In response to the damage caused by Hurricane Ida, Tulane University will evacuate all students, on-campus and off-campus, who are still in New Orleans to Houston via bus on Aug. 31. Classes have been canceled until Sept. 13, at which point online instruction will begin; a return to in-person instruction has been scheduled for Oct. 6.  

President Mike Fitts announced in a statement emailed to students that the semester has been restructured on account of “the current lack of power and critical services” in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida. Houston has been designated as a hub to house Tulane students who remained in New Orleans during the storm, at the expense of the university, until flight arrangements can be made for their relocation. 

Although Oct. 6 has been scheduled as the date for returning to normal campus operations, including in-person instruction, Fitts said that the return could be expedited, if conditions in the city improve faster than expected. Fitts emphasized that the advancements the university made to combat the COVID-19 pandemic has bolstered the administration’s confidence that the university is capable of proceeding with online instruction for the time being. Fitts also stressed that Tulane will be involved in disaster cleanup efforts to restore the city to a habitable state.