Snow, Ice and College Life

in college life by Kathy Teel — February 1, 2011 at 11:21 pm | 3 comments

I live in Missouri and teach two college speech classes on Mondays and Wednesdays.  This  Monday afternoon, I bid my students a fond farewell and told them I hoped I’d see them next Monday, rather than our usual Wednesday class period.  We all knew that a Big Storm was coming.

Keep in mind my students are mostly rural folk, and like the song says, “Country folk can survive.”  I’m not worried about their survival, really—we all went through worse in 2007 with the worst ice storm anyone had ever seen.  But will they get any homework done?  That’s what I’m wondering.

Nobody in the US has been exempt from this severe winter weather we’ve been experiencing.  Here are some thoughts, in no particular order, about the problems this weather is going to cause for colleges and universities all over the country.

• Financial hardship. If campuses close, work study students can’t work, and part-time workers can’t get to their jobs.  Students with children, like most of mine, will have to feed them at home, rather than the kids eating lunch at school—in our area, that’s going to be 4 or 5 extra meals a kid, which can take a bite out of an already strained budget.  Employees, especially hourly employees, will lose work time and find themselves with lower paychecks and perhaps with suspended benefits.

• Fewer services. Will dorm cafeterias still be open if workers have to wade through 3-foot snowdrifts?  How will dorm students eat?  What about student health services or counseling? Those are sometimes life-or-death services for young adults. What about students who need tutoring to complete assignments; how will they access tutors?

• Communication lapses. Many universities host NPR or local news radio stations, but if those employees can’t even get to the station, how will the rest of us learn what’s going on?  That is happening in our area—NPR’s been playing a lot of reruns and prerecorded carts.

• Child care. Sure, if everyone’s snowed in together, it would seem like there’s no need for a babysitter, but how are students supposed to stay caught up on homework with kids running around and requiring attention?  Most parents have their kids time vs homework time worked out—often down to the minute—but a string of snow days blows that out of the water.

• Lost teaching time. I usually plan for a snow day or two in my syllabus, and if we don’t have them , there are always ways to use the extra teaching time.  But more than that?  A lot of teachers are going to have a hard time catching up with themselves, and their students might not learn everything they need to know.

• Lost computer time. I know this isn’t an issue everywhere, but many of my students don’t have computers at home, and can only do work and research at the computer labs at school.  They will be put far behind by this.

• Guys, girls, dorms, boredom… Need I say more?  And no access to pharmacies or student health services?  Let’s just see if there’s a baby book come early November.

• Online programs untouched. As long as the power stays on (not always a sure thing in my area), those who take online classes probably won’t suffer any interruptions.  Something to think about.

It’s funny…weather always happens, and we’re always so alarmed and surprised by it.  But besides allowing for a few snow days in my syllabus, I’ve never given much thought to how the weather affects higher education.  What do y’all think?  How are you faring during this big winter storm?  I hope, at least, you’re staying warm.

Tags: bad weather campus ice snow days snowstorm