Just in time for the beginning of the 2008 hurricane season, ACUTA, the Association for Communications Technology Professionals in Higher Education, is making available a communications- and networking-focused hurricane preparation checklist to all higher education institutions.

The 13-page document covers a broad range of pre-storm and post-storm activities and considerations, tailored to the needs of the college and university information communications technology personnel who make up ACUTA’s membership. ACUTA is the only international association dedicated to serving the needs of higher education information communications technology professionals. It represents nearly 2,000 individuals at some 780 institutions.

The checklist can be accessed by both ACUTA members and non-members through the ACUTA website (www.acuta.org), specifically at this URL: www.acuta.org/?2026 or by searching for “hurricane checklist.”

“Colleges and universities play an important role in disaster preparedness and recovery for both their campus constituencies and their communities in general,” said Dr. Walt Magnussen of Texas A&M University, president of ACUTA. “In the event of a major disaster such as a hurricane, these schools often provide emergency medical care, temporary shelter, communication services, and a variety of other functions in addition to providing for the safety of life and property on campus.”

Magnussen added, “I can’t overemphasize the importance of maintaining communication services to a campus community during an emergency situation.”

In the wake of the devastation wrought by hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, ACUTA began working closely with the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS), a technical planning and standards development organization, and its Network Reliability Steering Committee. As a result, ACUTA adapted a master ATIS checklist to the specific needs of information communications technology professionals at colleges and universities.

The checklist covers areas such as emergency facilities and lodging, creation of contact lists, physical power and fuel, staffing, computer and network services, damage assessments and other post-storm activities, and training.

“One major advantage of the hurricane preparation checklist is that it covers very extensively the basic considerations, and schools can build on those to add specific activities and preparations of their own,” said Jeri Semer, executive director of ACUTA. “Our goal in preparing this checklist is to do what we can to help our members and others contribute to the health and safety of everyone on campus.”

About ACUTA
ACUTA, the Association for Communications Technology Professionals in Higher Education, is an international non-profit educational association serving colleges and universities. Its core purpose is to support higher education information communications technology professionals in contributing to the achievement of the strategic mission of their institutions. ACUTA represents nearly 2000 individuals at some 780 institutions of higher education, with members ranging from small schools and community colleges to the 50 largest U.S. institutions. ACUTA’s Corporate Affiliate members represent all categories of communications technology vendors serving the college/university market. For more information, visit www.acuta.org or call 859-278-3338.

Contacts: Pat Scott, ACUTA, 859-278-3338, ext. 221, or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Kevin Tanzillo, Dux PR, 972-889-9577 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it