As a new semester gets underway, the Gulf Coast region - and particularly its colleges and universities - attempts to rebuild in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Brown's participation in the relief effort has taken on various forms. In this article, the first in a five-part series, The Herald examines how "recovery semester" scholarships aid students returning to affected areas.
President Ruth Simmons announced plans in mid-December to allocate $1.1 million for scholarships at three schools in the Gulf Coast region that were dramatically affected by Hurricane Katrina. The money - which was distributed to the schools based on the severity of the damage they incurred - came out of a $5 million donation toward the relief effort by Sidney Frank '42. Dillard University will receive $775,000, Xavier University will receive $245,000 and Tougaloo College will receive $100,000. Ultimately, over 300 students will benefit from the funds - 200 at Dillard, 85 at Xavier and 20 at Tougaloo.
The Sidney Frank Renewal Scholar-ships, referred to loosely as "recovery semester" scholarships, are just one of the programs rising from Frank's $5 million donation. Before it can earmark the money for specific projects, the University must receive approval from the Sidney E. Frank Foundation, which oversees the donation's distribution.
"He didn't want the money to go specifically to students at Brown," Simmons told The Herald. "Instead, he said to us, 'Can you identify the things that will be most useful (to do with the money), educationally?'"
To qualify for the scholarships, students must meet criteria outlined by Frank. They need to be permanent residents of a county deemed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency as affected by the hurricane. Moreover, eligible students must demonstrate the impact of the hurricane on their family income and home, show a commitment to pursue and complete their undergraduate studies at their current institution, display academic abilities and also have been enrolled for the Fall 2005 semester.
Simmons said she believes the scholarships "make a powerful statement" that "we are a community of learning." She continued: "I've always believed we are not in an isolated setting."
Dillard and Xavier, both located in New Orleans, sustained significant damage to their campuses during the hurricane. Though Tougaloo's campus was not as hard-hit, most of its students come from homes greatly affected by the disaster.
Now, as students return to institutions in the Gulf Coast, the scholarships enable Brown to ensure that support "follows the students who are reintegrating," Simmons said.
Dillard UniversityDillard is the only school in New Orleans still unable to use its campus. Classes are being held in the Riverside Hilton Hotel and the World Trade Center across the street. Science labs are taking place on Tulane's campus, according to Maureen Larkins, director of university communications.
"When Dr. Hughes (Dillard's President Marvalene Hughes), visited Brown last fall and met with Mr. Frank, he asked her what would be most helpful, and she said 'we need to provide financial support for our students,' and he stepped up," Larkins said.
Before the hurricane, the majority of Dillard's approximately 2,200 students came from families whose annual income was less than $40,000, and 98 percent of students received either government or school-administered financial aid.
For this semester, 1,071 students have enrolled at Dillard, and the 200 recipients of the "recovery semester" scholarships have already been notified of their award. Dillard distributed 100 scholarships of $5,250 and 100 more of $2,500.
Tougaloo CollegeThis semester is not tech-nically Tougaloo's first "recovery semester" - the Mississippi college was able to open last semester. Still, the scholarships are making a "huge difference," said Edwina Harris Hamby, vice president for institutional advancement. Brown also donated an additional $200,000 in the fall to help Tougaloo resume operation.
"We are very appreciative of the generosity of Brown and of (Frank)," said Beverly Hogan, Tougaloo's president. "So many of our students come to our school without the means to fully pay for their education, and that is a great barrier. Brown has really played a leadership role in bringing attention to the situation."
The scholarships have already been awarded at Tougaloo. While they were only able to give 20 scholarships of $5,000 dollars each, the school saw 143 applications from students identified as "first tier" potential recipients, and even more than that applied, Harris Hamby said. More than 600 of Tougaloo's 950 students live in affected areas.
Xavier UniversityAt Xavier, the applicant pool for the "recovery semester" scholarships was also sub-stantially larger than the number available, said Pearl Algere-Lonian, assistant vice president of scholarships and special projects in academic affairs. Xavier is awarding 25 scholarships of $5,000 each and another 60 scholarships of $2,000. The university hopes to notify the recipients within the next two weeks.
"This semester and probably for many more, we will be dealing with the impact of the storm and trying to reposition ourselves, so we're recovering from its negative impact, and we're grateful for any support," Algere-Lonian said.
A boon for BrownThe three schools receiving "recovery semester" scholarships are not the only ones benefiting from the program, according to Molly DeRamel, director of media relations.
"Our effort over the break got an incredible amount of very good press for Brown," DeRamel said. "It was written up in The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, The Boston Globe; we were even in The Times-Picayune, and it was on the Fox Television channel down in the New Orleans area."
Simmons concluded that she felt Frank's donation emphasized the importance of philanthropy. "He was at a point in his life when he could have had anything he wanted and he thought: 'I'm in a position to help others learn.' That was one of the most important things he could do, to leave a legacy of learning. That is what I would like students to remember."
