Campus Updates Following Hurricane Helene 

We are celebrating small victories today at 580 East Main! Power has been restored to all but two buildings on campus (Howard Hall and Kate Hall), and we continue to make good progress with cleanup efforts. We have much work left to do, but so much to be thankful for.

In the spirit of giving and receiving help during this time, as we continue to expand campus operations, we are looking for ways to support our Converse community. We realize many of our students, faculty and staff are still dealing with loss of power and other difficulties. We want to help. We are making a schedule for the use of laundry facilities in Pell and will be serving meals in Gee Dining Hall.

Residential students not currently on campus

If you are a residential student and would find it helpful to return to campus prior to Sunday, please email Residence Life.

Commuter/Nonresidential students

If you are a commuter student and need access to laundry facilities or hot meals, please email Will Case.

Faculty and Staff

If you need access to laundry facilities and hot meals, please email Human Resources.

Community organizations

We are working with other local institutions to help meet their immediate needs as we are able. If you see a way Converse may be able to help other organizations or community groups, please email Communications.

Other resources for assistance

We have compiled a spreadsheet with a list of local resources. You can find it here.

Cleanup efforts

We thank the faculty, staff and campus leaders who joined together this afternoon to help clear debris across campus – no chain saws were involved! We will have another cleanup effort tomorrow, Thursday, October 3, from 1-3 p.m. We will meet behind the Facilities Building.

Valkyrie Supply

We held a Valkyrie Supply drive yesterday afternoon and are incredibly grateful to all who brought items to support our students. We have set up a temporary location near the Office of Spiritual Life until our previous location is fully operational again.

Honoring those lost

We are in the process of planning a memorial service to honor and remember those we lost during the storm. Details will be shared soon.

A few notes for next week

• Student workers wishing to make up work time can do so over the remainder of the semester; please coordinate with your supervisor.
• We are working to find ways to support students as they return to campus; stay tuned for information about support from The Wellness Center, Spiritual Life, Valkyrie Supply and student success initiatives.

We are continuing to assess damages across campus. Employees, if you notice storm-related issues or need repairs in your spaces, please email emergency@easykemistry.com with details. For regular work orders, continue to use SchoolDude. Students, please contact your R.D. or C.A. if you see issues or need assistance.

3:10 PM

Power is being restored to campus, and we are working to bring all of our facilities back online as smoothly and carefully as possible. We are still using some generators to power equipment until we determine our power capacity. Certain areas have been sectioned off for safety, so please use caution and avoid these areas if you are on campus. 

Our crews are working to remove some potentially hazardous trees and limbs around campus and will be placing them in collection areas for pickup by Spartanburg County. You may see several areas with downed trees near fences and buildings around campus; these need to remain in place until our insurance adjusters evaluate the damage, but we are working to make this happen as soon as possible. All areas of campus have been evaluated and immediate areas of concern are being addressed, but if you notice an area needing attention, please contact Campus Safety.

Campus Technology has been on site since before sunrise today, working to restore WIFI and get all our systems up and running. In addition, we are glad to report that gas lines have been restored to better support operations in Gee Dining Hall. Today’s mealtimes for residential students include breakfast from 9 -10:30 AM., lunch from 11 AM -1 PM, and dinner from 4:30 – 6 PM.

Limited Operations on Campus

As we move from critical operations to limited operations in the coming days, we will evaluate the time frames for slowly welcoming our Converse community back to campus. For today, Tuesday, October 1, 2024, we are still operating with essential personnel only. 

We will communicate directly with faculty and staff via email regarding access to campus, and residential students will continue to receive updates from their RDs and CAs on access to campus. We anticipate allowing students to return to campus prior to Sunday and will send information as we secure plans. 

The Montgomery Center, including the gym, will be open tomorrow from 8 AM–5 PM as part of our limited operations. Due to remediation efforts with Valkyrie Supply, please be mindful of restricted areas on the lower level. Offices will be closed, and mail services are limited to receiving and sorting mail. Please contact Campus Safety if you are expecting any urgent packages.

Opportunities to Help

We are hosting a drive for Valkyrie Supply, our basic needs hub that supports students, today at the Weisiger Center from 2-5 p.m. You can find a list of helpful items on our website, and we also maintain an Amazon Wish List. 

We welcome Hurricane Helene Relief designated gifts to The Converse Fund. This fund provides essential and impactful support in areas of greatest need for the entire campus community during this time. Those inclined to give can select “Hurricane Helene Relief – Converse Fund” from the drop-down menu at xqz.easykemistry.com/give. 

