Fund to aid UW international students affected by tsunami
As the countries of southern Asia work to recover from all that was lost in the Dec. 26 tsunami, the UW-Madison is reaching out to help international students facing financial difficulty as a result of the epic disaster.
The International Students Assistance Fund, created in partnership among the Wisconsin Alumni Association, University of Wisconsin Foundation and International Student Services office, will assist students whose financial support has been disrupted. The fund is sustained by private donors who wish to aid international students facing unusual hardship.
Although the International Student Tsunami Relief Fund is not a substitute for long-term funding, it will serve as a bridge to help cover temporary financial needs. There is no maximum amount for which students may apply, and the fund will be administered on an as-needed basis determined by availability of money.
Individuals interested in making a gift to the International Students Assistance Fund can send a check, made payable to the UW Foundation, to: Gift Processing, 1848 University Ave., P.O. Box 8860, Madison, WI 53708-8860. Please reference the International Students Assistance Fund account number (12-901076) and "Tsunami Students" with your remittance.
For additional information, visit the Wisconsin Alumni Association's Tsunami Response page.
Members of the University of Wisconsin-Madison community,
The epic disaster that washed across the Indian Ocean, inflicting an unimaginable toll in human lives and destruction was heart-wrenching for the world and for our campus community.
We are a university with a worldwide mission, and an internationally diverse population. In a world made smaller by technology and human connection, a tragedy half a world away is drawn even closer to our campus because of our global reach. As this tragedy unfolds, we have abiding concern for students, alumni, faculty and staff with ties to the affected regions. We extend to those affected by loss our deepest condolences.
This humanitarian crisis calls for an historic, international outpouring of donations to sustain relief efforts and combat rising health concerns in the region. I encourage students, faculty and staff to consider making a donation. Elsewhere on this page are links to a wide variety of organizations accepting donations to aid in those efforts.
Thankfully, we have located all 25 University of Wisconsin-Madison students studying abroad in the region and all are safe at inland sites in India and Thailand that have not been directly affected by the crisis. We also attempted to contact foreign students who may have traveled back to the affected areas during the holiday break to locate them and to offer assistance with travel, paperwork and counseling services. There are also alumni in the region, and the Wisconsin Alumni Association has sent emails to hundreds of graduates there, expressing moral support.
We realize that the lives of some of our students, particularly those of international students from the region, may have been seriously disrupted by the earthquake and the tsunamis that followed. A university task force has been formed to ensure that they are not penalized financially or academically for returning after classes resume in mid-January. I urge international students with concerns to contact our office of International Student Services for assistance. And, of course, counselors at University Health Services are also available for any students to discuss the tragedy and its aftermath.
We hope you use this web site in coming weeks to stay in touch about campus news and events involving the disaster and the heroic relief efforts that will be required.
I urge you to be supportive of colleagues and friends who may have been affected by this disaster and to reach out to help in the relief effort, in whatever way your conscience dictates.
John D. Wiley
Chancellor