southern university new orleans re-building for the future
SUNO’s Park Campus, the original campus at 6400 Press Drive in 2005, was completely flooded as a result of the levee breaches caused by Hurricane Katrina and the storm surge later caused by Hurricane Rita. Floodwaters grew to as high as eleven feet in the buildings, causing the school’s physical plant to require replacement.
exemplary equipment. He, along with SUNO students, and faculty and staff, have shown great fortitude and determination in bringing the campus back to life and they know the growing pains they are currently enduring are worth it.
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Efforts to rebuild the campus started several weeks after the storms, with a thorough assessment of the facilities after the campus was inundated with floodwater that stood for weeks. And, through persistent efforts of the Southern University System and SUNO leaders, the campus ultimately received a $105 million commitment for construction – more than four times the original projected sum of $25 million – from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), along with additional state funds.
very day, Southern University New Orleans chancellor Victor Ukpolo walks through the heart of campus greeting students and faculty members. It’s part of his daily routine as he heads out to meet with contractors on campus who are responsible for making certain SUNO has new state-of-the-art buildings, and is ready when classes begin on August 19. It has been nearly eight years since Hurricane Katrina’s floodwaters left SUNO’s campus in ruins, and the University is preparing to welcome students back to a new campus this fall. All of the temporary trailers that have lined the campus since late 2005, providing temporary space for classroom sites and offices, will finally be removed, making way for new buildings that will take their place.
System and campus administrators have worked closely with the state’s Office of Facilities Planning and Control to ensure the projects stayed on track, receiving the attention they deserved and remaining a top priority for the state.
Upcoming School Year
“Walking through SUNO now, you can’t tell if it’s a campus or a construction zone,” said Ukpolo as he speaks about the current condition of the University.
Ukpolo speaks passionately about the transformation of the campus and what the University has in store for students when they return.
But, Ukpolo can see past the construction site and envisions his school’s future, with a new campus, modern classrooms, and
“The first thing students will notice when they come this fall is the removal of all trailers on the campus,” said Ukpolo. “This
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Spring/Summer 2013