Post-Irma update #4: University open for faculty and staff on Thursday, Sept. 14, at noon.

The initial assessment of damages to FIU facilities due to Hurricane Irma has been completed. Cleanup and repairs are under way. The university is on track to reopen according to the following schedule:

Wednesday, Sept. 14: Researchers and lab technicians can return to their labs. Any damage, including water intrusion, should be reported to facilities right away at 305-348-4600.
Thursday, Sept. 15, noon: University open for faculty and staff who need to come in in order to be fully operational on Monday.
All classes—including online classes— are still canceled. We expect to resume classes on Monday but official determination is pending further review.
Green Library is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through the weekend. The library has limited services but electricity, Wi-Fi and some computers are available. It is only open to FIU students, faculty, staff, who must show a valid FIU i.d.

Please use extreme caution when driving to campus as there still is debris on the roads and most traffic lights are not yet working.

On-campus residents

All MMC on-campus residents who sheltered on campus have returned to their rooms. Bayview evacuees are still at MMC.

Students who evacuated MMC housing before the storm can return to their rooms on Wednesday, Sept. 13 starting at noon.

Students who live at Bayview on Biscayne Bay Campus must remain off campus while some clean up takes place.

Call center

A call center is now operational from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. to answer questions related to hurricane recovery and campus operations.

The call center number is 305-348-HELP (4357). You can call this number outside of the call center hours for recorded updates regarding university operations.

Volunteering opportunities

As we prepare to return to normal, there are many in our community and neighboring communities who still need help. If you are able to volunteer, the American Red Cross is looking for help. There is a particular need for bilingual (Spanish/English or Creole/English) volunteers in the Greater Miami/Keys area, LaBelle-Clewiston, as well as in and around Naples and Ft Myers. There is some need, as well, in Tampa/ St. Pete and Jacksonville.

There are two steps to join as a volunteer:

First, you will need to sign up officially as a Red Cross volunteer. You can do all of this online at this link: http://www.redcross.org/hurricane-irma-volunteer-application You will be asked to fill out contact information and a couple of release forms—including one for a criminal background check.

Second, we invite you to click on this link http://bit.ly/2xipr8d and provide information about your preferred part of Florida to volunteer, and the type of work you would like to support.

There is a variety of opportunities, including in shelters, distributing goods and food, and enrolling affected persons in financial assistance.

Official communication

Please remember that official information about FIU is being communicated through email, FIU’s official social media accounts (Facebook and Twitter), on the university’s news site and through local media. You may also call 305-348-HELP (4357) for updates.

Thank you and be safe.