While the Class of 2009 prepares to spend the next four years in Hanover, at least 32 students from Gulf Coast-area colleges and universities will likely begin their time at the College under less favorable circumstances.
After Hurricane Katrina devastated huge areas of the Gulf Coast, forcing colleges and universities to suspend operations for the fall semester, Dartmouth invited displaced students to apply.
The College received 47 applications, and at press time had admitted 32 students. Eight students withdrew their applications, and the College hopes to admit the remaining seven if housing can be found, Director of Media Relations Roland Adams said. Most of the displaced students come from Tulane University; others are from the University of New Orleans, Loyola University and Dillard University.
College President James Wright signed off on the plan to admit displaced students after consulting with the Board of Trustees and other colleagues.
"I think [the decision] was fully consistent with the heritage of this school and with the sort of response that our students and faculty would want us to have," Wright said.
The College accepted students under its Special Community Student Program, which Wright expanded to include those from the Gulf Coast region this fall. Dartmouth will not require them to pay tuition but expects them to pay regular fees to their own schools to aid in rebuilding efforts.
While Dartmouth's housing crunch left no room for visiting students in residence halls, area residents have taken in 32 students, allowing them to attend the College this fall.
"There was no one we heard from whose application we denied," said Dan Nelson, senior associate dean of the College. Nelson added that the College hopes to enroll the remaining seven students contingent upon available housing.
The Dartmouth College Real Estate Office has been putting students in touch with area residents who have opened their homes. Students are required to confirm that they have local housing before beginning Fall term.
Area residents have been responsive to the arrival of students, and some Dartmouth students have even offered to share their dorm rooms, Wright said.
"I think that there probably has been more housing offered than will be required," he said. "It was very heartwarming."
Students who have been temporarily admitted are not considered matriculated. Although visiting students may enroll in up to three classes, they may not take the place of matriculated Dartmouth students. When the plan was conceived, no limit was placed on the number of students the College would admit.
An announcement will be made later this year as to whether the Special Community Student Program will be extended into Winter term, but students are expected to return to their home institutions when they reopen.
"The whole process of applying as a transfer student is a separate track, and we are not encouraging that," Wright said. "We don't want to take students away from their home institutions."
