Class cancellations and office closures due to inclement weather should be announced via email at least a few hours in advance.
When Chapel Hill saw adverse weather conditions on Wednesday, many students did not receive an email that classes were canceled until almost 8 a.m. that day.
The various departments involved in the decision strive to post the news on the UNC website prior to 5:30 a.m. This was achieved, but the lag in notification email delivery left many students unsure of whether or not their morning classes were canceled.
The Alert Carolina website always has the most up-to-date information on campus conditions, but it’s inevitable that some students will not know to check there. An email or text message is the best way to communicate with the campus community.
It’s impossible to predict conditions on the roads and on campus until around 4 a.m. or 5 a.m. The Department of Public Safety works with Grounds Services and Chapel Hill Transit through the early hours of the morning to create a recommendation for the chancellor’s final approval.
But the University’s thorough and rapid assessment of weather conditions is in vain if students are not notified until hours later.
Alert Carolina proved itself capable of being incredibly timely last month during the tornado warning, but last week’s lag has yet to be adequately explained. Information Technology Services generally sends out emails as soon as information is received from DPS. While a small delay in delivery is understandable, it should not take more than two hours.
ITS should work with DPS to strive toward prompter communication with students, whether via email or text message.
