Inclement weather has only closed or delayed opening of the University twice in its 127-year history — once in 1969 and once in 1985, according to a release from the University Media Relations office.
And unless things change for the worse, this snowstorm won’t necessarily bring about a third closure, Vice President for Administration Dan Williams said.
Winter storms forced the closure of most universities in the state Tuesday, including Oregon State University, Portland State University and Western Oregon University. Locally, Lane Community College closed all campuses as well.
Williams, who holds the authority to authorize a school closure, said he had many reasons for keeping classes going, pointing out that “closing the University creates a whole new set of problems.”
“What it boils down to is the advantages to staying open outweigh the disadvantages,” he said.
Williams said closing campus would present problems as far as heating rooms and feeding the more than 3,000 students living in the residence halls, adding that closing campus would also hurt the University’s “24-hour-per-day, seven-days-per-week” research.
He pointed out that the University provides bus passes to faculty and students, which can be utilized by most coming and going from campus, and that many live near or on campus anyway.
Also, he said a large majority of students came to campus Tuesday despite the weather.
“If the vast majority of faculty and students can be on campus then we ought not to deprive them,” Williams said, adding that he realized some students couldn’t make it, and he expected them to exercise their good judgment on whether to come to campus.
For those students who couldn’t make it to class, University Registrar Herb Chereck said he sent an e-mail to all departments urging them to be “understanding and reasonable” when enforcing mandatory class attendance policies. If the departments have further questions, he urged them to contact him. He has received no phone calls, he said.
Williams remembered the last time the University was closed because of bad weather at the end of Thanksgiving break in 1985. There was a snowstorm across the state that prevented many students from getting back to Eugene, he said.
French student Sarah Wininger and Eugene resident Steve Bridge braved the trip from the south hills of Eugene to campus Tuesday morning. Once he arrived, Bridge fought to keep his feet below him on the slick ice covering University Street.
Wininger said she thought it would have been a good idea to shut down campus.
“Considering there probably won’t be another day like this, it wouldn’t hurt,” she said.
Bridge agreed.
“You really could hurt yourself just walking around campus,” Bridge said.
English student Jenny Dorner, who huddled below an umbrella to escape the freezing rain, wondered if officials would have closed campus if it hadn’t been only the second day of classes.
She “almost killed” herself on her bicycle, she said.
“There’s always that risk,” Williams said, referring to the danger of students walking around campus. “I think our students are adults. They’ll exercise their good judgment. People have to take care of themselves under these circumstances.”
Williams was aware of no reports of student or employee injuries, he said.
Not all students thought school should have been closed, however.
Environmental Science student Arista Hickman joked that Tuesday was a good day to show off University students’ resolve.
“I think it just shows how tough we are at Oregon,” she said. “We’re not OSU wussies.”