We’ve encountered several episodes of winter weather over the past few weeks. We have been open through some of these weather situations and closed for others.
On this backdrop, I know you’re wondering how we make the decision whether to have classes and whether to keep our offices open. Let me see if I can shed some light on the process we use to make these decisions.
When we encounter weather situations, we evaluate two important considerations. The first is the safety of our students, faculty and staff. The second is our mission to educate students, which requires that we not unnecessarily cancel classes or close offices.
We focus on the time of day of the weather event when we decide whether to hold classes and close offices. Snow or ice during “rush hour” (i.e., in the morning and evening when the majority of our community is driving to or from campus) is very different than snow or ice at a time in the night or day that allows sufficient time to clear roadways and campus.
In addition to commuting conditions, we also focus on whether conditions on campus will be safe. Our grounds and custodial staff work diligently on our sidewalks and parking lots, treating these areas in advance of winter weather and working in the early morning hours to assist in providing clear paths. We frequently keep our campus open when there is some ice and snow on sidewalks, and grounds and custodial staff continue to work to clear campus. But if students, faculty and staff are unable to safely navigate the sidewalks to get to their classes and offices, we close the campus.
Missouri State University is not like an elementary and secondary school that serves predominantly young children and has a vast busing system. We are also not like a community college that enrolls exclusively commuter students and predominantly nontraditional students. K-12 schools and community colleges have a very different set of considerations than we have at Missouri State.
In many ways, Missouri State is more like a traditional business in terms of whether to be open despite winter weather. It is for this reason that the Community Foundation of the Ozarks and other businesses and nonprofits throughout the region track our decision on whether to close campus or cancel classes when they are deciding whether to remain open despite winter weather.
I recognize that we do not always make the right decision. For example, we canceled evening classes on February 6 based on weather predictions that proved inaccurate. But I stand firmly by the process we use to make these decisions.
If you would like more information about the process we use to make weather decisions, I would encourage you to review the university’s School Cancellation Policies and Procedures and section 2.15 of the Employee Handbook.
I would like to acknowledge the efforts of all of our essential personnel who work during school closings to provide for our campus. Their service and commitment is crucial to the operations of the university.
Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!
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