Letter From UC President Nancy L. Zimpher

Date: Friday, September 2, 2005

TO: UC Students, Faculty, Staff and Alumni

FROM:  Nancy L. Zimpher, President

RE:  Hurricane Katrina Relief Efforts

On behalf of the UC community, I want to extend my sympathy to those impacted directly or indirectly by Hurricane Katrina, which may soon prove to be the deadliest and costliest natural disaster to hit the United States in a century. Although the full extent of the devastation is not yet fully known, clearly this tragedy will require enormous resources to provide relief and comfort to those in need, and we as a university community are called upon to help in any way we can.

Similar to our efforts to provide tsunami relief, the University of Cincinnati is working with our partners in the regional higher education community to coordinate a response to this disaster.  Our partners in the Hurricane Katrina relief effort are Xavier University, Northern Kentucky University, Thomas More College, Cincinnati State, the College of Mount St. Joseph and Gateway Community College.

UC faculty and staff will have the option to contribute to this effort. The money raised will be provided to the Red Cross. More information about the contribution mechanism will be forthcoming.

In addition, we know that there are many relief efforts on campus already under way, and many of these activities may extend beyond strictly financial efforts.  I ask that our students, faculty, staff, student organizations, colleges and other units please contact Kathy Ogden in the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs and Services at kathy.ogden@uc.edu with details concerning any UC-based efforts that are taking place. Please include a contact name and phone number, e-mail address, and short summary describing the effort. 

Thank you in advance for your caring and concern for our southern neighbors and colleagues.  Please look for more information that will be coming through e-mail and future postings on the UC Web site about how you may participate in our efforts to help the people suffering as a result of this immense tragedy.