Leveraging our campus IT in the wake of the storm

Abstract

In the hours after Hurricane Katrina demolished the Louisiana Coast, Louisiana State University soon became the center of recovery and relief efforts for the state. This was obviously an effort that spanned all parts of the institution, but as one would expect, information and communication were key to the success of all the parties involved.In our discussion we would like to tell the story of how Louisiana State University's IT resources were key to the recovery efforts in our state.Our organization was equipped to put phones, computers, telephone and networking services in the hands of the volunteers who were administering the triage hospital and acute care facilities on our campus. A hotline was established and staffed 24 hours in the weeks after the storm where citizens could get information. Our network operations center opened their doors to fellow universities in the state to recover their systems and redirect their web pages and communications. Computer labs were dismantled and the systems used in all aspects of the recovery where PCs were needed. We leveraged our partnerships with vendors such as Microsoft, IBM and Cisco to get equipment and supplies where they were needed.We would like to share our story with others so that they will hear firsthand what Louisiana State University's IT department did in the wake of the storm. We hope this will open discussion and dialog that will help other universities understand the power of their resources should they be faced with a disaster of this magnitude.