After Hurricane Rita forced the Sept. 21 closing of the University of Houston, the campus reopened at noon Sept. 28 with only very minor damage. Classes resume today, Sept. 29.

Although the university could have resumed operations sooner, UH administrators chose to accommodate the recommendation of public officials that businesses and schools delay opening to allow the safe and orderly return of all those who evacuated the area.

“We understood how important this request from the governor and the mayor was, and we shared their concern for making the return as safe and as orderly as possible,” said Donald J. Foss, senior vice chancellor for academic affairs for the UH System. “We will also be working with our faculty members to ensure the academic integrity of this shortened semester.”

In addition to closing the campus, UH transported 35 students living in residential housing to Texas A&M University on Sept. 22, according to Diane Murphy, assistant vice president for student affairs administration. Those students returned Sunday afternoon.

Murphy added that 130 students on the football team left Sept. 23 for the University of Tulsa, where they will stay until their Oct. 1 game.

The M.D. Anderson Library reopened on Sept. 27 and returned to normal hours on Sept. 28. Food services are scheduled to begin operating as usual on today, Sept. 29.

Of course, UH is no stranger to severe weather emergencies. Most recently, Tropical Storm Allison poured 37 inches of rain on Houston and caused $100 million of damage to more than 90 percent of UH’s buildings in 2001. Since Allison, the university made numerous enhancements to its facilities such as adding protective barriers, submarine doors at tunnel entrances and submersible pumps. Fortunately, none of these improvements were necessary since Hurricane Rita decided to cut classes here at UH.

Francine Parker
fparker@central.uh.edu