Message from President Gann

September 1, 2005

To The CMC Community:

We each share grave concern for the victims of Hurricane Katrina and the destruction brought to our nation's Gulf Coast. I am enormously grateful that initial reports indicate no current students or their immediate families have been affected. We have also received no reports of impacted faculty. However, several New Orleans-area alumni expect to return to lost homes once the evacuation is lifted, and some CMC staff members' families have lost their homes. Please know that the thoughts of the community are with you all.

As an institution of higher learning, we are concerned as well for the thousands of students in Gulf Coast colleges and universities whose educational plans were put indefinitely on hold as evacuations were ordered. We are therefore working with the American Council on Education (ACE) to admit up to five visiting students from Tulane and Xavier University for the fall semester. While the arrangement will be tuition-free, College housing is already at capacity. I ask that members of the community consider opening their homes or dorm rooms to these visiting students. Interested volunteers should contact the Dean of Students Office as arrangements are finalized over the next several days.

We are also working across The Claremont Colleges to organize a Red Cross Blood Drive on Monday, September 19. Information on additional volunteer opportunities will be provided shortly by Human Resources.

Further communications will follow from various campus offices as plans are confirmed. In the meantime I am heartened, as always, by the outpouring of concern demonstrated by the Claremont McKenna College community.

Sincerely,
Pamela Gann