The snow came down late Wednesday night, like the downy remnants of a slit pillow. When students awoke the next morning, snow covered streets, stoops and buildings, and icicles hung from trees like crystalline stalactites. Although the University did not shut down, many students who made the perilous trek to campus discovered that their professors had canceled their classes. The most recent storm to hit Eugene once again raises a question that confronts this campus every couple of years: What, if anything, should the University do during times of inclement weather?
The University of Oregon has closed only twice in its 130-year history. The last time was after Thanksgiving break in 1985, when an unexpected storm prevented students from returning to the University. The most recent ice storm came in early 2004, when inches of snow and ice blanketed Lane County. A flurry of controversy resulted from the University’s decision to remain open, as many students found it difficult or impossible to get to class. In 2004, former Vice President for Administration Dan Williams said, “What it boils down to is the advantages to staying open outweigh the disadvantages.” This equivocation came despite a plethora of disadvantages facing students, including late or non-existent bus service and dangerous driving and walking conditions. In the winter of 2005, Williams admitted that, in hindsight, the decision to remain open stemmed from the University’s lack of a campus-closure policy. The administration wrote up new rules during this time.
The 2005 policy states that, in the chance of snowy or icy days, faculty members are responsible for notifying their students of class closures, either via e-mail, the Blackboard Academic Suite Web site or phone messages.
Many students, however, remain unaware of the policy. According to the 2005 policy, professors are supposed to notify students in the course syllabus at the beginning of each term as to which method the professor prefers. Clearly, this is not a hard-and-fast rule; many syllabi omit any reference to inclement weather. The policy change of 2005 is an empty husk unless all professors and students know it exists. “(M)y guess is that the policy is not widely known by most faculty,” said Tim Gleason, Dean of the School of Journalism and Communication. “It’s certainly an area where we can improve.” Gleason reminded the SOJC faculty of the University’s policy at its Thursday afternoon meeting. Unless the administration wants its students to view the 2005 policy as a Band-Aid solution, it must work to adhere to its guidelines and increase communication between administrators and professors concerning this policy. Professors should, in turn, use their syllabi to notify their students of how they should expect to be notified in case of a cancellation or closure.
To be clear, the snow and ice did not justify the entire closure of the University. By noon, the hazardous conditions cleared up, and the sun began shining, albeit briefly and to little effect. Nevertheless, professors and administrators need to work together to properly outline school closure policy so future students aren’t left in the cold.