Friday, September 02, 2005

Wilmington, N.C. - UNCW Chancellor Rosemary DePaolo sent the following message to faculty and staff on Friday, Sept. 1.

All of us are deeply saddened by the catastrophe caused by Hurricane Katrina. As we know from experience, hurricanes are to be taken seriously and can be destructive in all kinds of ways. I have received numerous queries from faculty, staff, and students at UNCW asking how we can help with this situation. I applaud the outpouring of interest and support from our UNCW family.

As of today, we have accepted five students from Tulane University who will begin classes at UNCW on Tuesday. I want to thank personally the faculty and staff who made space on campus possible. As we get more requests from students, we will try to accommodate them.

There are a number of campus groups also planning to offer assistance. The UNCW Center for Leadership Education and Service in collaboration with University Relations has created a Web site specifically for the Hurricane Katrina relief effort. UNCW faculty, staff and students are encouraged to visit the site to find information and resources regarding ways to support the victims of Hurricane Katrina. All groups or individuals who are planning Katrina related events are encouraged to provide the CLES with the particulars of the event by calling 910/962-3877 or by accessing the “post an event” form on the Web site before planning any additional support events. CLES will maintain a list of these activities in order to facilitate planning to avoid duplication or scheduling conflicts.

Please visit the site at http://www.uncw.edu/relief. If you would like assistance planning a relief event, please contact Donna Chapa Crowe, director of the CLES at 910/962-3877.

Hurricane Katrina has also impacted each of us personally. Undoubtedly, we have all felt the rise in gas prices. The hurricane has had a significant impact on the fuel resources on the State of North Carolina. Gov. Easley and the Office of State Management and Budget have ordered state government agencies to take action to limit all non-essential state government travel. Effective immediately and until Sept. 15, 2005, unless notified otherwise, the following measures have been implemented:

1. All out-of-state travel except that directly to disaster recovery is prohibited.

2. All in-state travel is restricted to those activities related to law enforcement and public safety, public health, due process hearings, and emergency situations.

3. The Division of Motor Fleet Management is prohibited from issuing any state-owned motor vehicle unless an agency head of chief deputy has personally signed the motor fleet request for vehicle form.

4. All state departments and institutions are to immediately stop the mowing of grass and the use of any gasoline-driven motors for routine grounds or roads maintenance except for safety reasons.

5. In lieu of face to face meetings, the use of teleconferencing is encouraged.

All athletic recruiting and admissions recruiting for the next two weeks or so has been curtailed. Travel to conferences is canceled, unless airline tickets were already purchased. This also includes local travel for meetings or other business purposes. Please be aware that use of personal vehicles for travel to conferences or meetings during this timeframe will constitute activities outside the scope of your employment for which worker’s compensation may not be available. Faculty who must travel to teach or supervise student interns at remote offsite locations are exempt from this directive. The request for exceptions should be directed to the provost.

The bottom line is that the governor has asked state employees to make every effort to conserve gas, and UNCW will comply.

I do, however, know you realize that this impact on us is miniscule compared to the long-term challenges facing all of the people along the Gulf Coast. Thank you for your understanding and assistance as we all deal with this awful situation.