This story was updated most recently at 1:30 a.m. on Feb. 22 to include additional information on school closing.
Following inclement weather and icy conditions, officials decided to close the university at 4 p.m. Feb. 20. and all day Feb. 21. and Feb. 22.
They have not yet decided on closing the university throughout the week.
The decision to close the university during inclement weather is ultimately up to Police Chief Jennifer Rodgers, Provost Kent Buchanan and Risk Manager Lee Brown. If officials decide to close, all university activities are also canceled unless otherwise specified.
“We come to a decision together that is of the best interest of the students and employees and faculty,” Rodgers said.
Dulaney-Browne Library closed at 4 p.m. Feb. 20 and will be closed Feb. 21. The university mailroom also closed early.
The caf is open for dinner hours and will be open during regular hours Feb. 21. Sonja Rhodes, Chartwells employee, said the caf will continue to be open during normal serving hours despite the university being closed.
Rodgers said she walked across campus to get a feel for the effect of weather on campus, and she reported not experiencing much difficulty. But, she said students who live off campus may experience more difficulty, which was ultimately a determining factor in closing the university at 4 p.m.
Rodgers said she is concerned about the students driving and students walking around campus. Some students have reported injuries from slipping on the ice.
“I noticed there was some ice build-up around the steps, and so I notified facilities to come out and put salt on all the steps and the walkways going up to the building,” she said.
After speaking to a student who reported harsh walking conditions from Cokesbury Court Apartments to Walker Center for Arts and Sciences, Rodgers said she’s advised campus police officers to offer rides to students walking around campus.
“I do realize that some students don’t even have a car, perhaps, and they don’t have any place to park near where they’re going, so I want to keep that into consideration as well,” she said.
Rodgers said there is an emergency system in place in which representatives for different areas around campus are responsible for making decisions or making responses in case of emergency.
Rodgers sent an email to the campus 10:53 a.m. informing students a decision about the closing Feb. 22 will be made the evening of Feb. 21 or the morning of Feb. 22. She said the Emergency Operations Center is currently active.
She advised students to wear a hat and scarf to cover their faces and mouths and wear additional layers. She also told students to avoid ice on walkways and driveways and be cautious about travel.
“If you must travel, let someone know your destination and when you expect to arrive,” Rodgers wrote. “Ask them to notify authorities if you are late.”
Students will receive updates through email and Blue Alert notifications. Updates are also available on the university website.
Provost Kent Buchanan said students should exercise their best judgment in traveling to school.
As provost, Buchanan has the final say in the closing of the campus.
“Once a decision to close the campus or cancel classes is made, it is communicated via the Blue Alert system,” Buchanan said. “These decisions are not taken lightly, but safety is always the most important component.”
There were three Blue Alerts sent out informing students of the closings: one at 3:00 p.m. Feb. 20 another at 9:54 p.m. Feb. 21 and another at 7:47 p.m. Feb. 21.
When the Blue Alert was sent Tuesday evening and Wednesday evening, shouts of students celebrating the announcement were heard across campus. Erin McDermitt, dance performance senior, said students were jumping around so much in the dorm above her that her light broke as a result.
“The good news literally brought the house down,” McDermitt said.
Buchanan said officials monitored conditions the evening of Feb. 20 to determine the closing of the school Feb. 21.
“We keep each other posted throughout the process and meet to discuss the conditions, always keeping the safety of OCU students, faculty, and staff in mind,” Buchanan said.
Collin Salmonowicz, film sophomore, was initially concerned about commuter students, but he said he understood officials’ initial hesitation to cancel
“I mean, I feel like the roads will be fine, so I see where the university is coming from there,” he said. “My only concern is how Oklahoma drivers who aren’t as used to driving in snow will be able to handle it.”
Paris Corbett, acting freshman, said she thinks the weather isn’t bad enough to cancel.
“Oklahoma’s weather is never predictable, but, when you live here, you just have to accept it and adjust to the sudden changes,” Corbett said.
She said she feels like the university should have stayed open in order to not set a bad precedent.
“Because OCU is canceling classes today, people are going to assume they are going to cancel anytime a little snow and ice touch the ground,” she said. “I’ll be okay with them canceling once there’s enough snow to build a snowman.”
Carly Youngberg, English sophomore, said she’s happy with officials’ decision to close the university.
“I’m very glad that the university decided to cancel night classes because I was concerned that there would be a buildup of ice on the roads as it got later in the day,” she said.
Officials don’t look at the closure of other campuses to make the decision to close the university, Brown said. He also said the final decision was made based on the danger of the driving conditions to commuter students.
“Other institutions closing is not on our highest priority list,” Brown said. “If you look at [the University of Oklahoma] and [University of Central Oklahoma], those are both large commuter campuses, and we don’t have a lot of commuters. We’re mostly on-campus living.”
Brown said officials will continue to watch the weather to make a decision regarding whether the university will be open for the rest of the week.
Brown said students should exercise caution by dressing appropriately, using handrails and wearing safe shoes. He said students can reach out to him or a facilities official if they see an area of the sidewalk that needs to be salted.
Students can reach Brown at 405-208-5029 or at lebrown@okcu.edu.
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