UI advises students to double-check spring 2009 class locations

The University of Iowa Registrar's Office strongly encourages students registered for spring 2009 classes to double-check the location of those classes via ISIS at http://isis.uiowa.edu.

Many classes have been relocated because of the summer floods, and ISIS will provide the most up-to-date locations for next semester's classes.

Further questions may be directed to the registrar's classroom scheduling office at 319-335-1243.

UI purchases 22 mobile units to be used by School of Music, Theatre Arts

The University of Iowa announced today, Tuesday, Dec. 2, that it has purchased 22 mobile units for use next semester by its School of Music faculty, staff and students and by teaching assistants in the Department of Theatre Arts. For more information, visit
http://news-releases.uiowa.edu/2008/december/120208mobile_units.html

Open house at Studio Arts Building, 4-7 PM, Friday, Dec. 5

The University of Iowa’s School of Art and Art History will open its doors for a flood-recovery open house on Friday, December 5, from 4-7 PM, at the temporary Studio Arts building, 1375 Highway 1 West at the intersection of Sunset Street. 

The event will celebrate the work and dedication of students, faculty and staff who pulled together after last summer’s flood to ensure that the nationally-ranked program continues to thrive as a vital center of creative activity and scholarship.

The open house will feature exhibitions of student work, demonstrations of art processes, posters by art education and art history students, a T-shirt sale to raise scholarship funds, and the sale of books from the University of Iowa Museum of Art shop. Refreshments will be provided. More...

Big Ten Network match generates more than $90,000 for UI flood relief

A $25,000 matching gift from the Big Ten Network to the University of Iowa Flood Relief Fund has spurred more than $65,000 in donations to the UI Foundation for the university's flood relief efforts, for a total of more than $90,000 from the network's initiative. Nearly 200 individual contributors made more than $50,000 in gifts as a direct result of the Big Ten Network's challenge, which it promoted on its broadcasts and through a joint Web-based promotion with the UI Foundation. In addition, the network's efforts on behalf of the UI inspired Florida Citrus Sports to make a $15,000 gift for UI flood recovery. (more)

UI Theatre Building update

The University of Iowa Theatre Arts Department plans to return to the Theatre Building, which was flooded this summer, during finals week. The target dates are Thursday and Friday, Dec. 18 and 19, with a few things moving earlier that week. On those two days the department plans to move nearly everything and everyone back to the building, though officials expect it may take a while to get the space organized.

For more details, visit the Theatre Arts Department Web site.

Flood Mitigation Task Force forum to offer updates, seek input

The University of Iowa Flood Mitigation Task Force will host an open forum from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 14 in Room C20 of the Pomerantz Career Center.

Task force members will provide updates on the flood recovery and mitigation planning processes. Additionally, members of the community who were directly affected by the flood, as well as other interested parties, will have an opportunity to ask questions and offer input.

The UI Mitigation Task Force, co-chaired by UI faculty members Gregg Oden, a professor of psychology and computer science, and Larry Weber, an engineering professor and director of IIHR-Hydroscience and Engineering, is a 14-member campus advisory group charged with guiding campus flood recovery and mitigation efforts in the wake of the summer 2008 flooding of the UI campus, which left more than 20 buildings damaged and numerous faculty, staff and students temporarily displaced.

University to proceed with recovery of Art Building West

The University of Iowa announced today, Tuesday, Nov. 4, that it will move ahead with repairing and restoring Art Building West, one of two buildings that were home to UI's School of Art and Art History, and also with returning the south end of the former Museum of Art to pre-flood conditions as a temporary quarters for some of its displaced arts programs. (more)

Portions of the Iowa Memorial Union reopen

The first through the third floors of the Iowa Memorial Union (IMU) reopened to the public Saturday, Nov. 1. Limited services are available, but the building may be used for events, meetings and studying.

The IMU has been closed since June 13 because of flooding of the Iowa River. The ground floor of the building remains closed. Some services are being relocated within the building while others remain in alternate locations.

Campus Event Services offices and the Campus Information Center reopened today (Monday, Nov. 3), and the IMU is taking reservations for events and meetings. To make a reservation call 319-335-3114.

The University Book Store is in the Old Capitol Town Center, and will remain there until further notice. The Iowa One Card Office will remain in 3 Jessup Hall.

Moving back to the IMU in the next few weeks are the University Box Office, Office of Student Life, UI Student Government and student organizations, IMU Human Resources, Office of the Vice President for Student Services, and all IMU support services. The Bijou Theater will start showing films on Friday Nov. 7, and resume its regular schedule, showing movies seven days a week.

On Dec. 1 the Iowa House Hotel is scheduled to reopen, as is the River Room with a full menu. The hotel is accepting reservations for dates after Jan. 1, 2009; call 319-335-3513 to make reservations.

IMU building hours are 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 4 through Friday Nov. 7. After Nov. 7, the IMU will resume normal hours of 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 7 a.m. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays.

For detailed, up-to-date information visit http://www.imu.uiowa.edu.

STORY SOURCE: University of Iowa News Services, 300 Plaza Centre One, Suite 371, Iowa City, Iowa 52242-2500

MEDIA CONTACTS: David Grady, IMU, 319-335-3114, david-grady@uiowa.edu; George McCrory, University News Services, 319-384-0012, george-mccrory@uiowa.edu

Law students clean up flood damage in Cedar Rapids

A group of University of Iowa law students will help clean up flood damage in Cedar Rapids on Nov. 1, following up on the work of 70 other law students earlier in the fall. Iowa law students have made three previous trips to the city, where they mucked out and gutted flood damaged buildings and helped clean a playground. Students also went door-to-door leaving fliers with information about Iowa Legal Aid and how flood victims can protect their legal rights.

"The students worked their hearts out," said Brian Farrell, director of the law school's Academic Achievement Program, who accompanied one group. Many students were shocked at the damage.

"I was really amazed because it was the first time I had seen the devastation done to Cedar Rapids," said law student Brian Shust. "I think the thing that sticks out most is seeing toy stuffed animals, dirty and torn, just littered about houses and streets. That is an image that will stay with me as I pray for those people. I am glad that I got the chance to make a small difference in Cedar Rapids." Full story...

President Mason activates steam whistle to mark UI Power Plant return

University of Iowa President Sally Mason pushed the red button that sounds the familiar steam whistle at noon today, Tuesday, Oct. 28, marking the return to full operation of the UI Power Plant. The whistle, which blows to mark the hours of 8 a.m., noon, 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday (except holidays), had been silent since June, when the Iowa River flooded the plant. (Photo by Tim Schoon, UI Office of University Relations)

Flood Recovery Update Memo

TO: Robert Donley

FROM: Doug True

RE: Flood of 2008 – Status

DATE: October 24, 2008


This is an update of the October 6 flood status report. Next week an oral report will be provided to the Iowa Board of Regents at its meeting.

To view a UI Flood Building Major Projects Progress update, visit
http://www.uiowa.edu/floodrecovery/recovery-reports/BOR-102408-building.pdf

Power Plant Update

The University is optimistic that the goal of bringing the Main Power Plant back on line by November 1 will be met. Boiler #11, one of two solid fuel boilers at the Main Power Plant, has successfully been restarted. This boiler burns both coal and oat hulls. Since being energized there have been two occasions when the boiler was “tripped”, but the problems were addressed and the outages short-lived. Solid fuel boiler #10 is expected to be energized this week (Friday, October 24) or early next. Each solid fuel boiler produces approximately 170,000 pounds of steam per hour. The reliability of these units is critical for winter operations at the University.

The Main Power Plant’s two natural gas fired boilers have been operational since early October. These boilers each produce approximately 100,000 pounds of steam per hour. By contrast, the temporary boilers engaged immediately after the flood each produce ~60,000 pounds of steam per hour. Given the expected operational challenges due to the length of time the solid fuel boilers were idle, Power Plant operators anticipate utilizing the natural gas fired boilers to a greater degree than in past years. Shortly after boiler #10 is back in service, the University intends to disassemble the temporary, rented boiler located behind Burge Residence Hall and relocate it to the west campus. This temporary boiler will be co-located with the other temporary boiler serving UIHC in a winterized facility near the west campus chilled water plant. These units will serve as additional back-up for the health care campus through the winter.

Work on the steam distribution system continues to provide needed service and redundancy. Projects to “direct bury” steam lines on the east and west campuses are nearing completion. The new line through the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center construction site is expected to be tested and made available next week; the new direct bury steam line near Rienow and Slater Halls on the west campus is progressing on schedule. The steam lines (via tunnel system) providing service to the IMU and Iowa Advanced Technology Labs have been energized. Steam service will also soon be available through the tunnel system to buildings on the Arts Campus as well. However, heating (mechanical) systems within certain flood affected buildings have not been recovered. Therefore the University will be utilizing the services of Munters Corporation to provide temporary heating in some buildings on campus.

Facilities Management personnel are meeting with Stanley Consultants, HBK, Inc of Chicago (tunnel consultant), and Shive-Hattery to develop a system of bulk-head barriers to protect the Main Power Plant from inundation of flood waters through the utility tunnel system. It is the University’s intent to have these protective barriers in place by June 2009.


Other Flood Related Matters

The University has established an “Interim Solutions” committee to assess the intermediate term needs (1 to 3 years) of departments displaced by the flood. Representatives from the Provost’s Office, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, Facilities Management and Risk Management serve on the committee. Issues currently before this committee include evaluating additional intermediate-term options for the School of Music and the School of Art and Art History. Both Schools are in temporary quarters; however, some better options for facilities will need to be developed for extended temporary use.

The University has submitted “business interruption” claims with its insurance carrier – FM Global. Claims from UIHC and the Faculty Practice Plan have been processed, and we are expecting a $4 million payment within the next week.

