September 6, 2005
Dear Members of the GSD Community:
We have all been profoundly saddened by the devastation and suffering
that Hurricane Katrina has left in its wake. Our hearts go out
to all those affected, and particularly to the tens of thousands
who have lost their homes, possessions, sources of income, and
in many cases loved ones as well.
This is of course a national tragedy, calling for a national response.
But we can all assist, and members of the Harvard and GSD community
have begun to do so.
Leading relief organizations indicate that their greatest need
right now is money. With this in mind, Harvard has established
a dedicated website (available through www.harvard.edu)
to facilitate contributions, and it will match contributions by
Harvard students, faculty, and staff up to a limit of $100 per
individual. (Certain contributions made directly will also qualify
for the match. For information on this, please check the website
which also includes information on what the other schools of Harvard
are doing.)
You can obtain a list of other relief organizations that are accepting
donations at the Federal
Emergency Management Agency website. Those of you wishing
to volunteer your time to help should check the Boston area Red
Cross Hurricane Information page for current information.
Meanwhile, most of the schools of Harvard, including GSD, will
be providing opportunities for substantial numbers of displaced
students to study here this fall--at no charge by Harvard. (The
students will pay tuition to their home institutions, which will
be free to utilize for their own recovery efforts.) The GSD is
working with Tulane University to absorb graduate students in
architecture. We have been unable thus far to identify graduate
programs in landscape architecture, urban planning, or urban design
that would benefit from a similar arrangement, but I am open to
suggestions if you know of any. We have also expressed a willingness
to accept displaced faculty members as visiting scholars this
fall.
We are also reaching out to our own students and alumni who may
have been affected by Katrina, to express our heartfelt concern
but more significantly to ascertain whether they are safe and
whether the students in particular are in need of any special
assistance at this time. All those whom we have reached so far
appear to be safe, but of course the tragedy continues to unfold
and we have by no means established contact with everyone.
Thanks so much for the sympathy and will to help that so many
of you have expressed over the past week, and for all that I know
many of you will be doing to help alleviate this great tragedy
in the days ahead.
Warmly,
Alan Altshuler