Today, the University is open but we have faced some special challenges. While roads and sidewalks were readily navigable at 5:00 AM (when we consider changes in scheduling due to inclement weather) conditions deteriorated thereafter and we invoked our inclement weather policy at 8:00 AM. The latter policy permits staff members the option of coming to work as late as 10:00 AM without penalty based on their personal assessment of safety concerns.

Regarding bus service and for the record, buses began their routes before 7:00 AM. There were no problems until 7:15 AM when the buses needed to be switched to snow routes and 7:30 AM when the buses were temporarily stopped. It sometimes takes 30 minutes to an hour to get the right message to the various venues and have it publicly announced (telephone, voice mail, email, web, TV and radio stations). By 8:45 AM the buses had begun their routes again. Thus, the period the buses were not operating was relatively brief though important to those trying to move around during that period.

A consideration that occurred this morning is that we cannot close the entire University for a brief period and then reopen in parallel to our operations of the buses. A further complicating factor was that many non-teaching employees were already on their way to campus-by the time the weather conditions began to deteriorate.

Now, I wish to specifically address our weather policy as it pertains to students and faculty members. While the inclement weather policy does not apply to students and faculty, it does not mean that we are silent on safety concerns for faculty and students in the case of hazardous driving or walking. University policy requires that faculty address inclement weather contingencies in their syllabi. Thus, syllabi should contain directions to students on how to contact faculty to determine whether classes are being held and how work may be made up in cases of necessary absence. Overall, faculty and students are trusted to use good sense in making judgments about their personal safety. Faculty members are further trusted to act sensitively to the individual situations of students.

In the past few weeks, I have reviewed our inclement weather policies with the deans of our schools and colleges. The same policies were reviewed in my presentation to the Faculty Senate in January 2003. Nevertheless, I plan to remind the community of our policies through this memorandum and through a piece that I will prepare for the forthcoming issue of All Things Academic-the UA online journal (http://www.uark.edu/admin/vcacsey/ata/ataframe.html) published four times per year.

Regarding sidewalk safety today, we are doing all in our power to salt or sand University sidewalks. We will continue to do our best to make the campus safe. Additionally, we will be prudent in the days ahead relative to invoking our policies concerning closings of the University. We do care greatly about the welfare of our students, faculty, and staff.

One further note: I never ask students or faculty to do anything that I wouldn't pursue myself. Thus, I did walk a mile to work today, one quarter of which was through the northwest portion of the campus. I do recognize, however, that everyone's situation is unique and we do not expect students, faculty, or staff to threaten their own safety.

We greatly appreciate the UA community's continuing full cooperation in serving the needs of our students. For all students, faculty and staff-please watch our website (http://www.uark.edu/) and be alert to messages on radio and television regarding possible additional advice about scheduling and other information during the coming days.

If there are questions regarding this topic, members of our community are welcome to contact me by e-mail (bobsmith@uark.edu) or to telephone me at 479-575-5459.

Kind regards.