Financing – the University continues to work with representatives of the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and FEMA to process the necessary paperwork (project worksheets or “PW’s”) to obtain reimbursement for flood-related expenses. (The attached two-page document summarizes the status of buildings affected by the flood as well as programmatic and funding issues). The expeditious processing of these claims is crucial to avoid cash flow problems. I will be reporting to the Board next week the status of FEMA’s response to University reimbursement needs.

Please let me know if you or Board members have questions.


Attachment


C: Regent Miles
Regent Evans
President Mason
Joan Racki

UI begins preparing arts campus, Iowa Memorial Union for winter

About 50 1,000-gallon liquid propane (LP) gas tanks are being installed on the University of Iowa's west arts campus and near the Iowa Memorial Union (IMU) this week as part of an effort to prepare buildings flooded this summer for winter weather, ongoing mitigation work and possible future reoccupation. (more)

Mason to sound steam whistle Oct. 28 to mark power plant restoration

At noon Tuesday, Oct. 28, the University of Iowa power plant -- with the help of UI President Sally Mason -- will sound its steam whistle for the first time since June 13, when the Iowa River flooded the facility and silenced the familiar sound. The blow will mark the power plant's return to full operation. (more)

Ongoing efforts of faculty, staff assist University in flood recovery, future planning

The phrase “other duties as assigned” is a common component of job descriptions. But few would have envisioned some of the “other duties” taken on by UI employees this past summer. And while some were assigned, many were simply taken up on the fly, in the face of rising waters.

The tales of this past summer’s flood heroics and the Hawkeye Spirit are legion. The three people profiled here will be the first to tell you, in that typically Iowa way, that they were just one of the many, many people who rose to the occasion and went well beyond it; who found themselves doing work they never imagined in areas in which they had little previous experience. fyi chose to interview them in part because of their visibility during the flood, but also for their ongoing efforts in helping the University deal with the flood’s aftermath and the planning for the future. More...

'Buildings' again ranks Facilities Management among top 10 in country

For the fourth year in a row Buildings magazine has ranked University of Iowa Facilities Management among the 10 most proactive and innovative infrastructure managers in the nation. And its editors praised the department for tackling new projects while contending with the worst flood in the university's history. (more)

UI President Mason will address 2008 Joint Service Club luncheon Thursday

University of Iowa President Sally Mason will discuss ongoing flood recovery and mitigation efforts, and the university's new strategic initiatives, during the annual Joint Service Club luncheon from noon to 1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 16, at Hotel Vetro in downtown Iowa City.

Tickets are sold out for the event. However, UI Television will record and broadcast the event on Monday, Oct. 20 at 10 a.m., 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Tuesday, Oct. 21 at 4 a.m. and 5 p.m.; and Friday, Oct. 24, at 6 p.m. Additional broadcasts are planned and will be announced later.

The Iowa City Noon Rotary Club sponsors the annual event. The group's current president, University of Iowa Community Credit Union President Jeff Disterhoff, will make opening remarks; Bob Downer, a member of the Board of Regents, State of Iowa, will introduce the program; and Regents President David Miles will introduce Mason.

The annual speech by the UI president to members of area service clubs is a long-standing Iowa City tradition and is designed to strengthen the "town-gown" relationship between the university and Johnson County communities.

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend. If you are a person with a disability who requires an accommodation in order to participate in this program, contact Reese at 319-335-3305.

NOTE TO EDITORS: A table will be set up in the back of the room for news media wishing to cover this event. Direct questions to Stephen Pradarelli, director of University News Services, at 319-384-0007.

STORY SOURCE: University of Iowa News Services, 300 Plaza Centre One, Suite 371, Iowa City, Iowa 52242-2500

MEDIA CONTACTS: Margaret Reese, University of Iowa Foundation, 319-335-3305, margaret-reese@uiowa.edu; Stephen Pradarelli, 319-384-0007, stephen-pradarelli@uiowa.edu

University of Iowa Museum of Art works return to campus

Nearly 250 works of art from the University of Iowa Museum of Art (UIMA) permanent collection are now available for viewing by appointment, thanks to a collaboration between the Museum of Art and University of Iowa Libraries Special Collections.

This broad cross-section of prints, drawings and photographs will be stored in Special Collections, located on the Third Floor of the UI Main Library.

"The Museum of Art's top priority since the flood has been to find creative ways to make selections from the collection available for UI classes," said UIMA Chief Curator Kathleen Edwards, who chose the works to return to campus with input from UI faculty. "We are grateful that Special Collections can accommodate these key works and work with the UIMA on student and faculty access."

The 197 prints, 38 photographs and 13 drawings are the first works from the museum's collection to return to campus since the June floods forced evacuation of the building and removal of the collection to art storage in Chicago.

Instructors at the UI and other schools may make appointments for their classes to view selections from the group in a classroom adjacent to Special Collections. Individuals, including students, may make appointments to see specific works in the Special Collections Reading Room. Please contact Nathan Popp, UIMA curatorial graduate assistant, at nathan-popp@uiowa.edu for more information or to set up a Special Collections visit. Visit the UIMA Web site at http://www.uiowa.edu/uima for a link to a list of available works.

At least one class has already made use of the selection. On Oct. 2 students enrolled in "History of Prints" taught by UI art history faculty member Julie Hochstrasser were able to view and interact with 55 of these prints under Edwards' supervision.

"The opportunity for students to see these original artworks is an essential and tremendously rich component of their art historical education," Hochstrasser said.

"They have read about these prints in their textbook, and they have seen them in lecture as digital projections, but there is quite simply no substitute for the real thing. This is our 'lab.' This is what it's really all about. We are enormously grateful that we have been able to continue with some semblance of business as usual."

The remainder of the museum's permanent collection remains in storage in Chicago. Several members of the UIMA staff visited the storage and conservation facilities in late August and left feeling optimistic. Limited access to the collection will likely be available for class use, research and future exhibition and educational planning.

In addition, new purchases and gifts to the UIMA collections can be stored in these facilities, ensuring the continued growth and vitality of the museum's collections during this transitional time.

The UI Museum of Art was evacuated from its building in June due to the flood. Some exhibitions and events slated to be held at the UIMA have been moved to alternate venues. For more information on the UI Museum of Art and the latest schedule information visit http://www.uiowa.edu/uima.

For UI arts information and calendar updates visit http://www.uiowa.edu/artsiowa. To receive UI arts news by e-mail, go to http://list.uiowa.edu/archives/acr-news.html and click the link "Join or Leave ACR News," then follow the instructions.

STORY SOURCE: University of Iowa Arts Center Relations, 300 Plaza Centre One, Suite 351, Iowa City, IA 52242-2500

MEDIA CONTACTS: Maggie Anderson, Museum of Art, 319-335-1739, Margaret-anderson@uiowa.edu; Peter Alexander, Arts Center Relations, 319-384-0072 (office) 319-541-2846 (cell), peter-alexander@uiowa.edu

UI names flood mitigation task force to advise on campus changes

The University of Iowa has appointed a 14-member flood mitigation task force that will serve as the university community's voice in planning changes to reduce the risk from future Iowa River flooding.

The task force of faculty and staff members will meet through the fall with numerous faculty, staff and student constituencies to hear their thoughts and concerns about possible actions that might be taken.

In March, the task force will report its findings and conclusions to University of Iowa President Sally Mason, as well as share them with consultants from Ayres Associates and Sasaki Associates, two firms that are advising the university on flood mitigation planning.

"Part of our role is to serve as a conduit for the university community, to gather their thoughts and communicate them to the consultants," said task force co-chair Gregg Oden, a professor of psychology and computer science who has chaired the university's Campus Planning Committee for the past five years.

The consultants will use those comments as one of their guides as they develop flood mitigation proposals, said committee co-chair Larry Weber, professor of civil and environmental engineering and director of the IIHR-Hydroscience and Engineering.

In addition, the task force will advise the university's administration on particular flood recovery and mitigation issues that might arise prior to the completion of the final plan, and contribute whatever additional input is appropriate regarding the rebuilding of the campus.

Among the task force's goals will be to consider means to reduce the risk of damage from future flooding in buildings flooded this summer while taking account of the needs of student services operations and research, instructional and artistic programs that were affected by the flood.

Weber and Oden said the task force will consider all options for future flood protection and mitigation, including structural changes to buildings, changes in occupancy, environmental and landscaping changes, and the role of insurance.

"But I hope we aren't too reactive to the flood," said Weber. "We still want to interact with the river on campus, but not from behind a 20-foot high wall. The Iowa River is one of the university's major assets and we hope to continue to engage with it."

Wallace Loh, executive vice president and provost, and Doug True, senior vice president and treasurer, appointed the task force. Other members of the task force include:

--Cheryl Reardon Hoogerwerf, assistant to the vice president for research.

--Joe Kearney, associate dean, College of Liberal Arts & Science.

--Lucie Laurian, assistant professor, Urban & Regional Planning.

--Lola Lopes, emeritus professor, Tippie College of Business.

--George Malanson, professor, Geography.

--Gene Parkin, professor, Civil & Environmental Engineering.

--John Beldon Scott, professor, Art & Art History.

--Mike Valde, environmental compliance manager.

The committee also includes the following ex officio members:

--Barbara Eckstein, associate provost, Office of the Provost.

--Don Guckert, associate vice president, Facilities Management.

--George Hollins, University Business Manager.

--Donna Pearcy, director, Office of Risk Management.

STORY SOURCE: University of Iowa News Service, 300 Plaza Centre One, Iowa City, Iowa 52242-2500

MEDIA CONTACT: Gregg Oden, 319-335-2455, gregg-oden@uiowa.edu; Larry Weber, 319-335-5597, larry-weber@uiowa.edu

University of Iowa resumes Beckwith Boathouse construction

Construction is set to resume on the new Beckwith Boathouse -- featuring a more flood-resistant design -- after a nearly four-month delay. The building project was suspended in June due to widespread flooding.

