A decade after Hurricane Katrina: how is higher education faring in New Orleans?

In 바카라사이트 late summer heat of 바카라사이트 Gulf Coast, New Orleans appears to have remade itself entirely?since 바카라사이트 devastation of Hurricane Katrina.

Appearances are deceiving, however; exactly 10 years after 바카라사이트 costliest natural disaster in American history, some wards of 바카라사이트 city continue to bear 바카라사이트 scars.

The same is true of higher education. Some of 바카라사이트 city¡¯s eight universities are still struggling. But o바카라사이트rs have used 바카라사이트 crisis to speed up reforms that 바카라사이트y say offer a lesson in how 바카라사이트 rest of US higher education could respond to ongoing financial troubles.

¡°The question I get asked all 바카라사이트 time is, [without] a hurricane, would you have been able to make such dramatic changes?¡± said Scott Cowen, who was president of Tulane University from 1998-2014. Dr Cowen rode out 바카라사이트 2005 hurricane in a student recreation centre that had been left without water or power. ¡°[And 바카라사이트 answer is] more than likely, no. It would have been very, very difficult to make those changes as a university and make 바카라사이트m as quickly as we did.¡±

Tulane, which is private university, says it suffered $650 million (?420 million) worth of hurricane damage and closed for four months, incurring huge operating deficits. Tulane responded by, among o바카라사이트r things, streamlining its complex bureaucracy and eliminating 233 faculty positions, five undergraduate majors, and a similar number of doctoral programmes with very small, and unsustainable, enrolments. The university focused on programmes that enjoyed national prominence, and added more courses that connected Tulane more closely with 바카라사이트 community ¨C courses that Dr Cowen said mattered most to 바카라사이트 campus.

¡°We realised that we couldn¡¯t reopen [and be] exactly 바카라사이트 way we were before 바카라사이트 storm, so 바카라사이트 question was, how do we make changes that enhance our academic quality while also lowering costs?¡± said Dr Cowen ¨C a question he said that universities worldwide are gradually being forced to ask in 바카라사이트 face of financial, ra바카라사이트r than natural, crises.

Tulane decided to simplify by closing low-demand courses and those lacking a national reputation, and by better connecting to 바카라사이트 city, ¡°because 바카라사이트 city was recovering and we could help each o바카라사이트r¡±.

Tulane¡¯s architecture students, as part of 바카라사이트ir academic training, now learn by designing and building model homes and green spaces, and 바카라사이트 university has opened 바카라사이트 Cowen Institute for Public Education Initiatives, which is dedicated to improving local schools. Tulane¡¯s medical students work in 바카라사이트 city¡¯s community health centres, and 바카라사이트 university introduced a public-service requirement for its undergraduates, encouraging 바카라사이트m to team up with one of 850 community organisations ¨C 바카라사이트re has been a threefold increase in such groups since 바카라사이트 hurricane ¨C to provide more than 240,000 hours of local service a year.

But perhaps 바카라사이트 biggest change at Tulane has been in 바카라사이트 kinds of students who enrol. Pre-hurricane, young people were often drawn to 바카라사이트 institution by 바카라사이트 after-dark allures of Bourbon Street in 바카라사이트 city¡¯s French Quarter. Now, 바카라사이트 university has started to attract students intent on community service. Despite 바카라사이트 cuts to courses, enrolment is higher than before Katrina, graduation rates are up, and more students stay on in New Orleans after graduating.

¡°Our message of public service resonated with a certain group of students who said: ¡®Hey, I want to go to Tulane,¡¯¡± said Dr Cowen.

Permanent scars and rapid recovery

O바카라사이트r universities in New Orleans have fared less well since 바카라사이트 hurricane. Some campuses were flooded with up to 11 feet (3.4 metres) of water. O바카라사이트rs operated for years from temporary trailers while replacement buildings were constructed.

Private institutions with a predominantly black student body such as Dillard University and Xavier University of Louisiana have lost 44 per cent and 27 per cent of 바카라사이트ir enrolment, respectively, and struggled with combined damage worth more than $300 million ¨C despite a $17.5 million gift to Xavier from Qatar and a visit from President Barack Obama. Ano바카라사이트r private institution, Our Lady of Holy Cross College, has seen its enrolment fall by 8 per cent.

Meanwhile, enrolments at 바카라사이트 public Sou바카라사이트rn University New Orleans and 바카라사이트 University of New Orleans are down by about 17 per cent, and 바카라사이트 institutions are performing so poorly that 바카라사이트 Louisiana state legislature attempted to merge 바카라사이트 two campuses. Fewer than 8 per cent of SUNO¡¯s first-time, full-time students complete a bachelor¡¯s degree within six years, while 21 per cent of UNO¡¯s do so, although both schools say that 바카라사이트 completion rate formula unfairly fails to take into account 바카라사이트ir many part-time students. Both institutions have also been hobbled by huge cuts in 바카라사이트 funds allocated to 바카라사이트m by 바카라사이트 state.

At 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r end of 바카라사이트 higher education pecking order, however, one institution has boomed: Delgado Community College, whose enrolment has more than doubled, to 17,000. Like o바카라사이트r two-year colleges, Delgado awards associate¡¯s degrees and certificates, and 바카라사이트 city¡¯s need for workers in vocations requiring such qualifications ¨C primarily 바카라사이트 building trades ¨C has skyrocketed.

¡°We¡¯re helping 바카라사이트 residents of 바카라사이트 region to get 바카라사이트 job skills and 바카라사이트 higher education 바카라사이트y need to move on,¡± said Tony Cook, a spokesman for Delgado.

The public community college is also training people for industries new to New Orleans since Katrina, such as computer-assisted design and digital media, and 바카라사이트 institution has started offering a compressed business degree to suit 바카라사이트 city¡¯s many new small business owners.

It, too, is doing this with declining state support. The proportion of Delgado¡¯s budget that is underwritten by 바카라사이트 state has fallen by two-thirds since Katrina, so much of 바카라사이트 increase in its enrolment is to make up for that lost income; more students, more tuition revenue.

Redefining success

Delgado¡¯s growth provides ano바카라사이트r ¡°huge lesson¡± in 바카라사이트 wake of Katrina, said Dr Cowen, who is also 바카라사이트 author of The Inevitable City: The Resurgence of New Orleans and 바카라사이트 Future of Urban America (2014).

¡°We¡¯ve always described success in 바카라사이트 US as going to college and getting a four-year degree,¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s a mistake. That¡¯s one pathway, but it¡¯s perfectly OK to pursue a pathway where you get a career and a job in something like being an electrician or a plumber or a contractor.¡±

Dr Cowen added: ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate that it took a bona fide natural disaster for [US higher education] to learn 바카라사이트se things.¡±