When the University’s storm line announced the cancellation of all classes, activities and events scheduled for Tuesday, some students rolled back into bed and some made new plans for the day. Few thought to check back with the storm line, the University’s website or local TV and radio news stations, which all said simply that classes were cancelled for the day and gave no further information. When the school reopened at 4 p.m., many students and even some teachers, didn’t know. In many cases, people learned they’d missed classes the next day by word-of-mouth. University officials have pledged to be more specific next time a storm warning goes out.
Reaction from students ranged from outrage to mild surprise. Allison Richmond, a sophomore in health fitness, discovered she’d missed a 6 p.m. biology lecture late Tuesday when she saw a sign in Portland Hall, while visiting her boyfriend. She wasn’t overly concerned, especially when she found out the next day her professor hadn’t made it either.
Her professor, Jeffrey Walker, said he was mostly “amused” by the communication breakdown, despite some annoyance.
“I checked the storm line at two, and the website at three,” said Walker, assistant professor of biology. If he had taught the class, he would have faced a difficult choice, he said. “What if only half the class showed up? You can’t hold the others responsible for the lecture.” He said the storm line should advise people to check back for updates. “What it needs is some kind of time frame,” he said, so after a deadline, students and faculty can find out for sure whether classes will go on.
The Office of Public Affairs says that’s exactly what it will do in the future.
“It’s obvious from feedback that our communications have to be much clearer,” said Bob Caswell, executive director of Public Affairs. Caswell’s office was responsible for getting the word out when the administration decided to resume classes. He said while the practice is rare, the University occasionally re-opens when storms blow through by the afternoon.
When bad weather approaches, President Richard Pattenaude is responsible for deciding whether to hold classes based on input from staff and a hired meteorologist, Caswell said. He advises students to use the storm line, at 780-4800 and the University website next time bad weather looms. “In the future, we’ll make sure both are updated with new and detailed information.”