Silver City, NM- So on behalf of our readers who don’t have windows or anything of that sort, The Mustang would like to report that it snowed this week. (There’s probably one or two of you, right? No?) Anyway, it snowed so much so that classes were cancelled and the University was closed-down on Monday. It opened back up again on Tuesday with a delay. Both of these days you could say were met with… mixed feelings, at best. That’s not what this editorial is about though.
Actually, upon noticing the commotion, I decided to get to the bottom of this and try to get some answers for some of the questions that students may have about the policy for school closures and delays. These answers come directly from officials at the University.
- How does the University determine when the school should close or have a delay?
The University usually determines whether a school delay or a closure is necessary due to inclement weather. They take into account driving conditions and access to the university from off-campus students and employees, stating that safety is always the first priority.
In the case of Tuesday, when the school opened on a delay, the university tries to determine accessibility to the campus in the morning. Campus Police help make the decision by driving around the assorted campus entryways as well as following the National Weather Service.
In most cases with a delay, the University usually expects the roads to clear up not long after the call is made. In the case of Monday, they expected it to snow all day.
- Why did the University remain open on Tuesday when the public schools had closed? Why had the University deviated from it’s usual policy?
In most cases, the University has traditionally followed suite with the Silver City Public Schools and closes down whenever they do. The University maintains that a school closure for the entire day is rare.
Early on Tuesday, University President Shepard sent out an email, assuring students and employees that classes still began on a delay, despite the public schools closing. He stated that a large reason for the schools closing was due to school buses and public transportation, something that doesn’t affect the University as much.
The University also stated that in cases like this, if a student were to feel unsafe making it to classes, for any reason, that he or she should contact their professors and communicate the absence, stating that the University’s professors are usually understanding.
Hopefully that answered at least a few questions. Our goal is to keep you guys informed on any sort of student issues going on. If you have more things you’d like to know regarding school delays and closures, please don’t hesitate to send me an email and ask at lower@wnmu.edu. I will do my best to get back to you and update this editorial accordingly. You can also reach us at our Facebook page by simply search for The Mustang.
Thanks for reading,
Eric Lowe
Editor-in Chief
The Mustang
