Hurricane Reflection

Contributed Photo

The first day of school came four days late, Fall Welcome was shortened from four to two days, and the whole student body was asked to move in within 48 hours; however, a week after the start of school, Fairfield has returned to normal after Hurricane Irene’s attack on the northeast.

During the hurricane, precautions were taken by asking students already living on campus to evacuate.  Resident Assistants, First Year Mentors, and certain athletic teams were allowed to remain on campus.  Other than those few exceptions, Fairfield University was unoccupied.

Although maintenance had already prepared for Fall Welcome, they were asked to remove and put away all decorations around campus.  They worked around the clock to clean and care for the school, even during heavy winds and rain.  In addition, upper level administration slept on campus to ensure the safety of students remaining here.

Students have complained about extra work during this first week of classes and panic among teachers, but because only a few days of class were missed there will be no change in the overall school year schedule.  Although professors may need to adjust their syllabi, in years past school did not begin until after Labor Day.  This cushion allowed leeway for the cancellation of the first four days of school.

When discussing the hurricane with faculty and staff, almost all commented on the successful flexibility and communication between students and administration.  Because many students seem unsure as to where different groups on campus stand on the effects of the hurricane, key faculty and staff gave their input on the response to the hurricane, its impact on move-in, and the steps being taken to move forward from this minor setback.

Lt. John Ritchie, Assistant Director of Public Safety

In hindsight, I think all the right decisions were made. Postponing move in allowed us time to assess the aftermath and best prepare for openings. Again, we were fortunate here on campus, but if you head down Fairfield Beach Road you will see some homes, and families, that will have lasting affect from the storm. We lost two days of classes on campus which is extremely minor, considering how devastating it could have been.

Kamala Kiem, Director of New Student Programs

Changing Fall Welcome from four to two days eliminated many opportunities of transition for the freshmen.  Activities such as FYE kick-off day, academic adjustment period, and the Bystanders Program had to be eliminated or postponed.

The FYMs were privileged to remain on campus.  This privilege identified their important role in preparing to open school and welcome students.

Kudos to New Student Programs student chairs, first year mentors, orientation leaders, orientation support team, and residence assistants for creating a phenomenal two day program.  We had one of the smoothest move-in days.

Allison Maguire, Co-Chair of First Year Experience Program

Although Hurricane Irene caused many obstacles for chairs, it gave FYMs an opportunity to bond as a team.

Kristen Rydberg, Loyola Hall Residence Assistant

I think they handled it well by sending everyone home and necessary precautions were taken.  Thankfully, it wasn’t as bad as presumed.

Tyler McClain, Program Coordinator, University Activities

I think we made the best decisions for the safety of students and their families being that many are from the eastern coast.

I witnessed very dedicated employees working hard around the clock to prepare for the beginning of the year.

Suzanne Neubauer, Operations Assistant, University Activities

Maintenance deserves a lot of credit.  They cared for all the little things that people don’t really see.  They worked for the safety of students and recreated a successful opening.

Karen Donoghue, Dean of Students

Mark Reed of Crisis Management brought us together several times to adjust the plan.  It was well-executed and developed.  There was continual feedback to give information to the correct people involved.

The people who stayed on campus demonstrated their desire to help the institution and ensure the safety of the minimal number of students that stayed.

New Student Programs created a schedule that held important aspects while spreading out a schedule in different environments.

It was not a loss but a change.

Robert Russo, University Registrar

It was great that everyone was able to be notified through email and phones.  The postponing gave more preparation time.

We were inconvenienced by loss of power, but there could have been much more damage.