The last month of unprecedented hurricane-related activity has taken its toll
on every member of the University community. While the University experienced
minimal campus damage, the disruption of classes, services, activities, and
programs has no doubt caused stress and inconvenience. I wish to convey my
heartfelt gratitude to each of you who prepared for the storms, re-arranged your
schedules, provided assistance to colleagues and students, and exemplified a
spirit of patience and cooperation as the uncertainty of weather conditions
posed substantial threats to the Tampa Bay area. I also am grateful for the
support that you personally provided me and my family as we retrieved my
daughter Susan from hurricane-torn Grenada, where she was enrolled in veterinary
school. I saw first-hand the utter devastation that a hurricane can bring and am
thankful our community has been spared such destruction.
Our primary concern in these situations is the safety and security of the
University community. When any threat to our community is manifested, we follow
our Emergency Operations Plan which is a set of guidelines that were developed
in conjunction with the Hillsborough County Emergency Operations Center (HCEOC)
and the American Red Cross (ARC). Decision-making about the cancellation of
classes, services, activities, and programs includes several criteria, including
the impact of closure on regular operations, such as classes; faculty and staff
personal/family needs; travel issues for students, faculty and staff; and time
involved in preparing the physical campus and coordinating personnel who remain
on-site and who are part of the recovery process. Coordination with local
authorities such as the HCEOC, ARC, Tampa Police Department and the Tampa
Downtown Partnership occur, as well as with Lawton Chiles Elementary School, our
designated shelter for students.
Making early decisions is crucial. The time needed to prepare the campus for
a storm is often longer than would appear. The Emergency Operations Team
considers the above criteria and the projected path and severity of the storm,
consults with its core and auxiliary members, and makes its decision, always
erring on the side of safety. I know that this conservative approach can be
frustrating, particularly as it affects lost class days. However, safety remains
the primary factor, and these decisions are based on the best available
information at the time.
It is my hope that the remainder of this term is uneventful in terms of
tropical activity, and that you will be able to recover your schedules and
activities in a manner that is acceptable to you. Deans will work with faculty
in developing class makeup schedules. I encourage you to assist us in our
hurricane planning de-briefing and process improvement efforts over the next few
weeks by sending your comments and questions to Dr. Rod Plowman at
rplowman@ut.edu. As always, your feedback is welcome.
Most importantly – thank you. Your spirit of community is deeply appreciated.
Your support and actions demonstrated that we dealt with this emergency in a
timely and thorough manner, and I am confident that we will recover
quickly.
For more information, contact the Office of Public Information at
publicinfo@ut.edu.