Students dreading their snow-stricken commute to the University of Toronto’s Mississauga campus were spared on February 2 when the University of Toronto announced the closure of campus that morning at 5:55 am.
The St. George and Scarborough campuses remained open.
The university communicated the news via its official weather website, Facebook, Twitter, email, and telephone.
The temperature that day hovered around -15° celsius, with about 25 cm of snowfall the night prior.
Many UTM students were pleased with the closure.
Victoria Wisniewski, a fourth-year environmental science student, says she spent the day working on an assignment and catching up on readings. Stephanie Chen, another fourth-year student, used the time to do homework.
Wisniewski lives just over 10 kilometres away from campus, and Chen lives in UTM campus residence.
Both say they likely would have gone to class if it had remained open. “UTM is a commuter school, and most people drive or take transportation to get to and from the campus,” Chen says.
To her, one of the most important factors in deciding on campus closure is severe road conditions and accessible transportation.
However, students at the campuses that remained open took to Twitter to vent their anger at the decision. “It is extremely dangerous and unfair for commuters to travel to campus today, especially those that live North. Please consider that,” said Clarissa Flora, in a post directed at the university’s official Twitter account.
“Can you ask the weather monitor if he/she has successfully navigated campus in a wheelchair today?” said Angelo Muredda in a similar post.
A number of surrounding post-secondary institutions, including Sheridan College, Centennial College, and McMaster University were closed as well.
GO Transit experienced delays and cancellations, and the TTC experienced major service delays.
The University of Toronto Students’ Union’s (UTSU) Academic & Student Rights Commission put out a call for students who were having trouble getting to campus safely due to the storm to get in touch.
The decision to close
According to Althea Blackburn-Evans, U of T director of media relations, closure of any U of T campus is based on several factors, including the conditions of public transportation, closure of other universities in the area, the City’s response, and the state of roads and sidewalks.
“The geographical differences of the three campuses means inclement weather in one area would not mean the closure of campus in another,” Blackburn-Evans says.
Even if the entire campus does not close, class instructors generally have the ability to cancel classes.
Both the UTSC and UTM websites say that instructors cancel classes at their own discretion during inclement weather, and that students should consult their syllabus for information on class attendance, late assignments, or missed tests.
However, the decision to close any campus ultimately lies with the vice-president and provost, or principal of all three campuses, guided by the advice of Campus Police.
Responsibility for closure of the St. George campus also rests with the vice-president, human resources & equity.
The cost of closure
The university’s Human Resources & Equity Department focuses on the fair treatment and suitable work environment of university employees.
According to Blackburn-Evans, U of T must take into consideration the impact and cost of its decision to close.
Certain university services are considered essential and remain functioning even during closure, such as the caretaking of laboratory animals, campus security, and services in student residences.
A university protocol also states that staff needed for “essential services” during campus closure “will not suffer any reduction in salary or lost time” and they will be paid in accordance with overtime policy, or given the equivalent time off.
The Scarborough campus was last closed due to inclement weather on March 12, 2014.
UTSG last closed on February 8, 2013 when all three campuses shut down.
On that occasion, the decision was not effective until 3:00 pm.
