Students can say goodbye to spring recess in April as a result of the snow closures this past January.
An email sent out by Chris Ames, the vice president of academic affairs, confirmed because of the inclement weather there will be no spring recess April 17 and 18.
Instead, the days will be used to make up for the back-to-back snow closures on Tuesday, Jan. 21 and Wednesday, Jan. 22.
Thursday, April 17 will follow the Tuesday schedule and Friday, April 18 will follow the Wednesday schedule.
Shepherd has already had to close three times because of the unusually heavy winter this year and according to Ames, spring recess is specifically built into the schedule for two snow days.
However, there are no more anticipated alterations to the spring schedule in the event of more bad weather.
That’s good news to some students and faculty. Any additional days will likely be made up using Sakai and the Internet or plans that professors make with their class.
Nursing student Christina Hammond said the weather has impacted her spring semester drastically and she would rather be in the classroom learning. She said the nursing program doesn’t stop for the weather, but her teachers have been very helpful.
Ames said, “A number of professors have been able to make use of Sakai, but certain classes that use a lab are harder to compensate for.”
In addition to the three school closings, Shepherd also opened late on Wednesday, Feb. 6 due to an ice storm. The storm also caused part of a road blockage from King Street to Duke Street, which affected the route of the PanTran for a short time.
Senior elementary education major, Amanda Lehew said the weather has impacted her semester as well. Lehew said, “It’s been hard getting here and some of the professors are rude about it. Some don’t follow the cancellation policy.”
According to Shepherd’s website, the cancellation policy operates differently than K-12 schools because students are no longer minors.
Therefore, “if severe weather conditions render it dangerous for students to reach the university, those who fail to travel to campus on that particular day will not be put at a serious disadvantage.” Yet, students who can’t make it to class need to notify their instructor to arrange a way to make up the work they missed.
Facilities management at Shepherd is responsible for clearing the roadways and sidewalks after a snow or ice storm. Landscaper Delbert Cox said that facilities makes preparations as it comes and sometimes they even come in early depending on the situation.