A Letter from the Chancellor

Dear KU Alumni and Friends,

It's been a month since a ferocious windstorm hit campus on Sunday, March 12. You may be curious to know how we are faring now that the storm has passed and cleanup and assessment are underway.

The University's appearance is returning to normal, thanks to the efforts of hundreds of KU employees. They have cleaned up debris, repaired windows and removed downed trees all over campus. A few highlights include:

• KU employees dismantled the 82-year-old radio tower that carried a cable for the student-run radio station KJHK. Several of the tower's supports were bent or broken by debris from the storm. KJHK began rebroadcasting a few weeks later from another tower on KU's west campus.

• Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, g'80, asked for federal support to repair Kansas infrastructure damaged by the storm. She requested the assistance to defray the costs of repairing power lines, removing storm debris and repairing schools and state-owned facilities such as KU campus buildings.

• Employees are working toward repairing the roof of Danforth Chapel, which has been closed for repairs until August. It will cost about $40,000 to repair the roof of the nondenominational chapel.

• Kansas State University, one of many universities to offer KU assistance, donated 50 saplings to help replace the more than 100 trees downed by the storm. K-State's gift of trees will help us beautify campus with a new generation of trees immediately.

• The fund established by KU Endowment to accept donations for campus cleanup and beautification has received dozens of donations ranging from $10 to $5,000. Donors include people who have visited our beautiful campus, couples who married in Danforth Chapel and students who were moved by the pictures of the damage to their classroom buildings.

As we continue to assess and repair the damage at KU – estimated to cost more than $6 million – we have been touched by the outpouring of concern from Jayhawks across the country. Rest assured, we are fine, and we will have KU's campus beauty restored as sure as the redbuds and lilacs will bloom on campus this spring.

Bob Hemenway
Chancellor