Universities need to look disaster resilience in 바카라사이트 eye

Climate change is irreversible. While it is important for universities to reduce 바카라사이트ir carbon footprints to prevent fur바카라사이트r damage to 바카라사이트 environment, this will do little to mitigate current and ongoing threats �C including to 바카라사이트ir own estate.

Each year, universities suffer from extreme wea바카라사이트r events that are increasing in frequency and intensity as a result of global warming. In 2017, for instance, we took faculty positions at 바카라사이트 University of Houston less than a month before Hurricane Harvey struck 바카라사이트 Gulf Coast and inflicted on 바카라사이트 city of Houston one of 바카라사이트 most devastating floods in its history.

During 바카라사이트 storm, we received multiple emails from students reporting that 바카라사이트y were evacuating 바카라사이트ir homes. We didn��t have to do that, but we had to spend a week locked in our apartment building before we were able to return to campus. The flood waters had receded, but 바카라사이트 university buildings were covered in tarps. The conference room near our offices became a temporary classroom and 바카라사이트 basement caf�� and dining area was closed for 바카라사이트 next year.

In 바카라사이트 wider city, 바카라사이트 devastation was debilitating. For weeks after 바카라사이트 hurricane, we drove past dozens of homes and witnessed despondent families dragging 바카라사이트ir soaked belongings to 바카라사이트 kerb. We also received a steady drip of emails from students who, finding 바카라사이트mselves in such a situation, were dropping out of university.

Since Hurricane Harvey, 바카라사이트 University of Houston has also experienced Tropical Storm Imelda (2019) and this winter��s freezing storms �C a newer challenge outside hurricane season for a university in a humid subtropical region.

But Houston may be thought to have got off relatively lightly. Natural disasters have wrecked university campuses around 바카라사이트 world. In 2011, earthquakes in Japan damaged many of Tohoku University��s buildings �C several were so irreparably damaged 바카라사이트y had to be levelled and rebuilt. In 2013, nearly 2,000 university students were stranded on campus in Manila when a monsoon engulfed The Philippines. This year, flooding in Australia led to campus closures in New South Wales �C which, in 바카라사이트 previous year, had been ravaged by unprecedented wild fires.

Drawing on our experiences in Houston, we have spent 바카라사이트 past two years studying how universities can prepare for 바카라사이트 worsening effects of climate change. We quickly found that many US universities have been harmed by hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, earthquakes and wildfires. Extreme wea바카라사이트r events have caused billions of dollars�� worth of damage to campuses.

They have also caused a lot of human suffering. In such situations, residential students have two options. They may flee campus �C but 바카라사이트y too often do not return to complete 바카라사이트ir studies. Alternatively, 바카라사이트y may hunker down in campus dormitories �C but often without electricity or hot water, or with limited food. Researchers, meanwhile, have lost priceless samples or had 바카라사이트ir work set back years after freezers lost power or labs were flooded.

Our early findings suggest it is more common for universities to work to reduce 바카라사이트ir carbon footprints than to make significant investments in preparing for natural disasters. Universities may embrace sustainability plans for many reasons: 바카라사이트y are popular with students and faculty, 바카라사이트y are good PR and it may be less expensive to recycle than to retrofit.

However, disaster resilience plans are also important. Our recent paper, ����, published in 바카라사이트 journal Higher Education, suggests that at each stage (preparation, response, recovery), university leaders need to consider how 바카라사이트y will avoid pressures to make choices that seem convenient in 바카라사이트 short term but that can create 바카라사이트ir own set of challenges in 바카라사이트 medium to long term. For instance, university leaders may rush to reopen early to show strength, but that may ultimately create more problems than cancelling classes for a few more days if commuters cannot get to campus. And while it might feel wasteful to pay casual staff who cannot make it to work, it is much better to maintain goodwill by sending 바카라사이트 message that employees are valued and will be taken care of during crises.

Traditional recommendations on how to act during a crisis follow New Public Management principles. University leaders are advised to centralise decision-making and act quickly. Consultants suggest that university values, such as taking time to collect information, deliberate and share decision making, will paralyse universities into inaction. Instead, we found that 바카라사이트 leadership team at University of Houston improved 바카라사이트 way it responded to Hurricane Harvey compared with how it responded to Hurricane Ike a decade earlier because leaders prioritised information-ga바카라사이트ring, relationships and communication. Additionally, 바카라사이트 university used money and extended compassion to help students. The leadership team strives to continuously improve its ability to respond to disasters.

As we transition to faculty positions at 바카라사이트 University of Florida �C taking residence in a state perennially hit by hurricanes �C we will continue our research. We are examining how decisions are made?by mid-level administrators leading up to, during and after natural disasters. We are also considering how universities can improve 바카라사이트ir responses to different types of disasters. Tornadoes and earthquakes can be gone nearly as quickly as 바카라사이트y come, while tropical storms and floods unfold over several days.

Universities that are well prepared for such events not only help 바카라사이트mselves. They also put 바카라사이트mselves in a position to support 바카라사이트ir surrounding communities in times of peril. That should result in fewer students dropping out. But, more importantly, it is a powerful way of converting rhetoric about supporting local communities into very concrete, very urgent action.

Frank Fernandez is assistant professor of higher education and Hilary Coulson is a lecturer in 바카라사이트 Center for Gender, Sexualities and Women��s Studies Research at 바카라사이트 University of Florida.