A month after the attacks of Sept. 11, the University has begun to deal with the long-term impacts of the terrorism in areas such as finances, admissions, career placement, international studies and student affairs. Though many programs may remain unchanged, University administrators said they will review certain policies to determine if modifications are necessary.
According to administrators, the most severe long-term impact on Georgetown will be in the area of finances. Julie Green Bataille, assistant vice president for communications, said the primary impact will be on the University’s endowment in light of the recent downturn in the U.S. economy.
“We don’t have the latest report calculated yet to give a dollar assessment … but certainly this hasn’t helped portfolio performances,” Bataille said.
Though the Office of Undergraduate Admissions has received more student applications than at this time last year, Charles Deacon, dean of undergraduate admissions, said that his office is in the process of reviewing policies that may need to be adjusted due to the impact of the terrorist attacks.
The most specific change made so far in admissions policy is a one-month extension of the application deadline for students of New York’s Stuyvesant High School, which is located just a few blocks away from the World Trade Center. Stuyvesant closed on Sept. 11 and reopened for classes on Oct. 9.
“We usually get 70 to 80 applications from Stuyvesant … so we are giving them an opportunity to reorganize after the trauma from the events,” Deacon said.
According to Deacon, admissions officers are operating under the assumption that this is “a different world,” which may affect the decisions of high-school seniors regarding their college choice.
Deacon said prospective students are provided with information about the measures Georgetown is taking after the attacks, such as emergency contingency plans.
Overall, Deacon said he does not expect the number of applicants to decrease significantly.
“Students have worked all their lives to get into the best universities in the country,” Deacon said. “Georgetown is worth it.”
Sylvia Robinson, executive director for the MBNA Career Education Center, said Georgetown seniors should expect changes in career opportunities due to the attacks. Robinson met with the Senior Class Committee to discuss outreach to seniors about their options for the future.
“Because the events so drastically affected companies on Wall Street, we are seeing a decline in the hiring targets for these companies,” Robinson said.
Robinson suggested that seniors begin looking for jobs early and take certain precautionary measures, such as refining their interview skills.
“In a competitive market, students need to do things that distinguish themselves. Juniors and sophomores should think about internship experiences so they have many qualifications to draw on,” Robinson said.
Thus far, no international programs have been affected by the September attacks. Michael Vande Berg, director of the Office of International Programs said he does not expect any change in the number of students applying to go abroad for the spring semester.
Vande Berg said all but “a small handful of students” who were scheduled to be abroad this semester decided to maintain their study plans. He said the people who chose not to study abroad did so because they wanted to be close to their families.
“On and right after Sept. 11 we had quite a number of concerned e-mail messages and phone calls from students and families,” Vande Berg said. “In fact, family members were often more concerned than students.”
Students who plan to study in Turkey, Egypt or Morocco are encouraged to elect a second choice location for study abroad in case programs in these locations are suspended.
“There really are not any changes afoot. We are monitoring events closely, and we have told students that we have their well-being in the very highest place in our minds,” Vande Berg said.
According to William Tucker, director of the Department of Public Safety, his office is conducting a critical review of the emergency response plan, re-evaluating security precautions and determining under what conditions building on campus would be evacuated.
“We are not checking the identification of every vehicle that enters campus anymore, but we are probably going to recommend that all delivery vehicles should have special identification,” he said.
Tucker said safety procedures have returned to standard practice, though security was heightened immediately after the Sept. 11 attacks.
Juan Gonzalez, vice president of student affairs said the most important long-term effect of the attacks was that students were able to witness how quickly the University can respond to emergency situations.
According to Gonzalez, other than a few phone calls from concerned parents, he has not witnessed any unusual response after the Sept. 11 incidents.
“We, like everyone else, are starting to ask questions about the what-ifs … We are being thorough and comprehensive when it comes to the safety and security of our students.”
