December 1, 2005

The purpose of this newsletter is to update you on the current state of the Chemistry Department at the University of New Orleans and plans for post-Katrina recovery. First, let me express my condolences to everyone who has suffered as a result to this historic storm. Many of us have sustained substantial property loss, as well as interruption to our research, our teaching or studies, and our careers. The Administration, Faculty, and Staff are doing everything possible to minimize the disruption caused by the storm, and to return the University to normal operation as soon as possible.

The Department of Chemistry has made every effort to ensure that staff and students would continue to be paid following the storm. In some cases, this has been difficult since we evacuated New Orleans without most of our financial records. Only classified staff, who were furloughed by the University, and adjunct faculty not teaching, have not been paid during this period. The University has aggressively sought to continue its educational mission by offering online classes and classes at satellite sites during the Fall Semester (the only local University to do so). Although a few students have found it necessary to resign from the graduate program, we still have our outstanding Faculty intact which will form the basis for rebuilding the chemistry program at UNO.

As with most of the UNO campus, the Chemical Sciences Building suffered relatively little damage from hurricane Katrina. A team consisting of Chemistry Department Faculty, Campus Safety personnel, and representatives from the State Department of Environmental Quality have made extensive inspections of CSB to identify and correct any potential hazards, and cleanup has begun. More work will be done as soon as electrical power is restored, which is expected in a few weeks. Although all 3 NMR spectrometers quenched following the storm, the Department will begin the process of reenergizing the magnets as soon as power is restored, starting with the 400MHz spectrometer, which we expect to be operational by the end of January. The Science Building suffered more damage because of flooding of electrical equipment located in the basement. As a result, restoration of power to the Science Building may be delayed past the beginning of the Spring Semester. Alternate sites for teaching undergraduate laboratory courses have been identified in the event that the Science Building is unavailable. We will also try to accommodate as much of the operations of AMRI as possible in the Chemical Sciences Building until the Science Building is available.

The good news is that the University of New Orleans plans to reopen for the Spring Semester and resume normal operations on campus. Classes are now scheduled to begin January 30, 2006. The Department of Chemistry plans to offer a nearly complete schedule of classes, including a number of graduate courses in both the online and onsite format. Graduate students should check the spring schedule and consult with their research advisors in order to select the appropriate courses. Students can then register at the UNO website using WebStar. Supported graduate students should register for courses, research hours, and CHEM 6095 (Seminar) for a total of 10 credit hrs.

The University has set January 3, 2006 as the date support staff are expected to report back the New Orleans for work, and January 9, 2006 as the date academic staff, including Faculty and supported graduate students, are expected to report for work. Students who are supported as Teaching Assistants will be expected to be in New Orleans for the Spring Semester to fulfill their teaching responsibilities. Some flexibility in teaching assignments may be possible depending on scheduling demands. In order to help students with the increased expenses incurred because of Katrina, the Department of Chemistry will increase the graduate stipend by $2000 for Teaching Assistants for the Spring Semester. We will also try to help students with moving expenses using UNO Foundation funds. Students who are supported as Research Assistants and whose research advisors are located at other institutions for the Spring Semester may continue their research at that location.

Housing may be difficult to find in the New Orleans area, and students are encouraged to begin looking as soon as possible. The area immediately adjacent to the University suffered significantly from the flooding, and it may be easier to find apartments to rent in the Uptown, Jefferson Parish, or Northshore areas. The University has requested 400 FEMA trailers to be located on the east campus, and expects that some will be available to students holding Graduate Assistantships, to be selected by a lottery. In order to qualify for a FEMA trailer, you must have applied for aid from FEMA and have a FEMA claim number. We are still waiting clarification on whether individuals who are not permanent US residents are eligible. Also, it is unclear when trailers will actually be available.

The Department of Chemistry is hopeful that our forced dispersal is almost over, and that you will join us in returning to New Orleans and the University to help rebuild the educational and research programs of the University and the City of New Orleans.

Ed Stevens, Chair

Department of Chemistry