The UI, in coordination with local architect Neumann-Monson, has made design refinements to the project to ensure the new structure can withstand flooding threats to its Terrell Mill Park construction site on the Iowa River. The modified design will move building systems to the upper level and will fortify lower-level space to endure floodwaters.

"We are thrilled that we are able to continue work on this exciting new project, and that we were able to come together so quickly to make design modifications that address future flooding threats," said Rod Lehnertz, director of design and construction in UI Facilities Management. "We look forward in the months ahead to using a similar consultative process as we evaluate how to address and restore other UI buildings damaged by the flood."

The new design was reviewed and endorsed by UI officials, UI Flood Mitigation Task Force representatives, flood mitigation consultants, and the City of Iowa City. Miron Construction of Cedar Rapids has the construction contract and indicated work on the site will begin immediately.

The boathouse will host the UI Women's Rowing Team, club rowing activities and community meeting space. The building project is significantly funded through gifts to the University, with a lead naming gift provided by P. Sue Beckwith, M.D., a former UI student-athlete and noted Des Moines surgeon. Beckwith Boathouse will incorporate sustainable design techniques and is planned to be a LEED-certified building. Construction work is expected to be completed in about a year.

The building project is a partnership between the UI and Iowa City. Terrell Mill Park is located on Dubuque Street across from the UI's Mayflower Residence Hall.

STORY SOURCE: University of Iowa News Service, 300 Plaza Centre One, Suite 371, Iowa City, Iowa 52242-2500

MEDIA CONTACT: Rodney P. Lehnertz, UI Facilities Management, 319-353-2235, rodney-lehnertz@uiowa.edu

Iowa kids are helping kids affected by 2008 floods

A group of Iowa children is reaching out to help other Iowa children affected by the June 2008 floods.

"Kids Helping Kids in the Flood" will gather donations to help flood-affected children and distribute "The Flood That Came to Grandma's House" by Iowa author Linda Stallone. Used by schools and other organizations nationwide, the book helps children understand how floods occur, how families and communities are affected, and how they rebuild. The book also has a section for children to write or draw their own flood-related stories.

Support for "Kids Helping Kids" comes from University of Iowa Children's Hospital in Iowa City, Blank Children's Hospital in Des Moines, the Iowa chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Reach Out and Read-Iowa Coalition.

For more information contact Molly Olinger Topf at Reach Out and Read-Iowa at 515-991-0872 or mollyoriowa@gmail.com.

KRUI relocates to Quadrangle Hall

Displaced from the Iowa Memorial Union by flooding in June, the University of Iowa's student-run radio station, KRUI 89.7 FM, has relocated to a studio in the Quadrangle Residence Hall.

Despite the flooding, KRUI was off the air for less than two hours because the General Manager Nathan Gould and staff members were able to gather the studio equipment and move to higher ground.

The move to Quadrangle is a homecoming of sorts. KRUI's predecessor KWAD first broadcasted from the same location in 1952. The location will allow KRUI to maintain its 24-hour music and sports/news programming to the Iowa City, Coralville, and surrounding communities.

"Iowa City's Sound Alternative," KRUI is a student-run organization, with 11 student directors and more than 200 student volunteers. The station provides a hands-on experience in areas including, journalism, marketing, public relations and engineering. This year KRUI celebrates its 25th year of broadcasting.

For more information visit http://www.kruiradio.org.

Participants sought for local StoryCorps flood stories project

The devastating flood that hit Iowa last summer made headlines around the state, nation and world. Yet many stories could be lost if not preserved -- or worse yet, simply remain untold. University of Iowa Libraries -- along with university and community partners -- plans to document and preserve these stories of everyday heroism and kindness by launching a StoryCorps-style oral history project titled "Under the Current: Collecting Stories from the Flood." (more)

President Mason, others brief media on flood recovery efforts

University of Iowa President Sally Mason and other UI officials gave a briefing to news media Wednesday on ongoing flood recovery and remediation efforts. Joining Mason were Don Guckert, associate vice president of facilities management and Larry Weber, IIHR director and professor of civil and environmental engineering in the College of Engineering. To listen to the briefing, visit http://news-releases.uiowa.edu/2008/september/090208briefing.mp3

Additionally, UI Television will broadcast the briefing at the following times and dates:

Wednesday, 9/3, 8:45 PM
Wednesday, 9/3, 9:45 PM
Thursday, 9/4, 12:45 AM
Thursday, 9/4, 5:45 AM
Thursday, 9/4, 5:45 PM
Thursday, 9/4, 8 PM
Friday, 9/5, 12:45 AM
Friday, 9/5, 11 AM
Friday, 9/5, 1 PM

Final Friday Night Concert to celebrate flood recovery progress

The final performance in this summer's Iowa City Press-Citizen Friday Night Concert Series will be more than a great musical event. It'll be a chance for the community to mark the end of a long wet summer, note the incredible progress the area has made since the Iowa River flooded in June and -- of course -- have a good time.

The City of Iowa City's Summer of the Arts, United Way, the University of Iowa and local government officials have declared the Sept. 5 concert, featuring the reggae/ska band Public Property, a "Community Celebration." In addition to the performance, which is sponsored by MidWestOne Bank, the night will include special activities for children and brief remarks by community leaders who want to thank the thousands of people who pitched in to reclaim the land from the river. (more)

MEDIA ADVISORY: Rescheduled flood recovery briefing set for Wednesday, Sept. 3

UPDATE: Listen to an audio recording of the briefing.

MEDIA ADVISORY: Rescheduled flood recovery briefing set for Wednesday, Sept. 3

WHAT: University of Iowa officials will provide an update to news media on campus flood recovery and mitigation efforts.

WHEN: 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2008.

WHERE: S401 of the John Pappajohn Business Building (which houses the Henry B. Tippie College of Business) on Clinton Street just north of the Pentacrest. View a map of the building at http://www.uiowa.edu/%7Emaps/p/pbb1.htm.

WHO: UI President Sally Mason; Don Guckert, associate vice president of facilities management; Larry Weber, IIHR director and professor of civil and environmental engineering in the College of Engineering; and other officials will be on hand to answer reporters' questions.

STORY SOURCE: University of Iowa News Services, 300 Plaza Centre One, Suite 371, Iowa City, Iowa 52242-2500.

MEDIA CONTACT: Linda Kettner, 319-384-0030, linda-kettner@uiowa.edu

Mold facts now available en español

A fact sheet offering answers to questions about how to identify and eliminate mold caused by flooding is now available in Spanish in PDF format by clicking here. The fact sheet was produced by the University of Iowa College of Public Health and the University Hygienic Laboratory. For more flood-related health tips, go here.

UI Police remind students of Nite Ride, note flood-related service

University of Iowa Police would like to remind students that they offer the Nite Ride van service between 10 p.m. and 3 a.m. seven days a week. Women may get a safe, free ride home by dialing 319-384-1111. Callers are connected with the van driver, who can provide the van's current location and an estimated pickup time.

An academic route, which operates Sundays through Thursdays, picks up passengers at any UI parking lot, ramp or building (except for residence halls and University Housing) and drops them off at any UI parking lot, ramp or building including residence halls, University Housing and apartments within the specified boundaries.

The downtown route, which operates Fridays and Saturdays, is staged at Clinton and Washington streets and is bounded by Summit Street to the east, University Housing (Hawkeye Campus) to the west, Highway 6 and Melrose Avenue to the south, and Highway 6/Park Road/Foster Road to the north.

Additionally, Nite Ride is serving academic facilities relocated because of the flood, even if they are temporarily housed in non-UI buildings. These include the Studio Arts Building (formerly Menards) on Highway 1, where many of the arts studio and studio faculty offices are located; the School of Music's "Clinton Street Music 375" and "Clinton Street Music 376" near the Iowa City Main Post Office and Johnson County Courthouse; and the Department of Theatre Arts' main offices in Brewery Square, North Linn Street, above the restaurant Devotay.

For more information, including a link to a map of the route, visit http://www.uiowa.edu/~pubsfty/nite.htm.

UI Police step up patrols in areas where Blue Caps are out of order

Half of the University of Iowa's Blue Cap emergency phone stations scattered across campus are out of order because of direct flood damage or because nearby buildings that provide power to them are not yet fully operational.

Eleven of the 22 stations are still working (12 including a wall-mounted unit located inside the Lindquist Center), while 11 remain out of order, according to UI Police. Most of the units that are out of order are located near the arts campus and along the river.

Police have wrapped the broken units in red plastic and posted signs noting that they're out of order and directing pedestrians with cell phones to call 911 if there is an emergency. They've also stepped up patrols in areas where the Blue Caps are out of order.

Officials are working to get all of the units up and running as soon as possible. Until then, they urge pedestrians to stay away from construction zones and parts of campus that aren't well lit, to walk with friends, especially late at night, and to report any suspicious activity to police.

UI engineers begin yearlong study of flood pollutants in Cedar Rapids Aug. 26

The Flood of 2008 and the pollutants it left in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, will be the focus of a yearlong, $100,000 National Science Foundation (NSF) study by University of Iowa researchers in cooperation with the Linn County Board of Supervisors beginning Tuesday, Aug. 26.

Project principal investigators Keri Hornbuckle and Thanos Papanicolaou, professors of civil and environmental engineering and researchers at IIHR-Hydroscience and Engineering, say that they and about a dozen UI undergraduate and graduate students will begin collecting soil samples from lawns adjacent to roadways and grassy land within the flood zone of the city at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 26.