Academic Reminders

• Fall Break (October 7-8) has been canceled to make up for lost instructional time
• The Reading Day scheduled for Friday, December 6, will now be a class day; this change ensures that we do not have to extend the length of the academic term
• The midterm grading period has been extended to Friday, October 11
• Faculty are encouraged to extend flexibility and work with students who have extenuating circumstances; these students should contact their instructors directly.

4:00 PM

Converse is “buzzing” with progress as remediation crews are working to get our campus community back up and running. Power has been restored to some non-residential areas of campus, allowing our students to enjoy hot showers, charging stations, and expanded meal services (now including breakfast from 9-10:30 a.m.). In addition, Residence Life is continuing to organize some fun events for the students who remain on campus, including activities, games, and a possible movie night. Students on campus should check with their RDs for details. 

Please remember that normal operations resume on Monday, October 7, 2024, and while we remain without full power and staffing, campus operations are limited to essential personnel and residential students who have not been able to return home. 

How to Help

We are incredibly thankful for the outpouring of concern and support for (and from!) our Converse community. Here are a few ways you can help if you’d like to do so:

• Donate to Valkyrie Supply, our basic needs hub that supports students. We will host a drive tomorrow, October 1, at the Weisiger Center from 2-5 p.m. You can find a list of helpful items on our website. We always welcome staples like soup, beans, granola bars, and peanut butter. Hygiene products like deodorant and shampoo are appreciated, as well as flashlights, batteries, and battery backups.
• Faculty and staff who are looking to help on campus may consider joining student activities, joining students for meals in Gee, using chalk art or creating posters with messages of encouragement for students, painting the rock to welcome students back to campus, or bringing in homemade snacks and treats.
• In the coming days, we will share plans for organized debris cleanup and tree planting at selected areas of campus.
• Donate specifically to hurricane relief with a designated gift to The Converse Fund. This fund provides essential and impactful support in areas of greatest need for the entire campus community during this time. You can select “Hurricane Helene Relief – Converse Fund” from the drop-down menu at xqz.easykemistry.com/give. 

TONIGHT: Virtual Town Hall for Parents & Families

Parents and families are encouraged to join President Boone Hopkins and other campus leaders for a virtual Town Hall tonight at 6:30 p.m. Initially planned as a financial aid Q&A session, we will shift this event to also cover current campus updates.

11:40 AM

Read President Hopkins’ message to the Converse community.

9:03 AM

For the remainder of the week, Gee will serve breakfast until 10:30 AM, with lunch service starting at 11 AM.

As of this morning, power has been restored at the Athletics facilities. Converse staff is working on ways to support student services in that area of campus. Please continue to be mindful of fallen trees and closed sidewalks, such as the one along Fairview behind Belk.

Financial Aid Refunds

Financial Aid refund checks will be available for pickup on Monday, September 30, from 11 AM – 3 PM in Gee Dining Hall. Any checks not picked up during this time will be sent in the next day’s mail.

IF YOU DO NOT WANT YOUR REFUND MAILED, please let Student Financial Services know FROM YOUR CONVERSE EMAIL. If we don’t mail it, you will not be able to retrieve your refund check until the University resumes normal operations.

Town Hall for Parents & Families

Parents and families are encouraged to join President Boone Hopkins and other campus leaders for a virtual Town Hall on Monday evening, September 30, at 6:30 PM (EST). This event will focus on current campus updates.

Though we may not have electricity, the power of our Converse Community remains strong. Our Emergency Response Team and campus leaders are meeting regularly to assess the situation on campus. Here is the latest update.

The university is still without power and is dealing with spotty cellular service, and crews are continuing with cleanup on campus from downed trees and other damage. We have approximately 100 students on campus, and we are continuing with modified operations. While we are without power, meal services will include brunch from 11 a.m.–1 p.m. and dinner from 4:30-6 p.m. Last night, many of our students on campus gathered for fireside s’mores. 

Our latest information indicates that electricity may not be restored to campus until Wednesday at the earliest.

In light of the difficulties brought on by this situation, Converse has canceled classes, co-curricular events and athletic activities for the full week ahead. We will continue modified operations and meal services for the students who remain on campus and will make them as comfortable as possible. We have temporary charging stations available on campus which are powered by a generator. 

