Holy Names University in Oakland Opens Doors to Students Affected by Hurricane

OAKLAND, CA--Holy Names University has been contacted by 47 students from colleges and universities shut down by Hurricane Katrina and has extended its registration deadline to Friday, Sept. 9 for those students. As of 4 pm Tuesday, Sept. 6, eight students had enrolled and 16 more have appointments with the registrar in the coming three days.

Sister Rosemarie Nassif, SSND, PhD, president of HNU, said, "We are deeply saddened by this tragedy and as a family of prayer and compassion we unite with every victim and every citizen of Louisiana, Mississippi Alabama and Florida. We walk with you and offer you our prayers, our support, and our resources in whatever way they can comfort and alleviate your grief and loss. We are extending our enrollment period for Fall classes to accommodate any student who will not be able to return or begin classes at his or her institution because of the damages of Hurricane Katrina. We will work with each individual to make your temporary home at Holy Names University as seamless as possible and we welcome you wholeheartedly to our academic community. Do not hesitate to contact us." The first Fall classes started at HNU on Monday.

Students wishing to register at HNU are invited to contact Lonnie Morris, MA, Vice President of Enrollment Services, at 510.436.1124 or email admissions@hnu.edu.

Morris said that most of the students who have expressed an interest in transferring to HNU live in the Oakland area and were enrolled at Xavier , Dillard, Tulane and Loyola universities in the New Orleans area. When asked about the financial arrangements for these students Morris said, said the university is handling the tuition and fees issue on a case by case basis. "At this point, we are making every accommodation we can, student by student. In some cases we’re transferring financial aid data from the other school to us, as an example. But my concern is not about the financial implications. Our focus is on accommodating these students and families that have been affected by the hurricane."

Founded in 1868, Holy Names University is a WASC-accredited, private, Catholic college, located in the Oakland hills overlooking the San Francisco Bay. HNU has approximately 700 undergraduate students, many of whom live in residence halls on campus. Another 300 students are enrolled in graduate degree programs. Both female and male students are enrolled either part-time or full-time and they attend day, evening or weekend classes. The campus mailing address is 3500 Mountain Blvd., Oakland, CA 94619.

Media contact: John Bowman, 510.436.1405 or bowman@hnu.edu.