"We hope to determine the major sources of the mud and sediments that the flood waters left behind," Hornbuckle said. "We will measure radionuclides, stable isotopes of nitrogen and carbon, and persistent organic pollutants such as PCBs (persistent, toxic industrial chemicals banned decades ago) and chlordanes (insecticides used on lawns, gardens, corn and other crops) in Cedar Rapids sediments to trace the suspension, transport and deposition of sediments within Cedar Rapids.

"Although much of the mud and muck has disappeared, we are confident that the chemicals needed for their research remain," she said. She added that Linda Langston, chair of the Linn County Board of Supervisors, will be a key person in the overview of data collection sites.

Researchers will be equipped with small shovels, sampling jars and bags, GPS units, and clipboards. The goal is to collect about 400 soil samples from grassy areas of the city, with additional sampling conducted in the Cedar River and Cedar Lake via a boat through core sampling and bed load sediment measurements. Used as a cooling lake for the Sixth Street Generating Station and having an average depth of less than four feet, Cedar Lake is especially important because it is contaminated with chlordanes and PCBs.

"The origin of the sediments that now cover the city of Cedar Rapids is the focus of this project. We hypothesize that the sediments originated from at least three major sources including in-stream, stream bank sediments, and Cedar Lake sediments," Hornbuckle said.

Papanicolaou noted that the erosion of bank sediments is a key process in river dynamics, affecting a wide range of physical, ecological and socio-economic issues within a river drainage area and that the impact of bank erosion can be severe and further exacerbated due to flooding.

Hornbuckle and Papanicolaou said that the project and its findings will be of interest to the city as well as their fellow engineers. The project will use state-of-the-art measurement techniques, and the strategy being tested can be used by other researchers to track sediments in similar floods.

The UI researchers are scheduled to report their findings to the National Science Foundation by July 2009.

STORY SOURCE: University of Iowa News Services, 300 Plaza Centre One, Suite 371, Iowa City, Iowa 52242-2500

MEDIA CONTACTS: Keri Hornbuckle, UI College of Engineering, 319-331-3053, keri-hornbuckle@uiowa.edu; Thanos Papanicolaou, UI College of Engineering, 319-321-0483, athanasios-papanicolaou@uiowa.edu; Gary Galluzzo, University News Services, 319-384-0009, gary-galluzzo@uiowa.edu

NOTE TO EDITORS: News media are invited to attend the Tuesday, Aug. 26, kick-off of the Cedar Rapids flood pollutants study. UI researchers will meet at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 26, at the intersection of 3rd Street SE and 11th Avenue SE in Cedar Rapids prior to dispersing throughout the city to collect soil samples at various sites. Reporters can learn the current location of UI researchers by contacting UI Principal Investigator Keri Hornbuckle via cell phone at 319-331-3053.

UI issues flood recovery report to Regents for Aug. 25, 2008

The University of Iowa’s report to the Board of Regents, State of Iowa, on the campus flood recovery status, dated Aug. 25, 2008, is now available online in PDF format. To view the report, click here. To view archived reports, click here.

Note to news media on delayed opening of Studio Arts

The University of Iowa had hoped to have Studio Arts (Menards building) open by Monday, Aug. 25, but officials are delaying the opening until Wednesday, Aug. 27 in order to get the building completely ready. Media are being informed in case they were planning to do a story on its opening.  

To view a note sent to students affected by the delay, click here. If you need more elaboration on this, call Vice Provost Tom Rocklin at 319-331-1951.

IMU status updated

David L. Grady, associate vice president and director of the Iowa Memorial Union, issued the following update on the status of the IMU to University of Iowa deans, directors and departmental executive officers today:

As the fall semester approaches, I wanted to provide you with an update on the flood recovery of the Iowa Memorial Union, the status of its operations, and the temporary locations of some of its offices.

The cleaning process is now finished and the mechanical restoration work has begun. We are working to have floors one to three of the IMU open to the public by mid-semester. We will provide updates to the UI community as the work progresses and we are able to determine a firm opening date.

In the meantime, many important activities and services provided in the IMU continue to operate and provide critical services to the UI community. The Office of Student Life is temporarily housed in W300 Seashore Hall. Important student programs will continue so that students are provided with meaningful and relevant out-of-classroom experiences.

• The University Book Store is ready for the fall semester. The University Book Store is located in University Capitol Centre (Old Capitol Town Center) on the first floor. Textbooks that have been ordered by faculty will be available for students. The bookstore’s Apple Campus Store is also located on the first floor of the University Capitol Centre. 
• IMU Catering continues to provide on-campus catering. Catering sales can be contacted at 335.3114 to place orders. We are also pleased to announce the appointment of a new Executive Chef. Chef Donovan Campbell brings to the UI a great deal of culinary skill and creativity. Classically trained at Le Cordon Bleu culinary academy, with Pan Asian expertise, Chef Donovan held executive chef positions at Bellagio Hotel Resort Inc., Wynn Las Vegas Hotel & Resort Inc., and Event Solutions in southern California. 
• Plans are to open The Iowa House Hotel around the same time as the other parts of the IMU this fall. The Hotel is accepting reservations for dates after January 1, 2009. Please call 335.3513 to make reservations. 
• The Campus Information Center is located on the first floor of the University Capitol Centre. 
• Departments and individuals with reservations for meeting room space and Iowa House Hotel rooms are being notified if we are not able to provide space as a result of the flooding. 

Other relocations include:

• University Box Office—first floor of the University Capitol Centre (south end near parking ramp) 
• IMU Human Resources—2840 University Capitol Centre 
• IowaOne Card Office (ID Card)—Jessup Hall, Room 3 
• University of Iowa Community Credit Union—500 Iowa Avenue 

Please check our Web site for updated information: http://imu.uiowa.edu/ and also the University of Iowa Flood Recovery Web site: http://www.uiowa.edu/floodrecovery/. A map of IMU locations in the University Capitol Centre can be found at this Web site: http://www.uiowa.edu/floodrecovery/fall/bookstore.html

The IMU has been an important community center for the University of Iowa since 1925. Although we have had a slight setback as a result of the flooding, we plan to come back better and to provide the quality services and programs that you and our students expect. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Media briefing on flood update cancelled

The media briefing on the University of Iowa's flood recovery status has been cancelled.

CANCELLED * UI to offer flood recovery update at media briefing Thursday * CANCELLED

THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED

WHAT: University of Iowa officials will provide an update to news media on the UI's flood recovery and mitigation efforts.

WHO: UI President Sally Mason; Lola Lopes, senior advisor; and Don Guckert, associate vice president of facilities management.

WHEN: Noon Thursday, Aug. 21, 2008.

WHERE: W401 of the John Pappajohn Business Building (which houses the Henry B. Tippie College of Business) on Clinton Street just north of the Pentacrest. View a map of the building here: http://www.uiowa.edu/%7Emaps/p/pbb1.htm

STORY SOURCE: University of Iowa News Services, 300 Plaza Centre One, Suite 371, Iowa City, Iowa 52242-2500.

CONTACT: Linda Kettner, 319-384-0030, linda-kettner@uiowa.edu

UI issues flood recovery report to Regents for Aug. 18, 2008

The University of Iowa’s report to the Board of Regents, State of Iowa, on the campus flood recovery status, dated Aug. 18, 2008, is now available online in PDF format. To view the report, click here. To view archived reports, click here.

Selected Iowa Memorial Union Offices on the Move Again

Several units normally housed in the Iowa Memorial Union have moved to new temporary quarters. The Office of Student Life, Student Government and several related offices have moved to Seashore Hall. IMU Marketing and Design has moved to Seashore as well.

Guest and Event Services, Catering Operations and Sales, Iowa House Hotel Administration, and IMU Information Systems have moved to 868 S. Capitol Street.

The University Box Office, along with IMU Administration and Human Resources offices have moved to the University Capitol Center.

For more details, see http://www.uiowa.edu/floodrecovery/getting-around/unit-relocations.html

Need help? Want to offer help?

Members of the UI community are encouraged to log onto this website with their HAWKID to list needs or to volunteer help or household items: www.uiowa.edu/floodrecovery/uihelp.html. Needs will change, so please check the site frequently to see how you can help.

UI reopens Hancher footbridge

The University of Iowa will reopen the Hancher Auditorium footbridge at 7 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 12. The bridge has been inspected by Shive-Hattery and determined to be safe for use.

UI Facilities Management and Public Safety officials urge pedestrians to use caution on the Arts Campus walkways as much flood recovery work continues in that area. During the next couple of weeks, contractors will be removing flood-control levees. This work, in conjunction with building recovery work, will result in high vehicle and equipment traffic in that area.

The Iowa Memorial Union footbridge remains closed.

MEDIA ADVISORY: Hancher, Voxman and Theatre Building tour set for Aug. 13

WHAT: University of Iowa officials will lead a post-flood media tour of the University of Iowa's Hancher Auditorium, Voxman Music Building and Theatre Building.

WHEN: 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2008, starting in front of Hancher Auditorium.

WHO: The tours will be guided by Chuck Swanson, executive director of Hancher; Mark O. Weiger, oboe professor, collegiate fellow and associate director and summer director of the School of Music; Alan MacVey, chair of the UI Department of Theatre Arts and director of the Division of Performing Arts; and Rod Lehnertz, director of campus planning with UI Facilities Management.

WHY: To provide an opportunity for members of the media to witness firsthand and photograph and videotape the progress being made in the flood recovery efforts in these buildings.

WHERE: Hancher Auditorium. To view a map, see http://www.uiowa.edu/%7Emaps/h/ha1.htm

Voxman Music Building. To view a map, see http://www.uiowa.edu/%7Emaps/v/vmb1.htm

Theatre Building. To view a map, see http://www.uiowa.edu/%7Emaps/t/tb1.htm

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS: Those participating in the tours MUST wear closed-toe shoes for their protection.

