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One could debate whether global warming has hit the UGA campus. It has been more than three years since faculty and staff missed a work day due to wintry weather, and almost four years since snow fell on a class day. Dec. 19, 1996, was the last time the university closed due to icy roads, sending faculty and staff home. Students last had a day off due to snow on Feb. 5, 1996, so many on campus today are likely unfamiliar with the university’s closing procedures.
“The university rarely closes,” says Tom Jackson, executive director of communications. “If we do so, it is for public safety reasons--primarily if the roads are too icy for traffic to move safely.”
When winter weather threatens, faculty, staff and students should tune to Athens radio stations for the latest information regarding changes in UGA hours of operation. If a closing decision is made before regular business hours, every effort is made to inform the Athens radio stations by 6:30 a.m. If the decision is made during the day, the offices of all university vice presidents and deans are notified in addition to the broadcast stations.
“We use Athens radio stations primarily, because they can give priority to UGA announcements where Atlanta stations cannot,” Jackson says. “We also notify Atlanta radio and television stations which have requested to receive UGA closing announcements.”
Faculty, staff and students should tune to one of these Athens radio stations for up-to-date UGA closing information: 880 am, WBKZ; 960 am, WRFC; 1340 am, WGAU; 88.9 fm, WMSL; 90.5 fm, WUOG; 91.7 and 97.9 fm, WUGA; 102.1 fm, WGMG; 103.7 fm, WPUP; and 106.1 fm, WNGC.
Due to the large number of competing announcements on radio stations during snow emergencies, the university limits its announcements to one of the following:
• UGA is open and operating on a regular schedule;
• UGA is closed; or
• UGA will delay opening until a specific time.
Openings and closings apply to everyone--faculty, staff and students--except employees previously designated by their supervisor to report in case of inclement weather, such as designated employees in public safety, physical plant, housing and food services.
“At times, instead of using our specific announcement, a radio or TV station will ad lib that ‘UGA has cancelled classes.’ Then, staff want to know if they have to go to work,” Jackson says. “Please be aware that we don’t cancel classes without closing the university; when it comes to severe weather, UGA is open or UGA is closed--for everybody.”
Personnel and students should not telephone for closing information, as a large number of phone calls can overload the system and hamper the ability of key offices to make outgoing calls.
Up-to-date information also will be posted on the UGA Today Web site (www.uga.edu/news).
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