Division of Student Affairs Ice Storm Response
University Apartments staff organizing blanket distribution for Gateway Apartments residents.
For the third year in a row about a month into the new year, winter weather closed campus and the Division of Student Affairs team sprang into action to support students during the campus closure Jan. 31-Feb. 3. From helping University Apartments residents without power to maintaining on-campus housing and dining operations to keeping Gregory Gym and Natatorium open, our team continued to provide services throughout the closure. Our entire team rose to the occasion in addition to continuing their day-to-day work.
As a 24/7 operation, especially during an emergency, University Housing and Dining staff stepped up to meet students’ essential needs. When Gateway Apartments residents lost power at their complex off West 6th Street, the team distributed blankets and provided places for them to warm up, fuel up, power up.
“Our live-in professional and student staff made the extra effort to knock on doors and check in on people, because these are their neighbors. This is as much their community as it is their job, they’ve been working round-the-clock to respond to residents’ needs,” shared Tiana Lindberg, assistant director for University Apartments.
Resident Assistants help serve up meals.
Back on the main campus, the residence life and dining teams have a decades-long tradition of deploying dedicated teams to keep services running for nearly 7,300 on-campus residents. From Jan. 30-Feb. 2, some staff stayed overnight to maintain residence hall and modified dining operations. Other UHD staff worked remotely to support our students.
Resident assistants pitched in to serve up meals in the dining halls, helping keep other staff off the icy roads since resident assistants already live on campus. J2 and Kins Dining operated on reduced hours for lunch and dinner every day during the closure.
And even President Jay Hartzell made the rounds to thank staff who were working on campus throughout the closure.
If students were safely able to access campus, Gregory Gym was open modified hours for recreation, 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Jan. 31-Feb. 2. But as widespread power outages set in across the City of Austin, the Recreational Sports team kept the gym open until midnight on Feb. 1 for students to warm up and charge up.
“It provided students and community members not only a place to enjoy a warm shower and charge their phones, but a space to spend time with others, whether it be studying or enjoying recreational activities. I believe having these amenities accessible helped give patrons a sense of normalcy and comfort even amidst the unfortunate circumstances,” explained Zoe Fisher, a RecSports student employee and freshman business major from Austin, Texas.
RecSports student employees at Gregory Gym.
Despite widespread power outages, internet connectivity issues and spotty cell phone reception, other staff continued to provide essential services remotely. The Counseling and Mental Health Center and University Health Services offered telehealth appointments. Student Emergency Services in the Office of the Dean of Students fielded emails and phone calls as they were able. Texas Parents remained available for parent and family inquiries. The New Student Services off-campus initiative educated students living off campus on emergency preparedness and local resources. Communicators in the Division departments reported timely information and amplified critical announcements to students on social media and emergency website.
“Our team jumped into action once again, showing their ‘can do’ and ‘will do’ spirit! This is a great example of the integral role we play in supporting our students’ success and academic journey. We’re here to support all 52,000 students, whether they live on campus or off, during regular operations and extraordinary circumstances,” said Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Soncia Reagins-Lilly.
The team did all this while making sure the daily operations of their departments kept running in the midst of the storm response. We’re grateful for all our staff who show their dedication to influencing students in living the Longhorn life every day. Whether they are on the front lines or behind the scenes, our team members bring passion, creativity and focus to their work, collaborating with each other and campus partners to enhance the student experience. Thank you!
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