E-mail notifications alert students of closings too late
By: Kelly Morse
Edited By: Amanda Crabtree and Meredith Mayberry

CMU students cannot rely on e-mail messages to inform them of class cancellations.

“Last week when classes were canceled, I didn’t get an e-mail telling me that I didn’t have to go to class until a half hour after the class would’ve started,” said Samantha Gucciardo, a junior from New Boston. “Luckily I found out from a friend and didn’t go.”

When students are unsure of whether or not they have class, most turn to their e-mail for the answer. However, because of the high amount of e-mails that have to be sent, many students do not receive the cancellation message in time.

“It’s so frustrating! I just keep checking it over and over again, each time hoping something will pop up,” said Gucciardo.

This morning marked the fifth closing since the beginning of the semester. All classes and campus activities are currently scheduled to be delayed until noon.

Steve Smith, director of media relations, recommends monitoring local media, calling the CMU information line and checking e-mails for updates on class cancellations.

“I’m pretty sure that people will be getting their e-mail on time now,” said Kristi DePaul Ries, assistant director of media relations. “[The e-mails] weren’t going out quickly before because it was a new system.”

According to Stephen Lawrence, associate vice president of Facilities Management, cancellations are based on the conditions of area streets, campus conditions, weather forecasts, how long the storm is expected to last, timing of the storm, whether there is time to clear sidewalks and parking lots before people arrive on campus, and wind.