UW-Eau Claire evening classes beginning at 5 p.m. or later on Monday, Jan. 27, are canceled. A decision whether to hold classes as scheduled Tuesday, Jan. 28, will be made Tuesday before 6 a.m.
The university remains open Monday evening and decisions about whether scheduled events are held will be made by the individual organizations hosting them.
The Children’s Nature Academy is open as scheduled until the end of business Monday.
There have been a number of inquiries today about why the university is open and holding classes as scheduled despite sub-zero temperatures.
The university rarely, if ever closes. A number of criteria are considered when deciding whether to hold classes, delay the start of classes, or cancel select classes.
Those criteria include, but are not limited to, excessive snowfall and/or drifting, icy conditions, temperature, wind chill, visibility and condition of sidewalks and roadways both on campus and in the community. The university makes the decision based on actual real-time weather conditions, not what the forecast is predicting the day before.
Naturally, one of the most important considerations is safety of students, faculty and staff. If the conditions are deemed obviously unsafe for travel to and from the university, and to and from facilities on campus, classes are canceled or delayed. This can be a subjective judgment – but it is based on the best information available at the time the decision is made.
The university recognizes that some individuals have specific medical or physical conditions that prevent them from being able to venture out into the cold, or may have a lengthy commute to campus that may not be safe to undertake because of weather conditions where they live. That is why students, faculty and staff are instructed to exercise their best judgment in deciding whether to attend classes or report for work.