STORY SOURCE: University of Iowa Arts Center Relations, 300 Plaza Centre One, Suite 351, Iowa City, IA 52242-2500

MEDIA CONTACT: Peter Alexander, 319-384-0072; peter-alexander@uiowa.edu

END

Information for fall semester students

The Office of the Registrar has distributed the following information to UI students registered for the fall semester:

Welcome to The University of Iowa! August is here and Fall Semester classes begin on August 25. We hope you were not affected by the extreme flooding Iowa City encountered this summer, but if so, we hope your recovery efforts are going smoothly. The University has been diligently working to restore campus buildings that were affected by the flood water. Please note that several buildings will not be open this fall, but we will keep you informed of the changes that take place.

Every student should check their fall class schedule on ISIS for the most current information on classroom relocations that may affect them. Please check your class schedule right before classes begin in case additional changes in rooms and buildings have been made to your schedule.

LOGGING ONTO ISIS: If you are not sure how to log onto ISIS, check http://hawkid.uiowa.edu/ to identify your HawkID. If you are still unable to login, contact the ITS help desk at 319-384-4357 or send an e-mail to its-helpdesk@uiowa.edu .

IF YOU ARE NOT RETURNING TO THE UNIVERSITY THIS FALL: You must drop your entire fall registration before August 25 to reduce your fall tuition liability to zero. You can do this by: (1) logging onto ISIS and dropping all your fall courses by 11:59 p.m., August 24; or (2) fax a letter no later than August 25, signed by you and including your name and University ID number to the Office of the Registrar (fax number 319-335-1999), stating your intention to withdraw your entire fall registration; or (3) send a letter via U.S. mail, postmarked no later than August 25, signed by you and including your name and University ID number to Office of the Registrar, ATTN: Withdrawal Clerk, 1 Jessup Hall, Iowa City, IA 52242, stating your intention to withdraw your entire fall registration. Residence hall contracts must be cancelled separately by sending the same information to University Housing, 8 Burge Hall, Iowa City, IA 52242. Please use ISIS to keep your residing address current, even if you will not be enrolled for fall semester.

IF YOU ARE ATTENDING CLASSES AT THE UNIVERSITY THIS FALL: Classes begin on Monday, August 25, so you still have time to make changes to your schedule. You can revise your schedule on ISIS up until midnight Sunday, August 24. Beginning Monday, August 25, all changes in registration for semester-length courses must be processed at the Registrar's Service Center, 17 Calvin Hall, using an Add or Drop form with signatures of both advisor (except for students in the Tippie College of Business) and the instructor of the course and/or dean of the college (when required). Forms to add or drop courses can be obtained at the Registrar's site.

If the course has a beginning date on the ISIS course listing screen, it may be added through ISIS until the day the course begins. If no date is listed, the course begins at the start of the semester.

The last day to add a semester-length course is the 10th day of the semester. Monday, September 8, is the last day to add a semester-length course without dean's approval. September 8 also is the last day to drop a semester-length course without a "W" and the last day to process changes in registration without a $10 charge.

Schedule adjustments for courses taught by the Evening MBA Program must be made at W160 Pappajohn Business Building.

YOUR UNIVERSITY BILL: The August University Bill is due August 27. The minimum periodic payment needs to be paid by August 27 or your ability to charge items to your University Bill with your ID Card will be restricted. You can view your bill or pay online by logging onto ISIS, click on the “University-Bill” link, then the “Pay U-Bill” button. The University of Iowa Community Credit Union at 500 Iowa Avenue will accept U-Bill payments by check or cash.

Excess financial aid refunds will be in your bank account the first day of class if you have provided bank information for an ACH direct deposit. Log onto ISIS, then “Student Records,” and the link “Bank Information – Financial Aid Refund.”

Institutional UI loans are no longer billed through the U-Bill, but through our loan servicer, ECSI. Any past due amount for those loan payments will result in the same restrictions on charging ability with your ID Card. For more information, go to http://www.uiowa.edu/~fussla.

CHANGING YOUR ADDRESS OR PHONE NUMBER ON ISIS: You can change your residing, home, and parent address on ISIS, as well as place or remove restrictions on your residing address and/or phone number. To access this feature, click on "Student Records" and then on "Restrict or Unrestrict Student Information." If you are not residing in a University residence hall and/or the address or phone number shown on ISIS is NOT correct, you should update ISIS. Enter changes in ISIS as soon as possible after your residing address or phone number has been determined.

IMPORTANT DATES/TUITION AND FEE SCHEDULES: Refer to important dates for the Fall Semester on the Registrar's site. You can print a PDF version, if you like. You also can access your own course deadlines by clicking on the "Course Deadlines Lookup" link on the Registrar’s web site or on ISIS in the Quick Links/Tips box after you login.

The tuition and fee schedules are at http://www.registrar.uiowa.edu/tuition. You can review your tuition and fee assessment as well as your University account on ISIS. In the Quick Links/Tips box, click on University Bill.

IMPORTANCE OF AN E-MAIL ACCOUNT: For those of you who are starting your first semester at the University, the Registrar's Office communicates with all students using e-mail and ISIS rather than U.S. Mail. Thus, it is important to maintain an accurate e-mail address and to check your e-mail regularly.

If you have questions, you can e-mail our office at registrar@uiowa.edu. Have an outstanding fall semester!

Post-flood media tours of Art Building West, UI Museum of Art

Post-flood media tours of the Art Building West and the University of Iowa Museum of Art will be from 1 to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 6. To view the complete media advisory, visit http://news-releases.uiowa.edu/2008/august/080408art_media_tour.html

UI rations chilled water Monday, Aug. 4 due to high temperatures, heat advisory

The University of Iowa is rationing chilled water on the UI East Campus from about 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. today, Monday, Aug. 4 because of the warm temperatures, very high humidity and the fact that two of the temporary chillers on East Campus are offline for repairs, according to Ken Lloyd, senior engineer with UI Facilities Management.

The chilled water load on West Campus will also be high. While rationing is not anticipated on West Campus today, some warming in the chilled water distribution loop and in West Campus buildings may be noticed because of the high cooling load.

The weather is expected to remain hot through Monday, Aug. 4 and Tuesday, Aug. 5, with the possibility of thunderstorms tonight and cooler temperatures later in the week. The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory today for Eastern Iowa area from 11 a.m. through 7 p.m.

HR announces deadlines for vacation donation

You will recall that the university has created a vacation donation program for UI employees whose primary residences were damaged by flooding and who need time off to recover.

Please note three timelines related to this program:

REQUEST DONATIONS FOR JUNE -- Due by 7/31 at 5 p.m.

Flood survivors whose primary residences were damaged by flooding, who have exhausted their own vacation accruals, and have used additional time off in the month of June for flood repair and recovery are eligible to apply for vacation donation through the self-service Web site at https://login.uiowa.edu/uip/login.page?service=https://hris.uiowa.edu/portal/. Requests may not exceed 40 hours per month, up to 120 hours (pro-rated for part-time employees) in total, and must be completed by 5 p.m. Thursday, July 31.

DONATE YOUR VACATION HOURS -- Donations accepted 8/1-8/12

Regular university employees who have more than 80 hours of accrued vacation as of June 1 may donate vacation to support those who have requested time for June. This may be done from Aug. 1-12 through the self-service web site (URL above) under the "Personal" tab, "Time Reporting." Donors may not draw down their own vacation balance below 80 hours as a result of a donation.

REQUEST DONATIONS FOR JULY -- Apply between 8/1-8/12

Flood survivors whose primary residences were damaged by flooding, who have exhausted their own vacation accruals, and have used additional time off in the month of July for flood repair and recovery are eligible to apply for vacation donation through the self-service web site at (URL above). Requests may not exceed 40 hours per month, up to 120 hours (pro-rated for part-time employees) in total, and must be completed by Tuesday, Aug. 12.

Later e-mails will announce subsequent time periods for donation and request.

If you have questions, please contact your HR Unit Rep, identified on the self-service web site (URL above).

Parking office returning to IMU Ramp

The University of Iowa Parking Services & Transportation and Field Services Offices are relocating back to the IMU Ramp location.

On Thursday, Aug. 7, the main office will be closed as employees move from their temporary office at 868 S. Capitol St. back to the IMU Ramp location. The Hospital Ramp 2 Office will remain open for business as usual. The IMU Ramp Parking Office will reopen on Friday, Aug. 8. The office's phone number and our e-mail address will remain the same.

Beginning Friday Aug. 8th, the IMU Ramp office hours will be 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and the Hospital Ramp 2 Office hours will change to 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

For questions, call the IMU Ramp Office at (319) 335-1475 or the Hospital Ramp 2 Office at (319) 335-8924, or e-mail parking-office@uiowa.edu.

UI libraries announce due date changes, instructions for returning damaged items

To best support our library users needs and accommodate issues resulting from flooding, the University Libraries has extended due dates and is providing assistance with damaged materials.

DUE DATE CHANGES

Faculty loans that have not been recalled are now due June 1, 2009.

Graduate loans that have not been recalled are now due January 28, 2009.

Short-term loans that were due between June 12 and July 9 are now due August 1, 2008.

Items that were recalled and were due between June 12 and July 9 are now due August 1, 2008.

If you have any questions about due dates, you can "Check My Account" (http://infohawk.uiowa.edu/myaccount) from the Libraries' website.

DAMAGED MATERIALS

If you have library books that were damaged in the flooding, there are several options for returning them.

Wet, but not muddy books -- wrap in wax paper and put in your freezer.

Muddy books-- rinse as best you can, put in freezer bag and freeze. Wear gloves when handling books to protect yourself.

Books tossed/lost during recovery efforts -- contact Main Library Circulation lib-maincirc@uiowa.edu or 319-335-5912. Staff will retrieve title information and start the replacement process.

For any questions relating to library materials please contact Main Library Circulation staff at lib-maincirc@uiowa.edu or 319-335-5912.

