Living through Michigan winters can be rough. Severe snowstorms and ice can leave several events and schools closed except for Western Michigan University.
It is a rare day that WMU closes its doors due to the weather.
“The biggest difference between K-12 and Western is that about 80 percent of students are walking distance from campus whereas K-12 rely on busses,” Lowell Rinker, vice president for business and finance & CFO treasurer for the Board of Trustees, said.
While majority of students do live on or around campus, there are many who live in different cities, including a large population that commutes from Grand Rapids. If the roads are in poor condition it is unlikely students will risk their safety to drive to campus.
However, many professors pay close attention to attendance and punish absent students by lowering their grades. This should not be the case when dealing with severe weather.
WMU starts evaluating the weather conditions and plowing at 4 a.m. to make sure that the parking lots and walkways are accessible.
“We do evaluate the roads and take into consideration those who have to travel, but at what percentage of people is adequate enough who travel to close?” Rinker said.
Students aren’t the only ones who are affected by the weather. There are professors who commute from towns and cities across Michigan to teach their classes and if the weather is poor they are faced with the choice of risking their safety and the safety of their students or simply canceling class.
When professors personally cancel classes due to severe weather, WMU should’ve most likely closed campus for the day.
The issue that needs to be addressed is that even though WMU may be able to clear the premise in time for an 8 a.m. class, many students will not be able to get there.
Safety should always be priority number one. Even though WMU may say they are thinking of the student’s safety, sometimes it may not be the right decision.
WMU should be looking at the school as a whole, not as to how many people can be in class. Closing school for one day to ensure the safety of all is not going to hurt anyone.
“Everyone should automatically assume that Western is open until notified otherwise,” said Rinker.
Closings are posted on the Western Michigan home page as well as the local radio and television stations.
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