University of St. Thomas Houston ranks among the 30 US colleges best prepared for natural disasters for 2020 by Great Value Colleges. The ranking was recently published on the organization's website.

University of St. Thomas was ranked 24th.

Chief H.E. Jenkins coordinates emergency management at UST. "It is an honor and privilege to receive this recognition for the hard work we have put into keeping the UST community safe," Chief  Jenkins said. "We look forward to continuing our efforts, so UST will ultimately be prepared for any emergency event."

View UST's Emergency Preparedness website.

Methodology

This ranking was created using the National Center for Education Statistics' College Navigator database and a range of sources identifying colleges with strong natural disaster plans. The top 30 schools were selected and ranked based on the following:

• Evidence of an effective natural disaster plan
• Number of mentions in the methodology sources, evidence of being able to overcome the long term effects of a natural disaster
• Evidence of helping students in the event of a natural disaster
• Commitment to improving natural disaster planning/preparedness in the future
• Evidence of innovative planning.

University of St. Thomas

University of St. Thomas is Houston's Catholic University, committed to the religious, ethical, and intellectual traditions of Catholic higher education. For more than 70 years, UST has been graduating students into successful careers in medicine, education, business, public administration, and more – throughout Houston and across the globe.

"University of St. Thomas is committed to the safety and security of all community members and visitors," Dr. Richard Ludwick, UST president, said. "We are incredibly proud of our disaster preparedness, including our Safety Week Campaign and Active Shooter Campus Training designed to create awareness among students, staff, and faculty members about emergency management issues and procedures."

Hurricane Harvey

After Hurricane Harvey hit the University of St. Thomas's campus in 2017, the college had to switch to online learning until the campus could be restored. Inside Higher Ed notes that this allowed the college to prepare for future disruptions that would require a switch to online learning. Moreover, the University of St. Thomas has embraced technology in other ways to help students in times of crisis. For instance, it has created an UST app, St. Thomas, that gives community members guidelines for emergencies. Read more about the school here.

Great Value Colleges

Great Value Colleges is a premier website that assists students in finding the best degree, school, career options and resources for a chosen degree and career. From program rankings to degree offerings by state, Great Value Colleges helps students get the best possible education for their money. The site addresses relevant topics, answers frequently asked questions and offers tips and information related to the entire process. Read the full article at the following link:

https://www.greatvaluecolleges.net/disaster-preparedness-plans/Methodology