Ross University advisory in light of TS Erika

ross universityRoss University School of Medicine is making the following public.

Status on the Semester Start

RUSM leaders and staff are meeting continually to assess the situation and direct actions to ensure the safety of our students, communication with family members, and resources to support RUSM campus operations.

The campus is unharmed and has electricity, water, and food supplies, per routine emergency preparedness procedures. However, Internet and telephone services are still down throughout the country, some roadways are still impassible, and the Douglas-Charles Airport (formerly Melville Hall) in Dominica remains closed.

With the scheduled start of the September semester approaching, we are assessing each of these factors very closely in terms of their impact on the university and its students. RUSM is preparing to announce a decision regarding a potential change in the semester start date no later than the end of the day on September 1.
Status of Students, Faculty, and Staff

Many students have checked in with the campus, and we are actively communicating directly with their emergency contacts to let you know that they have been accounted for. Today at 4pm EDT we are having another student gathering on campus to check in more students and confirm their safety.

We continue to call the emergency contacts of those students who have been confirmed. We are also responding as quickly as we can to questions posted on the RUSM Facebook page. We are encouraging our students’ emergency contacts who receive an update to spread the word to concerned family and friends. This will minimize multiple inquiries about the same student and enable us to more quickly update you.

Please note that the campus still does not have Internet but we are working with staff there via satellite phone to collect every student status update. Once we know, you will know — we have staff calling emergency contact numbers to relay information to students’ loved ones.

Some of the emergency contact numbers we have been provided have not worked. If you are still awaiting an update, please visit the RUSM Facebook page, provide the name of the student you are concerned about, your relation to them, and an accurate telephone number to reach you.

If you have not yet received a call from RUSM, please don’t panic. We have a long list of students and we are still collecting the pertinent details via satellite phone from staff in Dominica. Again, if you can help us in minimizing requests about one student, we can get updates to you more quickly.

Many have asked if we will post a list online of students who have checked in or are otherwise accounted for. For several reasons, we will not be posting a complete list online. However, we are planning to call emergency contacts directly or respond to inquiries posted on our Facebook page.

To reiterate a few points that have already been communicated:
The RUSM campus is open. It has electricity and a sufficient supply of water per routine emergency preparations. We have received no reports of injuries in the area around and near campus.

Please note that the area where the campus is located was not severely affected by the storm. Many businesses and stores close to campus are open.

We have received word from some of our radio station partners in Dominica that parents have called them for information. They are not expert on the situation on and near campus. We have talked to them today and urged them to refer all inquiries about Ross to our campus and its many communications vehicles.

Currently telephone and Internet service is not available on the campus. However, the campus is able to communicate with the US offices of the medical school to provide updated information. We have been in contact with the local telecommunications provider. An exact timetable for the re-establishment of services is not yet known.

We have established a credit system at stores near the campus so that students can purchase what they need.

The Douglas-Charles Airport (formerly Melville Hall) in Dominica remains closed. Students traveling to Dominica are advised to continue with their plans to reach
Puerto Rico, St. Maarten, Barbados, or Antigua. We have representatives at each connecting airport to assist you. We will post updates as soon as possible on transportation options to arrive in Dominica.

Local authorities are making progress in clearing roadways and creating temporary crossings where needed.

For further updates click HERE.

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2 Comments

  1. Maay Npear
    August 30, 2015

    The french islands are also serving as a hub using the ferry to get over..
    Wouldnt it be nice if Ross can contract a helicopter with assistance from the US to provide transportation from Canefield to Portsmouth.
    Thanks Ross for your perseverance.

  2. Believer
    August 29, 2015

    What, is Ross asking its students to eave their place of abode and come to the devastation which mow exists in Dominica?

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