Weather Response Update: Sally

A Message from President John Hoyle:

September 13, 2020

Dear ASMS Community Members,

The Leadership Team is continuing to monitor Tropical Storm Sally, which is predicted to become a slow-moving hurricane tomorrow. The Mobile area is currently under a Hurricane Watch and Tropical Storm Warning, but forecasts expect the storm to make landfall somewhere along Louisiana’s coast late Monday night. If that track holds, the Mobile area would be on the east, or wet, side of the storm.

The ASMS Leadership Team met today and has decided not to evacuate the campus. We are still taking this large and slow-moving storm seriously, and we are preparing our campus community. We are also aware that this tropical storm may evolve into a hurricane, and we expect heavy rain, high winds, and power outages in the Mobile area.

Please read the following information carefully regarding how our school community will proceed this week and how our community is being prepared.

All Students (Remote and On-campus)

• All classes will continue to meet this week. If the weather begins to interfere with classes, especially on Tuesday, we will be ready to postpone them.
• We will reschedule all student move-ins planned for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. If you were scheduled to move in during those days, your move-in time is canceled. Expect to be contacted by Student Affairs no later than Friday, September 18, to reschedule.
• ASMS will hold a mandatory assembly Monday at noon to go over emergency procedures (The Tuesday election assembly is postponed; see below).
• The SGA officer election assembly and the final JBLA training session are postponed until Thursday, September 17. Officer candidate campaigning is extended through this date, and rep campaigning can still begin on Wednesday. Please contact Mrs. McMaken (amcmaken@asms.net) or Mr. Barry (dbarry@asms.net) with questions.

On-Campus Students - Travel Info.

• Students who do not want to be on campus during the bad weather will be permitted to travel home and return to campus when the weather is clear. The latest a student can drive home or be picked up from campus is 2 p.m. Monday. Parents are also welcome to pick up their students on Monday. A REACH request should be submitted.
• It is recommended that any students who returned home this weekend should stay at home until the storm has passed, and they have been given the authorization to return to campus.
• All student drive-offs and walk-off will be suspended starting Monday at 2 p.m. and will continue until the weather is clear later in the week.

On-Campus Students - Emergency Preparedness

• We will conduct a severe weather drill on Monday after the assembly; students should be prepared.
• Roughly eight years ago, a storm came through the Mobile area in the middle of the night with howling wind and pounding rain, and some students called their parents to say they were fearful. Security, hall staff, and administrators will be on duty Monday evening and through the night and are ready to help students and sound the severe weather alarm if needed.
• ASMS residence life hall staff members and the full-time Community Life Compliance Coordinators, Hannah Maine (hmaine@asms.net), and Rodney Adams (radams@asms.net) will be on campus this week and ready to assist students or families.
• Foodservice employees will begIn preparing additional meals and snacks for students on campus as a reserve. If foodservice cannot proceed as usual due to conditions, the reserve food will be made available to students; students should communicate with their hall staff members for instructions.
• The campus is equipped with a generator; however, students who remain on campus may want to be prepared with flashlights and should charge their electronic devices.

If you have questions, please contact the ASMS Director of Human Resources and Operations, Dr. Scarlette Studdard (sstuddard@asms.net). She is ready to assist or can direct you to the appropriate person.

Thank you for remaining flexible and supporting our school as we make decisions in the best interest of our students. As always, our priority is our student’s safety. We will continue to communicate and provide updates as we move forward.

Sincerely,

John Hoyle, Ph.D.

President