As the snow falls on campus, the calls come in to determine whether or not students have to roll out of bed and face the weather.
The decision to close the University depends on several factors, said Director of Public Safety Monica Moll.
“It’s not an exact science,” Moll said. “We try to call it early enough that you’re not on your way here when you find out.”
The people who try to call it early enough include the University police, the highway patrol and the county sheriff, all of whom Moll calls when evaluating the situation.
In addition, as a rule of thumb, if the sheriff declares Wood county a Level 3 Snow Emergency, then the University automatically cancels, Moll said.
If the county is under a Level 3 and the University closes, then that does not mean that employees don’t show up to work.
“University police have to show up regardless,” Moll said. “People in food service have to as well.”
Provost Rodney Rogers often times has the final say if the weather conditions are too bad for classes.
“He’s going to have to rely on employees here to tell him about the conditions,” Moll said. “A lot of stuff usually happens overnight.”
That stuff usually includes high winds and snow drifts and makes it difficult to host classes, Moll said.
“Safety is our number one priority,” she said.
That priority is a big motivation for the people involved, said USG president Alex Solis.
“The right people are at the table,” he said. “At the end of the day, they’re making the right call.”
However, sometimes that call is to keep the University open.
In that case, there are several options students can take if they don’t agree with the decision.
“It’s up to the individual to work with the institution if it’s not safe for them to come in,” Moll said. “As adults, they have to evaluate the individual circumstances.”
If students choose not to attend classes, then they should communicate that with their professors, Solis said.
“From personal experience, professors are usually understanding,” he said.
When it comes to safety, Solis said to always play it safe.
“Having one day off of school is a small cost to having a student being in an accident,” Solis said.
To help make the best decision possible and avoid those accidents, Moll keeps a close eye on the news before she knows a big storm is about to hit.
“I wake up at 4 a.m. to check,” she said. “Usually the storm comes overnight and we’re trying to dig ourselves out.”
Once the decision is made, Moll informs the news and also the Alert BG system, which sends out text messages to all its subscribers.
“Alert BG and the University website are our primary means of communication,” Moll said.
Freshman Hannah Combs is from Colorado and said she thinks the weather has to be pretty bad before the University will close.
“I don’t think walking to campus in the snow is that big of a deal,” Combs said. “I did it in Colorado.”
As far as the University’s cancellation policy, Combs believes into taking it into her own hands.
“It should be your choice,” she said. “If you think it’s too bad, then stay home.”
