Campus
closing vs. cancellation of classes
In almost every case, the decision to be made will
be whether classes are to be canceled rather than
whether the University will be closed. The University
of Wisconsin-Green Bay is a state agency, and an
actual campus closing has financial and legal consequences
that we will make every effort to avoid.
Who makes the decision?
The decision to cancel classes or close the campus
is made by the Chancellor, on the recommendation
of the Vice Chancellor for Business and Finance and
the Provost. They are advised by the Director of
Public Safety, who monitors road conditions in our
region and the ability of the campus grounds crew
to keep the campus accessible.
What if a faculty member is unable to reach the University
to hold a scheduled class?
If an instructor is unable to hold a schedule class
because he or she cannot reach the university during
a winter storm, the instructor is responsible for
notifying his or her students, unit, Public Safety,
and Student Information Center. Notification procedures
are available at http://www.uwgb.edu/provost/cancel.asp.
Students are responsible for checking their campus
email accounts for notices of class cancellation.
In the event that a student does not have access
to email, he/she may call a classmate or the University
Information Center at 465-2400.
What are the criteria for making the decision to
cancel all classes?
Recommendations to the Chancellor are based on a
number of factors. In formulating a recommendation,
the Vice Chancellor for Business and Finance and
the Provost take into account reports on area road
conditions, forecasts of storm continuation, predicted
snow accumulations, temperature and wind chill, and
the ability of the grounds crew to keep the campus
parking lots cleared. One key indicator is whether
city streets are open enough to allow continuation
of city bus service to the campus. If city bus service
is canceled or it appears that there will be trouble
getting buses to campus, the Chancellor receives
a recommendation to cancel classes.
Who decides whether students, faculty or staff should
try to get to campus?
The judgment about whether or not to come to campus
rests with the individual. Nobody who feels it is
unsafe should attempt the trip. Driving conditions
may vary across the wide geographical region served
by UW-Green Bay. Individuals need to take their own
local conditions into account as they make their
judgments.
What should faculty do about students who are
unable to reach campus in bad weather?
Each faculty member has authority to determine how
missed class meetings should be handled. Bad weather
creates additional complications for students who
live in outlying areas and students who have children
in schools or child-care centers that have closed.
Because we are operating in a context where the expectation
is that we will try to keep from canceling classes,
it would be reasonable for faculty to be flexible
in addressing individual student circumstances. In
any event, each faculty member should communicate
his or her expectations clearly to their students.
Why should the campus set a high standard for
canceling classes?
UW-Green Bay does not use the same standard as the
public schools for deciding whether to cancel classes.
There are significant differences in our circumstances.
First, we have a substantial population of resident
students. Second, all of our students are adults
who can make their own judgment about road conditions.
Unlike the public schools, we do not schedule additional
instruction days in anticipation of winter storm
closings. Finally, our service area is much broader;
there may be poor road conditions in some of our
communities while others are quite open.
Many faculty fully schedule their course syllabi,
leaving little time to complete missed work. On any
given day, some faculty members will have assignments
due or exams scheduled. Canceling classes for the
whole campus would have a high probability of creating
complications for many instructors.
Faculty establish expectations for learning at the
beginning of the semester when they establish a syllabus.
If that syllabus includes scheduled class meetings,
then students have a right to expect that those meetings
will take place. This is not to say that faculty
cannot arrange for alternative forms of learning.
This policy is not based on the assumption that classes
must be held — come what may. It is based on
the assumption that instructors have a professional
responsibility to follow the expectations they have
set. Not holding class in the absence of an established
alternative creates confusion and bad feeling. Not
holding class because students are engaged in an
alternative learning experience that has been defined
and established in advance is well within instructors'
professional purview.
How will an all-campus closing or cancellation of
classes be communicated?
If the entire campus is closed or if classes are
canceled by the Chancellor, it will be announced
over Green Bay radio and TV as part of the standard
"school closing" reports. If you do not
hear the announcement, it is highly likely that the
campus remains open and classes are expected to be
taught.
If a decision is made to close campus or cancel classes,
an official message will be posted on campus e-mail.
If you do not hear of a closing/cancellation on local
radio or receive an e-mail message, presume the University
will be open for classes and business.
