Flooding unlikely to affect enrollment
Posted: Monday, July 07, 2008
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) -- School officials say the problems caused by flood waters at eastern Iowa colleges likely won't keep students away this fall.
The obstacles created by the floods range from small scheduling headaches to multimillion dollar facility damage. But officials at the University of Iowa, Kirkwood Community College, Coe College and Mount Mercy College said the reaction from incoming students and their parents has been positive.
University of Iowa President Sally Mason pointed to an e-mail she got from an incoming Chinese student soon after 20 campus buildings were flooded by the Iowa River.
"She wanted to know if she could come early, if that would help" in cleanup, Mason said.
Officials at other eastern Iowa colleges recalled similar e-mails and phone conversations during and after the flooding. Those left them optimistic that fall enrollment numbers will remain steady.
"To me, the good news in this whole thing, in all this devastation, is that it's brought more unity," said John Grundig, dean of admissions at Coe, where one building was flooded and the campus lost power during Cedar Rapids' flood. "Our families are getting closer together and people are supporting each other."
Most eastern Iowa campuses were affected by flooding in some fashion, but the University of Iowa and Kirkwood's Vinton campus suffered serious damage to some campus facilities.
U of I officials are scrambling to move some classes because of flooded buildings that won't reopen in time. They did get some good news last week when it was announced that flood-damaged Mayflower Residence Hall, which holds more than 1,000 beds, will be open this fall.
Mason said late last week that cleanup and repairs will cost an estimated $75 million. That figure will rise as the school figures in staff time and other labor costs.
But when the University of Iowa held an orientation for incoming students last Monday, several students said seeing the school working to get buildings repaired put their minds at ease.
"I was really worried at first," said Kim Chmielewski, an 18-year-old incoming freshman from West Dundee, Ill.. "But being here and seeing it, seeing how they are trying to fix everything, I'm not worried really anymore."
The obstacles created by the floods range from small scheduling headaches to multimillion dollar facility damage. But officials at the University of Iowa, Kirkwood Community College, Coe College and Mount Mercy College said the reaction from incoming students and their parents has been positive.
University of Iowa President Sally Mason pointed to an e-mail she got from an incoming Chinese student soon after 20 campus buildings were flooded by the Iowa River.
"She wanted to know if she could come early, if that would help" in cleanup, Mason said.
Officials at other eastern Iowa colleges recalled similar e-mails and phone conversations during and after the flooding. Those left them optimistic that fall enrollment numbers will remain steady.
"To me, the good news in this whole thing, in all this devastation, is that it's brought more unity," said John Grundig, dean of admissions at Coe, where one building was flooded and the campus lost power during Cedar Rapids' flood. "Our families are getting closer together and people are supporting each other."
Most eastern Iowa campuses were affected by flooding in some fashion, but the University of Iowa and Kirkwood's Vinton campus suffered serious damage to some campus facilities.
U of I officials are scrambling to move some classes because of flooded buildings that won't reopen in time. They did get some good news last week when it was announced that flood-damaged Mayflower Residence Hall, which holds more than 1,000 beds, will be open this fall.
Mason said late last week that cleanup and repairs will cost an estimated $75 million. That figure will rise as the school figures in staff time and other labor costs.
But when the University of Iowa held an orientation for incoming students last Monday, several students said seeing the school working to get buildings repaired put their minds at ease.
"I was really worried at first," said Kim Chmielewski, an 18-year-old incoming freshman from West Dundee, Ill.. "But being here and seeing it, seeing how they are trying to fix everything, I'm not worried really anymore."
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