Slippery Rock University adopts new severe weather class schedule

Slippery Rock University has implemented a compressed class schedule to its updated severe weather policy, should weather dictate a late opening.

Under the new policy, there is a compressed schedule for classes that meet Mondays, Wednesdays and/or Fridays, one for classes that meet Tuesdays and/or Thursdays, and a third schedule for classes in the college of education, regardless of the meeting day.

The plan is based on a two-hour delay, which university officials believe will give facilities crews adequate time to clear roadways, sidewalks and parking lots on campus to accommodate those arriving for class.

A decision to implement the delay will be made as early as possible in order to inform the campus community of the delay and allow the new compressed class schedule to be implemented.

The plan ensures all classes scheduled for the day, especially those that meet early in the day, have an opportunity to meet.

"When the university announces it is implementing a two-hour delay, under the new severe weather policy, students and faculty will switch to the new compressed class schedule, which reduces the number of minutes classes will meet for the day, but ensures all classes will meet," said William Williams, provost and vice president for academic affairs.

"The plan was developed after extensive study and discussions among faculty and the administration," he said. "This plan gives every class the opportunity to meet to collect papers and reports or issue new assignments, as well as cover material planned for the session."

Professor of English and president of the Association of Pennsylvania State, College and University Faculty (APSCUF) Jace Condravy thinks that the new policy is for the best.

"I think that the faculty committee that proposed the new policy did an excellent job in taking into consideration a shared primary concern – that the learning process be disrupted as little as possible by severe weather events – and the challenges faced by administration in their decision-making, and the grounds crews in preparing a campus that permits safe navigation," she said.

"Slippery Rock University is committed to fulfilling its instructional obligations," Williams said. Nearly 2,000 students live on campus, and approximately 5,000 live within a 3-mile radius of campus."

According to the severe weather policy, "It is the university's intent to conduct classes as long as it can maintain reasonable conditions on campus and the roads in the immediate areas are reasonably passable. The university and its off-campus locations will remain open in all but the most extreme circumstances."

Dr. James Hathaway, professor in the geography, geology, and environment department, was a member of the executive APSCUF committee that came to the decision to use the revised schedule.

"[The schedule] was successfully implemented at other schools and has worked reasonably well," Hathaway said. "It is a reasonable solution to the problem," he said. "I don't like the shortened classes, but I dislike the alternative worse."

Dr. Mark Shotwell, associate professor of biology, believes a condensed class can be a good thing.

"From the professor perspective, losing two or three 8 a.m. or 9 a.m. classes is never favorable, and this way the classes won't get behind," Shotwell said. "However, that shortens the time the student will pay attention, as well as dealing with attendance [issues]."

Casey Neiman, mathematics major, likes the condensed schedule.

"I like it because classes are only 35 minutes instead of 50," Neiman said. "I also think it's good that they're getting [the new schedule] out there because when it was delayed last year, nobody knew what to do, and it was just really confusing."

Amber St. Clair, therapeutic recreation and pre-physical therapy major, didn't think so highly of the new condensed schedule.

"A 35 minute class almost seems pointless, and if we have a two hour delay, the snow has to be pretty bad and considering a lot of professors don't live close, they usually end up canceling class anyways," St. Clair said. "I definitely think they should have asked for the students' opinions, especially since we are paying to go here."

In the event of a weather emergency, the campus will be notified via e2Campus alerts and email. A weather message and link to the compressed class schedule will be posted on the university website. Local media will be advised and a message placed on the university newsline (724.738.2998).

According to a university press release, delay or cancellation of classes does not imply that the university is closed.

All non-faculty employees are required to report to work as scheduled. Any class cancellations will apply to all university locations unless otherwise specified.