of a full-fledged transfer to these schools? Or status as a visiting student? It is confusing to me that these schools would have just announced their availability to displaced Tulane/NOLA students and then say there is no space. Are you saying that Bates will not provide visiting status to Tulane students?</p>
<p>I see that Wiley Mitchell is the Dean of Admissions. The contact office for the visiting status is the Dean of Students (see above link), but this may not be what you are seeking. For us, the visiting option would be our choice.</p>
<p>Both of my kids got word from their respective schools (U of Miami, Wm and Mary) that they will be accepting students from LA, MI, and AL schools. In the case of WM, they would have to be "academically qualified" Virginia residents. UM has had 400 requests so far and is taking them on a case by case basis. Tuition will be held in escrow and forwarded to their home institution when they return.</p>
<p>jmmom: I asked about visiting status, they told me that they were already over enrolled. I will check the website. When I spoke to Bates they told me I was the first parent to call.</p>
<p>Thanks Jamismom, <em>crossing fingers that it was just the wrong office at Bates</em>, as we have begun to kind of "count on" this option. Am calling them tomorrow. Is it possible they are limiting it to Maine residents? If not, and if they just want folks who do not need dorm housing, coordinating off campus housing seems like a good plan for any of us who want to take up their offer of visiting status.</p>
<p>S has been waiting in Houston with my sister's family but is coming home to Michigan this Saturday. GVSU set him up as a guest student with the option to withdraw with a full refund if Tulane can put something together for Fall. He definitely wants to go back to Tulane.</p>
<p>This is the best for S. He has a full-tuition scholarship with Tulane and is committed but doesn't just want to sit around. He will take 3 classes and work part-time at home. Not how he envisioned his freshman year, but it could be worse.</p>
<p>Students should check the email address that they used with their application. My D received an email this afternoon regarding the immediate future. They basically said that they understood if you want to start the year at another university and which areas to take courses in for transfer back to Tulane at a later time.
My D contacted University of Denver and UCSB both schools that she had been admitted to. Both offered to take her as a freshman. She is going to somehow start at Denver on Monday. She has the option to stay for a few quarters or as a permanent student. I have a feeling as much as she is sad about Tulane she will adjust to Denver and end up staying. UCSB only offered her permanent student status. They are only willing to give students who are committed to Tulane extension courses.
Don't know what she will have to move in with at Denver when all is still in NO.
Good luck to everyone.
I am sad for her about Tulane but I know it wasn't healthy for her to keep waiting and staying home</p>
<p>Also I would suggest that the students find out how many spots are available at each school. UCSB only had room for 6 in the dorms. And Denver found 10 spots for displaced students and as of this morning had already filled 5 of them.</p>