Academic Operations

Academic operations will shift as follows:

• Classes are canceled for the week of September 30 – October 4.
• Residential students should plan to return to campus on Sunday, October 6.
• To make up for lost instructional time, Fall Break (October 7-8) will be canceled and students will return to class for the full week on Monday, October 7. 
• We are encouraging faculty to work with students who have travel plans that cannot be canceled or postponed; these students should contact their instructors directly.
• Faculty and campus leaders will be working on a plan to recover additional classroom time, and we will share updates as we have them.
• If power is not restored by Friday, we will re-evaluate the date of return to campus and will send updated academic information.

Athletics

Athletic events and games (including away games) will be canceled/postponed through and including this weekend; some practices may resume on Sunday if possible. Athletes should check in with their coaches for more information.

Financial Aid Refunds

Financial Aid refund checks will be available for pickup on Monday, September 30, 2024, from 11 a.m.–3 p.m. in Gee Dining Hall. Any checks not picked up during this time will be sent in the next day’s mail.

Town Hall for Parents & Families

Parents and families are encouraged to join President Boone Hopkins and other campus leaders for a virtual Town Hall on Monday evening, September 30, at 6:30 p.m. Initially planned as a financial aid Q&A session, we will shift this event to focus on current campus updates.

Thank You

We would like to extend a special thanks and appreciation to our entire Converse community, but specifically to our Campus Safety, Facilities, and Residence Life teams, as well as AVI, our food service provider, and The Budd Group, our custodial provider, for their dedication to caring for our students and our campus during this challenging time. Our people are what makes Converse such a special place.

Keeping in Touch

We encourage all Converse students, faculty, and staff to download the AlertMedia app to stay connected and receive important campus notifications. Once registered on AlertMedia, Converse students can add two additional emails and/or phone numbers to their AlertMedia account so their parents or family members can receive these notifications also.

Until power and phones are restored, please continue to use the Campus Safety cell phones at 864-809-6064 or 864-384-3326 for campus emergencies.

6 PM

Spartanburg County residents can resume dialing 911 for emergencies.

Converse’s Emergency Response Team and campus leaders are continuing to assess the situation on campus.

Converse uses the AlertMedia app to communicate with the entire campus community.

We encourage all Converse students, faculty, and staff to download the AlertMedia app to stay connected and receive important campus notifications.

11:22 AM

Duke Energy, contractors, and our staff are diligently working on campus cleanup today. We are offering limited food services in Gee for students who remain on campus, and staff is planning some evening fireside activities.

Brunch service will run from 11 AM – 1 PM in Gee; dinner will be from 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM.

The university is still experiencing:

• No electricity
• Limited cellular service or ability to send or receive texts
• Fallen trees and limbs

Please continue to use caution with walkways, stay out of barricaded areas and avoid climbing on trees.

Until power and phones are restored, please continue to use the Campus Safety cell phones at 864-809-6064 or 864-384-3326 for emergencies. 

Converse uses the AlertMedia app to communicate with the entire campus community in these emergency situations.

We encourage all Converse students, faculty, and staff to download the AlertMedia app to stay connected and receive important campus notifications.

Converse Students, Faculty, and Staff,

Our Emergency Response Team and campus leaders are meeting regularly to assess the situation on campus and what this will mean for the next few days.

Due to the severe weather, lack of power, and other challenges on campus and throughout Spartanburg County due to Hurricane Helene, Converse has suspended all classes, events and campus activities through and including Monday, September 30.

As weather conditions have improved, we encourage students who live within a reasonable driving distance to travel home if they feel it is safe. Our Residence Life staff has a plan in place for the weekend for students who need to remain on campus. We ask that all students check in with your RD/CA to inform them of your plans.

We are working diligently to meet student needs on campus. Residence Halls and dining services will remain open for students who cannot travel home, although with limited services and operations.

Converse uses the AlertMedia app to communicate with the entire campus community in emergency situations. We are also sending updates to your Converse email address.

If you have not yet registered, we encourage Converse students, faculty, and staff to download the AlertMedia app to stay connected, receive important campus notifications, and gain access to the resources and documents they need most.

Once registered on AlertMedia, Converse students can add two additional emails and/or phone numbers to their AlertMedia account so their parents or family members can receive these notifications also.

Additional Resources

• The Department of Campus Safety can be reached at 864.384.3326 or 864.809.6064.
• Residential Life Staff
• Campus Safety
• Emergency Alert System