UI engineers use flood of 2008 for research, future preparation

In a case of "making lemonade out of lemons," researchers at the University of Iowa College of Engineering's IIHR-Hydroscience & Engineering research unit are using data collected on the flood of 2008 to study floods in general and prepare for any future floods along the Iowa River in particular. Larry Weber, IIHR director and professor of civil and environmental engineering, noted that the experience of preparing the Stanley Hydraulics Laboratory to weather the onslaught of the Iowa River occupied much of the staff's time and energy in the days immediately preceding the flood. But after the floodwaters entered the building's basement -- flooding fire suppression and air conditioning equipment and forcing the staff to evacuate -- his focus shifted. [Full Story]

UI issues flood recovery report to Regents for July 28, 2008

The University of Iowa’s weekly report to the Board of Regents, State of Iowa, on the campus flood recovery status, dated July 28, 2008, is now available online in PDF format. The report provides updated information on recent rainfall and water levels at the Coralville Dam and in the Iowa River, building renovations, utilities projects, academic concerns and insurance coverage and damage updates.

Updates will now be archived regularly to the UI's Flood Recovery Web site.

Flooding forced UI writing programs to become improvisational artists

Most writers are fastidious about the details: They choose every word carefully, and their works are developed through a long, laborious process of revision and refinement through multiple drafts. But this summer the University of Iowa International Writing Program (IWP) and the Iowa Summer Writing Festival were transformed into improvisational artists as the Flood of 2008 invaded the campus.

The IWP was primed to host a U.S. State Department "Between the Lines" program, a two-week workshop for a dozen teenage Arab writers, who were already en route to the UI when the flood submerged roads and bridges, making Iowa City virtually inaccessible and forcing the UI to close.

With only one day before the Arab delegation was due to arrive at O'Hare Airport in Chicago, the IWP's staff scrambled to find an impromptu solution. Lisa Yun Lee, director of the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum and co-chair of Young Chicago Authors, rose to the occasion, setting aside space for classes at the museum and securing last-minute housing in a University of Illinois at Chicago residence hall. (Read the UIC account at http://www.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/uicnews/articledetail.cgi?id=12209.)

"We couldn't have gone mobile without John Knoll at Fleet Services and Jerry Miller at UI Equipment Rental, both of whom pitched in and helped us even as everything was shutting down," explains IWP Associate Director Hugh Ferrer. "And we wouldn't have had any place to go without the generosity of the good people in Chicago, Lisa Lee chief among them. Everyone we phoned that day phoned their friends to try to find us a solution."

IWP Director Chris Merrill adds, "I am grateful to the University of Illinois-Chicago for their hospitality, and to the staff of the IWP, which on 24 hours notice created an entirely new, and very successful, program in Chicago. Who would have thought that this crisis would have created such an opportunity for some very talented and hard-working individuals to shine? But they did."

That was only the beginning of the IWP's challenge. The flood invaded the Iowa House hotel in the Iowa Memorial Union, making it uninhabitable for the 32 writers from all over the world who are scheduled to arrive for a three-month residency this fall -- the heart of the annual IWP activities.

Accommodations have now been secured for all the visiting writers: in guest houses, bed and breakfasts, rooming houses and even a former sorority house. To help foster the sort of community that comes naturally when the writers are housed together, the IWP is making changes at its Shambaugh House headquarters to provide a communal gathering space with wireless Internet.

The Iowa Summer Writing Festival staff spends 10 months each year organizing for its two months of summer workshops - hiring faculty, securing space, setting schedules and attracting writers of all ages, who travel to Iowa City from all parts of the world.

With classrooms flooded, food service closed down and travel disrupted, the festival was forced to cancel all but one of its June sessions, and scramble to locate different spaces for every aspect of the July workshops -- registration, readings, housing, special presentations and closing banquets -- while also organizing two additional "make-up" sessions at the end of July.

"I sent out an SOS to everyone who was scheduled to teach this year, and those who were available stepped up," says Amy Margolis, the UI Writers' Workshop alumna who is the director of the Iowa Summer Writing Festival. "Fortunately, around here you don't have to go far.

"The folks at classroom scheduling kept us quite literally a step ahead of the water. We just kept moving up, up, up. The rescue was coordinated by our colleagues at the Center for Conferences, who, for an event disaster, are akin to the Red Cross.

"We had less than two weeks to lay in the infrastructure that it typically takes 10 months to build. Our incredibly enterprising colleagues across campus paddled out and pulled us in. These are the times when you're damned grateful the people you work with are friends."

When the June sessions were canceled, several international guests had already arrived and were stranded in Iowa City. "We had three women from India who were stranded here with us, a young man from the Philippines, a woman from Poland, and a compulsive talker from Serbia who chased me all over the creation with offers of help," Margolis says.

"We gathered them, and a few others who were stranded here from elsewhere in the United States, up into a cross-genre workshop that was led by Sands Hall, who arrived here to teach for us just before the UI closed. The group was taken in by 126, a local restaurant, who gave them their upstairs space. They gave each other a reading at the end of the week, and it took your breath away, the bounty of these displaced writers who had come together this way. For me, it was the highlight of the disaster."

For UI arts information and calendar updates, visit www.uiowa.edu/artsiowa. To receive UI arts news by e-mail, go to http://list.uiowa.edu/archives/acr-news.html and click the link "Join or Leave ACR News," then follow the instructions.

STORY SOURCE: University of Iowa Arts Center Relations, 300 Plaza Centre One, Suite 351, Iowa City, IA 52242-2500.

MEDIA CONTACTS: Winston Barclay, Arts Center Relations, 319-384-0073 (office) 319-430-1013 (cell), winston-barclay@uiowa.edu

WRAC opens for business in regular location

The University of Iowa Women's Resource and Action Center, located at 130 N. Madison Street in Iowa City, re-opened the week of July 21 after having to move its staff and services to various satellite locations in the community June 13 due to the flooding.

Although the WRAC regular location was closed, staff members continued to provide services from these various satellite locations and worked out of their homes for the past month.

Activities such as support and discussion groups, which normally met in the WRAC building, were held in other spaces such as Hillel and the Iowa City Public Library, and staff continued to respond to requests for various types of assistance by members of the public, as well as plan and prepare for the fall semester.

For more information on upcoming events or ongoing services offered by WRAC,
visit http://www.uiowa.edu/~wrac/ or call 319-335-1486.

UI issues flood recovery update to Regents for July 21, 2008

The University of Iowa’s weekly report to the Board of Regents, State of Iowa, on the campus flood recovery status, dated July 21, 2008, is now available online in PDF format. The report provides updated information on recent rainfall and water levels at the Coralville Dam and in the Iowa River, building renovations, utilities projects, academic concerns and insurance coverage and damage updates.

Updates will now be archived regularly to the UI's Flood Recovery Web site.

United Way seeks volunteers for sandbag removal

This weekend United Way has organized a city-wide sandbag removal event around the Normandy Drive area. Volunteers are needed. Details follow:

When: Friday and Saturday, July 25 and 26, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days.  

How long: Any amount of time is appreciated.

Where: Volunteers are asked to please check in at corner of Normandy and Manor Drive in Iowa City.

Dress: Work clothes, close-toed shoes and gloves.

Contact: For more information, contact the United Way Volunteer Center at 319-337-8657.

Special Notes: Snacks and water will be provided. Minors must be accompanied by an adult.

UI seeks pregnant women and new moms for study on emotional impact of flooding

Even under the best circumstances, women may experience a variety of emotions during and after pregnancy, ranging from happy and elated to moody, irritable and depressed. Now University of Iowa researchers want to study how the floods of 2008 have affected the emotional experiences of pregnant women and new moms.

Researchers will examine the flood's impact on mothers and their babies by comparing the experiences of those who were and were not affected by flooding. The study will investigate the women's emotional and stressful life experiences and how those experiences might influence mother and infant health.

Women who are currently pregnant and women who delivered babies in Johnson, Linn and Black Hawk counties after June 10, 2008, are invited to participate in the study by the Iowa Depression and Clinical Research Center. Participants must be 18 or older and will be compensated.

"We know from many studies that the experience of life stress can affect health, including the health of pregnant women and new mothers," said UI Psychology Professor and Starch Faculty Fellow Michael O'Hara, director of the Iowa Flood Study. "We also know that maternal stress can affect the developing fetus and even newborns, although we don't yet understand why these effects can sometimes be beneficial and sometimes be harmful.

"But only a few earlier studies have prospectively examined the effects of a natural disaster on pregnancy and the health of the mother and baby. By studying women soon after the flooding, we hope to expand our knowledge of the effects of severe stressors on their health so that eventually we will be able to develop interventions to prevent any ill effects that might be observed."

Researchers aim to include 400 women in the study and to assess the development of their infants after birth. Involvement is voluntary, and participants can decide to stop taking part at any point.

Participants will complete questionnaires and phone interviews and provide saliva samples. Women who complete all portions of the study will receive $60 to $85 compensation for their efforts.

The surveys ask about emotional experiences, social relationships, ways of coping with stress, pregnancy concerns, demographic information, and the impact of flooding. Phone interviews will involve questions about mood and feelings, appetite and eating habits, sleep habits, use of alcohol or drugs, physical symptoms, and recent life events that have affected participants' health. Saliva samples will be collected on two consecutive days to measure cortisol, an important stress hormone.

The researchers will request access to the medical records following delivery to evaluate pregnancy, labor and delivery outcomes, as well as the baby's gender, birth weight, gestational age at delivery, and APGAR score. All information collected for the study will be kept confidential using a coding system.

For more information on the study, call 319-335-0307 or 1-866-UIWOMEN (1-866-849-6636) or e-mail IDCRC@uiowa.edu and mention the flood study.

