In this video, ETSU President Dr. Brian Noland provides an update on the university's response to the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Since its inception in 1911, East Tennessee State University has been committed to improving the quality of life for the people of the region and beyond. Central to this mission is the belief that people come first. Bucs Rebuild Together, the university’s response to the devastation from Hurricane Helene in the region, reflects ETSU’s continuing commitment to supporting our communities in times of need. Through collaborative efforts, we are dedicated to helping rebuild, embodying our core values of service, excellence, and compassion. Learn more at ETSU.edu/response.   




Video Transcript

Dr. Brian Noland:

Hello, I'm Brian Noland, President of East Tennessee State University. Over the past few days, our community has experienced unimaginable losses and devastation as a result of the winds and rain from Hurricane Helene. Everyone in our region has either been impacted or knows someone who has been affected by these events. In this difficult time, we must come together to support one another and rebuild and strengthen our communities.

 

First, I want to assure our students and employees that we will offer maximum flexibility as you work to take care of your loved ones and take care of personal matters. Our university has suspended classes and deadlines and students will be allowed to make up coursework missed due to the storm. Employees who need to miss work will not be penalized or required to utilize their leave hours. At the same time, we're asking those who are able to help us keep campus services and facilities operational as much as possible to provide support to our students, to our employees, and to our community. 

 

Students who need assistance should contact the Dean of Students Office at deanofstudents@etsu.edu or call 423-439-5377. Employees who need help should contact our Office of Human Resources at hr@etsu.edu or call 423-439-4457. 

 

Many of you have asked how to help and there are several ways you can get involved to support our campus and our neighbors.

 

First, ETSU and the Marsh Regional Blood Center are hosting a blood drive in the Culp Student Center on the third floor that will continue tomorrow.

 

Second, East Tennessee State University is collecting donations for hygiene kits, flood buckets, food, and cleaning supplies. Donations can be dropped off on the third floor of the Culp Center in the Bucky's Food Pantry Collection bins located around campus as well as at the tailgate for this Saturday's football game.

 

Third, a list of organizations accepting monetary donations is available at the etsu.edu/response website. There you can find information about how to give to local relief organizations and how to help support the Buccaneer Crisis Fund and our Employee Assistance Fund.

 

Finally, those who would like to volunteer for cleanup efforts are asked to register with ETSU serves and attend emergency response training which will be held on campus later this week. While we recognize the desire to roll up our sleeves and jump in, it's important that we work closely with our community partners and with TEMA in mobilizing ETSU volunteers and providing support. To facilitate this, training will be provided on how to safely assist in the aftermath of the storms and volunteers will be deployed to areas where they can be of the greatest assistance. Details on how to volunteer are available on the ETSU response page at etsu.edu/response 

 

Please continue monitoring this page as well as your email and social media channels for ongoing updates. If you've not done so already, please be sure to download the ETSU safe app to receive emergency alerts by visiting etsu.edu/safety You should also text ETSU to 237-233 to receive emergency text alerts.

 

I'd like to thank everyone for their support and for working so quickly to rally around our community. There are hundreds of initiatives underway across campus to provide relief and to support those affected and I'm incredibly proud of the generosity and dedication of our campus community.

 

Please also remember that the impacts from this tragedy will be ongoing for months and even years. We're committed to supporting our students, faculty, and staff in the community at large for the duration. 

 

Please continue to take care of yourselves in one another. Godspeed to each of you.  

###  

East Tennessee State University was founded in 1911 with a singular mission: to improve the quality of life for people in the region and beyond. Through its world-class health sciences programs and interprofessional approach to health care education, ETSU is a highly respected leader in rural health research and practices. The university also boasts nationally ranked programs in the arts, technology, computing, and media studies. ETSU serves approximately 14,000 students each year and is ranked among the top 10 percent of colleges in the nation for students graduating with the least amount of debt.

Browse Related Stories

Stay in Touch

Follow ETSU on Social