February 9, 2023

SMC's Response to Turkey-Syria Earthquake

SMC Response to Turkey-Syria Earthquake
SMC's Response to Turkey-Syria Earthquake

Feb. 9, 2023

Dear SMC Colleagues:

As of this afternoon, the death toll from the devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria on Feb. 6, 2023 has risen past 20,000, and the images/footage coming out of the region are utterly heartbreaking. Many people have lost loved ones, and countless others are still in harm’s way. I write today to update you on Santa Monica College’s outreach efforts to our international students from the region—which began almost immediately following news of the earthquake—and provide some suggestions on ways you can help.

SMC Outreach to International Students from Turkey

Santa Monica College currently has 35 enrolled students from Turkey, with five of them possibly taking classes from their home country. There are no international students from Syria. Under the leadership of VP of Enrollment Development Teresita Rodriguez and Dean of International Education Press Nicolov, the SMC International Education Center (IEC) reached out via email to all our students from Turkey on Monday, Feb. 6, with follow-up taking place today and planned for tomorrow as well. These emails provided a recap of resources and ways in which SMC is here to help them throughout this unimaginably difficult time (so far, two students have responded).

The IEC remains at the ready to help, and our immigration & counseling team have been alerted to the possibility that the college might have impacted students who will need assistance in reducing their course load and alleviating economic/financial burdens while maintaining their visa status. Counselors and staff stand ready to connect students with psychological services, food security programs, and potential employment options as well as various other support programs. We also anticipate the U.S. government might issue Temporary Protected Status or Special Student Relief regulations.  Unfortunately, these have not yet been announced, but as soon as there is more information, IEC will hold workshops headed by legal experts to walk students through the application process.

How You Can Help

As the New York Times reported—read: “Here’s how to help victims of the earthquake (opens in new window) ,” Feb. 6, 2023—it is a good idea to do your research (opens in new window) before making a donation, especially to a lesser-known organization, to ensure that assistance reaches those who need it. Sites like Charity Navigator (opens in new window)  and Guidestar (opens in new window)  grade nonprofits based on transparency and effectiveness. The Internal Revenue Service also allows you to search its database to find out whether an organization is eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.

Here is a list of national and international organizations responding to the disaster in Turkey and Syria, as provided in the Feb. 6 NYT article:

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The scale of this disaster is truly unfathomable, and we can only hope that the world will come through to help those who are suffering and that the aid they need will reach them in time.

Dr. Jeffery's signature

Kathryn E. Jeffery, Ph.D.

Superintendent/President