STORY SOURCE: University of Iowa News Services, 300 Plaza Centre One, Suite 371, Iowa City, Iowa 52242-2500

MEDIA CONTACTS: Michael O'Hara, UI Department of Psychology, 319-335-2460, mike-ohara@uiowa.edu; Nicole Riehl, University News Services, 319-384-0070, nicole-riehl@uiowa.edu

Vacation time donation pool available for employees affected by flood

The scope of the current flood disaster in eastern Iowa is so extreme and the damage so significant to victims whose homes have been flooded, that University faculty and staff want to be able to support their co-workers by allowing them to remain in pay status while they put their homes and lives back together.

To that end, the University has created an opportunity for eligible employees to donate vacation hours to UI employees whose primary residences were damaged by flooding and who need time off to recover. By virtue of agreement with AFSCME and SEIU, employees represented by those entities are also eligible for participation.

Eligibility

Who's eligible to donate vacation hours?

Regular University employees who accrue vacation and have more than 80 hours of accrued time. Donors may not draw down their own vacation balance below 80 hours as a result of a donation. The call for donations will begin on August 1, 2008. Donations are not made to a specific individual.

Who's eligible to receive vacation hour donations?

Flood victims whose primary residences were damaged by flooding who have exhausted their own vacation accruals and are planning to use additional time off for flood repair and recovery. Application is available now through the self-service web site at https://login.uiowa.edu/uip/login.page?service=https://hris.uiowa.edu/portal/. Requests to receive donations of vacation may not exceed 40 hours per month, up to 120 hours (pro-rated for part-time employees) in total.

How will it work?

The call for requests for time for the previous month will be offered to employees during a two-week window during the following month. This will be followed by a call to employees for donations during a window not longer than two weeks. If donations meet the need before the end of the two weeks, the opportunity to donate will end for that month.

Following the close of the application period, donated hours will be distributed to all eligible victims who apply. If requests exceed donations, donations will be made on a prorated basis based on the percentage of need matched by donations. For example, if requests equal 1000 hours and donations equal 800 hours, each applicant will receive 80% of their request for vacation donation.

The vacation time received by the flood victim must be scheduled with the recipient's employer, subject to the scheduling approval of the employing unit. The vacation donation is paid and taxable as regular salary.

This program is available for this purpose only. The donation, application and distribution process will be repeated on a monthly basis to address need for time through December 31, 2008.

If you have questions, please contact your HR Unit Rep, identified on the self-service Web site.

Volunteers Needed to Remove Sandbags From Normandy Drive Area

The City of Iowa City is asking for volunteers to remove sandbags from the Normandy Drive area on Friday, July 18 and Saturday, July 19, from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Volunteers should report to the corner of Normandy and Manor Drive to sign in and receive work assignments. There is no need to call ahead. 

Be aware that parking in the area is limited. Wear work clothes and sturdy shoes, and bring gloves to protect yourself. Snacks and water will be provided. For more information, see the City of Iowa City site. 

UI hosts appreciation luncheons for flood relief workers July 17, 18

As a gesture of gratitude for all of the work that has been done to set the University of Iowa campus on the path to recovery after the flooding, UI faculty, staff and students are hosting appreciation luncheons for an estimated 630 flood relief workers at several locations on campus from noon to 1 p.m. Thursday and Friday, July 17 and 18.

The luncheons are sponsored by the UI Office of the Provost with faculty, staff and students from the affected buildings and departments volunteering to serve the barbecue-style meals to the contracted flood relief workers.

Thursday, July 17, meals will be served to BMS Catastrophe flood relief workers in Gibson Square (Eastside) and in the upper Hancher Parking Lot (Westside). Friday, July 18, meals will be served to Cotton Catastrophe flood relief workers in the North Theatre Building Lot (Lot #55, paralleling Riverside Drive).

Tom Rocklin, vice provost and dean of the University College, said the luncheons are an opportunity for the UI to show its profound thanks to workers for all the service they have given the UI.

For more information contact Rocklin at 319-335-3565.

Revised University Libraries material due dates

To best support the needs of users of the University Libraries and to accommodate difficulties they had returning materials while the Main Library was evacuated (the period from Friday, June 13 through Wednesday, July 9), University Libraries staff have adjusted the following due dates.

Faculty loans that have not been recalled are now due June 1, 2009.
Graduate loans that have not been recalled are now due January 28, 2009.
Short term loans that were due between June 12 and July 9 are now due August 1, 2008.
Items that were recalled and were due between June 12 and July 9 are now due August 1, 2008.
This week University Libraries staff will begin processing recalls and sending notices that were received while the Main Library was closed.

If you have any questions about due dates, you can “Check My Account” from the University Libraries’ Web site at http://infohawk.uiowa.edu/myaccount . You may also contact Main Library Circulation staff at lib-maincirc@uiowa.edu or 319-335-5912.

Volunteers Needed to Provide Short-Term Home Stays for International Students

Increasing international student enrollment at the University of Iowa—combined with less housing due to the flooding—has created a need for community volunteers who can provide short-term home stays for these newly arriving students as well as volunteer at a Welcome Center in early August.

The UI Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS) is partnering with the Council for International Visitors to Iowa Cities (CIVIC) and Friends of International Students (FIS) to offer short-term home stays for incoming international students, and they are asking for members of the general public to open up their hearts and homes on a short-term basis to help as well.

The program, which begins Friday, Aug. 8, will provide a place for new students to stay until they can move into permanent housing. On-campus residences will be available on Aug. 18. Home stays are also being offered for new students who are searching for off-campus housing.

For more information, see news release.

Islamic Center of Cedar Rapids to host flood relief forum for immigrants, minorities July 18

The Islamic Center of Center Rapids will host a Flood Relief Forum from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, July 18, at the center, located at 2999 First Avenue SW in Cedar Rapids. The focus of the forum is to help educate people about financial assistance for immigrant and minority victims of recent natural disasters and flooding.

For the many immigrants whose faith demands they shun the receiving or paying of interest, the traditional avenues of low-interest government loans to help rebuild what they lost in a natural disaster is not an option. While for many minorities, fear of the government or the process of filing for relief has kept many minorities from coming forward to claim their right to recovery funds.

Since the water receded leaving destruction in its path, many agencies have recognized the overwhelming need for recovery funding that falls outside the standard venues. A number of organizations have stepped forward to provide alternative sources in the form of no-interest loans and grants to help those who would not normally be eligible for assistance, or for those who have limits on what aid they can accept.

During the forum, the Islamic Center of Cedar Rapids will help educate such minorities and others about what recovery help is available to them. Representatives of FEMA, the Small Business Administration (SBA), and local government and aid agencies have been invited to provide information and services to those who suffered loss of property, jobs and business resulting from the recent flooding. Additionally, volunteers will help victims fill out and submit any forms required to receive aid. Spanish and Arabic speakers will be available for those who require language interpretation.

Refreshments will be served, and the forum is free and open to the public, regardless of faith. For more information, contact Miriam Amer at 319-573-6617, or by e-mail at mzmea611@yahoo.com.

UI awards first bid to renovate flood-affected buildings

The construction firm that built the Adler Journalism and Mass Communication Building, which was completed and opened for classes in January 2005, has been awarded the contract to restore that structure and an adjacent classroom building through a competitive bid process.

Flooding this summer caused extensive electrical and mechanical damage to both buildings. With four companies submitting bids, Miron Construction of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has emerged as the low bidder with a $2.8 million bid. The firm will restore the buildings to pre-flood condition. Work on the two buildings will begin Monday.

According to Sadie Greiner, associate director of construction management in UI Facilities Management, Miron Construction will use many of the same personnel on this project who were involved in the original building of Adler. Completion of both facilities is likely by mid-September, she said, with Becker slated to open by the start of classes on Aug. 25.

"We were very pleased with this bid and that the low bid was submitted by the firm that actually built one of these buildings," Greiner said. " We are well on our way to rebuilding the University of Iowa after the flood so we can make it functional again for our students by fall."

The Philip D. Adler building houses the School of Journalism and Mass Communication in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, along with the Daily Iowan and the Department of Cinema and Comparative Literature. The Becker Communication Studies Building, located adjacent to Adler, is the home of the Communication Studies Department in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

STORY SOURCE: University Relations, 101 Jessup Hall, Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1000

MEDIA CONTACT: Linda Kettner, university spokesperson, 319-384-0030, linda-kettner@uiowa.edu

Main Library modifies call for volunteers

Work on moving Special Collections materials to the lower-level storage area of the UI Main Library has progressed very quickly. Library officials expect to have the third floor hallway cleared today and don't plan to use volunteers over the weekend. However a few volunteers are still needed until 5 p.m. this afternoon (Thursday) and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday.

Please call the Main Library Information Desk at 319-335-5299 to sign-up for a shift on Thursday or Friday.

Volunteers needed at Main Library

While the UI Main Library resumed business Wednesday, library staff members are also trying to return evacuated materials to their appropriate places in the lower-level storage space. Returning the materials will be a much slower process than taking them out to make sure that items are retreivable. So the library is seeking a few volunteers to help with this effort over the next week. Only 30-40 people are needed at a time.

Materials will be moved only during the Main Library’s modified summer schedule:

Wednesday, July 9 (today) until 9 p.m.
Thursday, July 10 - 8 a.m. until 9 p.m.
Friday, July 11 - 8 a.m. until 6 p.m.
Saturday, July 12 - 12 until 6 p.m.
Sunday, July 13 - 12 until 6 p.m.

Volunteers should call the Infomation Desk at 319-335-5299 to sign-up for a shift.

See the original posting of this item, and other library news, on the UI Libraries blog here.

