WHEREAS Hurricane Katrina made landfall on the Gulf Coast of the United States on August 29, 2005, and

WHEREAS members of the San Francisco State University community, together with all Americans and people from throughout the world have watched in horror the unspeakable suffering of the people of Gulf Coast communities devastated by Hurricane Katrina, and

WHEREAS one of the consequences of the devastation wrought by this hurricane is the inoperable state of institutions of higher learning in the affected communities for an indefinite period, and

WHEREAS among the affected institutions are campuses of the Louisiana State University system, a public university system with over 150,000 students, a large number of whom come from underrepresented communities and are the first in their families to attend college, and

WHEREAS San Francisco State University is an urban institution that serves students with similar demographics as those served by the Louisiana State University system, and

WHEREAS San Francisco State University has identified commitment to equity and social justice as a primary goal of its 2005-2010 Strategic Plan, and

WHEREAS academic institutions throughout the United States have started mobilizing to help students in the affected colleges and universities continue their education during the difficult months ahead, and

WHEREAS Chancellor Reed of the CSU has responded to the needs of students in the areas affected by hurricane Katrina by instituting a variety of measures, such as a waiver of non-resident tuition and flexible deferred payment plans so that they can continue their studies at CSU campuses; therefore be it

RESOLVED that the Academic Senate of San Francisco State University commend the CSU and SFSU administrations for moving quickly to join other CSU campuses in facilitating the temporary transfer of students from the affected institutions, and be it further

RESOLVED that the Academic Senate of San Francisco State University urge the entire SFSU community to join hands in facilitating housing and emotional support to students that transfer to our campus from the Louisiana State University System and other institutions that are being forced to close as a result of the hurricane catastrophe, and be it further

RESOLVED that the Academic Senate authorize the Executive Committee to work with campus administrators to convene a broad-based coordinating committee to organize campus efforts to support Hurricane Katrina relief.