Tansey offers advice on coping with emotional trauma of flooding

KXIC radio has conducted recent interviews, available in audio, with University of Iowa staff about initiatives related to the recent flooding. To hear the most recent interview in Windows Media Player, Quicktime Player or Real Player, or to read a transcript of the interview, follow the link below:

After the Flood-Watch for Warning Signs: It is hard to believe it has almost been a month since the flooding. The damage is breathtaking and estimates so far total in the tens of billions of dollars. If you are one of many people affected by flooding, you know it is more than the issue of cleaning up. There is real emotional loss that people are also dealing with. Those who have never experienced a traumatic situation or who have never dealt with depression and anxiety may underestimate the seriousness of mental illnesses. Dr. Janeta Tansey, an associate professor and psychiatrist at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, offers information about the signs we should look for in ourselves and our neighbors dealing with loss.

Weiner discusses High Ground for Cancer Patients initiative

KXIC radio has conducted recent interviews, available in audio, with University of Iowa staff about initiatives related to the recent flooding. To hear the most recent interview in Windows Media Player, Quicktime Player or Real Player, or to read a transcript of the interview, follow the link below:

High Ground for Cancer Patients: Anyone listening to or reading the news knows Iowa has had more that its share of unusual and devastating natural disasters this year. If you live in an Iowa county that has been declared a federal disaster area and you or a loved are dealing with cancer, there is help available. George Weiner, MD, medical oncologist, hematologist, and director of Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, talks about High Ground for Cancer Patients.

Updated: Facilities Management to begin rationing chilled water

[NOTE: This posted was updated at 5:23 p.m. Thursday, July 11, 2008]

Facilities Management will begin "light" rationing of chilled water on East Campus Thursday, July 10. On Friday, July 11 chilled water will continue to be rationed on East Campus and may need to be rationed to West Campus. The rationing will mainly affect administration and general classroom buildings. The most common use of chilled water is air conditioning. A chilled water building priority list was established in order to maintain cooling in buildings with the greatest need. Highest priority is given to facilities containing wet labs and/or computing equipment.

The recent flood damaged part of the University's utility system, limiting the ability to produce steam and chilled water necessary to generate air conditioning in some University buildings. Facilities Management is working to resolve this issue. In the meantime, the potential for warm, uncomfortable offices exists. Environmental Health & Safety, in collaboration with Human Resources, has put together more information at http://www.uiowa.edu/~hpo/occsafety/heatstressinbldg.pdf.

For more information on chilled water rationing, please contact Ann Rosenthal at 335-5823 or the Work Control Center at 335-5071.

Main Library to reopen Wednesday

The University of Iowa Main Library is expected to reopen to the public and return to regular summer hours (7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.) on Wednesday, July 9. The building will remain closed on Monday, July 7 and Tuesday, July 8. [more]

Student government leaders issue message

The following message is being sent to students by Maison Bleam, president of the University of Iowa Student Government, and Steven Wieland, president of the Executive Council of Graduate and Professional Students:

As you all know, the recent flooding has left our community, this university, and us—the UI student body—with many challenges to overcome. This will be a rebuilding period at the University of Iowa. You have an opportunity to be part of these remarkable times.

This fall, important university events will be happening as planned. These include Welcome Week, Homecoming, Family Weekend, and, of course, Big Ten sports. All of our 400-plus student organizations will remain active, so students will still have an opportunity to get involved. The extraordinary student culture of this great university will continue to thrive in spite of the challenges that we face.

On behalf of your Partnership of Student Governments at Iowa, we want to sincerely thank all those involved with the rebuilding process. No matter what adjustments need to be made, we are certain the UI student body will shine during these remarkable times. GO HAWKS!

Mayflower will open on time

The University is delighted to announce that Mayflower Residence Hall will be open and ready for move-in by August 23, 2008, as originally planned. The building has passed all structural inspections and flood recovery employees, contractors, and University Housing staff have been working in the building since June 28 to determine necessary repairs. We’ll be working 24/7 to ensure that the building is ready to go this fall.

Although not all first-floor areas will be available when the building opens, they will become available throughout the fall semester. These areas include a 24-hour desk and mail center, computer lab, fitness center, vending area, convenience store, game room, and study/meeting spaces.

The ability to open Mayflower will have a remarkably positive impact on the residence hall community at Iowa. It means that students who have already been assigned to Mayflower will be able to occupy their originally-assigned rooms (unless they were assigned to first-floor rooms, in which case we will relocate them to another room in Mayflower). In addition, students assigned to other residence halls who received letters turning their single rooms into doubles and their double rooms into triples will have their singles and doubles back!

If you’ve applied for housing and haven’t received your assignment yet, please be patient. Our assignments have been delayed because of the flood. Our next group of assignments will be sent in mid-July. If you haven’t applied for campus housing, we still have space and will accept applications through the month of July. You can apply online through your Admissions Profile on ISIS.

If you have questions, call the University Housing Contracts and Assignments Office at 319-335-3009, weekdays from 8-5.

We look forward to your arrival in August!

Von Stange, Ed.D.
Director of University Housing
The University of Iowa
8 Burge Hall
Iowa City, IA 52242

UI health officials offer video, tip sheet on dealing with mold

Mold is an environmental hazard found at extreme levels in flooded homes and office buildings, but workers involved in cleanup operations can protect themselves by planning appropriately. 

Peter Thorne, Ph.D., UI professor of occupational and environmental health, discusses the hazards of mold and safety tips for cleanup in a video -- the latest installment for Flood Recovery: A Special Public Health Series on the UI Flood Recovery Web site. Included with the video is a PDF offering tips for removing mold.

University Surplus offers furniture to campus flood victims

University of Iowa Surplus is offering a limited number of office furniture items to students, staff, and faculty to replace furniture lost in the flood.

The offer is good through July 18, or until supplies are gone. For voucher customers only, University Surplus is open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday at 1225 S Gilbert St.

A voucher verifying eligibility for this program is available to faculty and staff from unit Human Resources representatives. Students may apply to the Student Financial Aid Office.

Faculty members may also contact Susan Johnson, associate provost for faculty.

For more information, call University Surplus at 319-335-5001 or write to uisurplus-ebay@uiowa.edu

Summer Writing Festival adds sessions July 26-Aug. 1

The Iowa Summer Writing Festival, which was forced by the floods to cancel several sessions in June, has added an additional weekend (July 26-27) and weeklong (July 27-Aug 1) session to the end of its 2008 schedule.

The festival, which is presented by the University of Iowa Division of Continuing Education, scheduled the additional sessions to provide opportunities for registrants whose sessions were canceled, as well as those who had not yet registered.

The added sessions will include a series of free public events at 11 a.m. Monday through Friday, July 28 through Aug. 1, in Room 101 of the UI Biology Building East. Known as "Elevenses," these hourlong presentations feature issues of special interest to writers with a different speaker each day.

For information about the added sessions and registration materials, visit the festival's Web site.

Student Instructional Technology Assistants provide brochure, Web site for faculty

The University of Iowa Student Instructional Technology Assistants (SITA) in ITS have put together a brochure and Web site with information to assist faculty who have been displaced by the flood or whose classes have been disrupted.

Visit http://at.its.uiowa.edu/training/sita/index.shtml for more information.

This group has been actively seeking out faculty across campus to offer creative solutions for completing summer classes as effectively as possible. The SITA group, and the entire staff in ITS-Instructional Services, is also available to provide support and solutions for the fall semester. For more information, see http://at.its.uiowa.edu/.

Library servers back online

After moving library servers back to the Main Library, they are now up and functioning. Online services should be back to normal operating levels. The library itself remains closed.

Visit the UI Libraries' flood blog for other updates at http://blog.lib.uiowa.edu/news/2008/07/02/library-servers-online/

Information offered to help better understand FEMA Disaster Assistance Grants

Disasters often leave survivors dazed, confused, hardly knowing which way to turn or what to do. Financial help for a variety of needs may be available from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division (HSEMD).

“FEMA is here in Iowa to be sure that eligible Iowans receive help with their home repair expenses, rent payments and some of the other unexpected financial burdens brought into their lives by the severe weather that has been ongoing here since May 25,” said FEMA’s Federal Coordinating Officer Bill Vogel. “FEMA wants you to know about the types of grants available to help you cope with disaster-related losses.”

As of July 1, FEMA has approved more than $73 million in grants to help more than 13,000 Iowa households with uninsured housing costs. These grants are available for:

• Eligible homeowners or renters whose house or apartment is made uninhabitable by the disaster to cover rent for temporary replacement housing, most often a rental apartment or house.
• Eligible homeowners to cover costs for repairing uninsured damage to their primary residence with the goal of making the damaged home livable.

Although FEMA does not reimburse insured costs or insurance deductibles, some people who have insurance may still qualify for a grant to cover costs that are not insured. For example, the homeowners policy may not cover rental expenses for temporary housing. A FEMA grant might fill the gap.

Disasters can cause serious financial burdens other than for housing needs. For eligible applicants, FEMA and state grants may help pay for such non-housing costs as:
• Disaster-related funeral and medical or dental costs
• Replacement of clothing, furniture and appliances
• Necessary educational materials (computers, school books, supplies)
• Repair or replacement of a disaster-damaged vehicle
• Moving and storage expenses related to the disaster
• Other necessary expenses or serious needs.

As of July 1, FEMA had approved almost $7 million in other needs assistance grants for Iowans.

“These grants are available to anyone who meets FEMA’s eligibility criteria,” said Iowa State Coordinating Officer Pat Hall. “Even if you have insurance, you could still qualify for a grant. I urge all Iowans with losses from our recent series of extreme weather who live in federally declared counties to register for assistance.”

Individuals may register by calling toll-free 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or (TTY) 1-800-462-7585 for those with hearing or speech impairments or online anytime at www.fema.gov. Hours for telephone registration are 24 hours a day, seven days a week until 11 p.m. Thursday, July 3, when they will change to 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week, until further notice. Applicants may also call those numbers to check on their status, update their applications or report any additional damage.