Syracuse University Operating on Limited Status on Friday, Feb. 7; Classes Canceled, Only Essential Services Personnel Should Report to Campus

Central New York is under a Winter Storm Warning, the highest level of winter weather alerts issued by the National Weather Service. Significant snow accumulation mixed with freezing rain and high winds is expected today and could cause dangerous travel conditions. Prioritizing the safety of the campus community, Syracuse University officials have determined to cancel on-site classes and operate on limited status on Friday, Feb. 7. All online classes, as well as classes at our centers outside of Syracuse, will continue as scheduled.

Limited status means faculty, as well as administrative and office staff, are not required to report to campus. Essential services employees (campus safety and emergency services, campus facilities, food services, residence hall and student activities staff and others deemed essential by their supervisor) are asked to report as scheduled. Staff members who are uncertain if they’re considered essential should contact their supervisor directly.

Though on-site classes are canceled, many essential student services will remain available, including the following:

• All residence hall dining centers remain open, along with Goldstein Student Center Dining, Kimmel, Starbucks, Otto’s Juice Box and Pages Café in Bird Library.
• Bird Library will close today at 6 p.m. [Updated: 1:20 p.m., Friday, Feb. 7] Carnegie Library and the King+King Architecture Library are closed.
• The Barnes Center, including recreation, will close at 5 p.m. [Updated: 11:55 a.m., Friday, Feb. 7] Barnes Health and Counseling are open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. All other Student Experience units will be monitoring phones and email.

The University will continue to monitor weather conditions throughout the day and the weekend. In the event of continued inclement weather and if additional schedule changes become necessary, the news will be announced via the University’s emergency broadcast notification system and will carry the notice SU WEATHER ALERT.

SU WEATHER ALERT information will be announced using the following communication channels:

• via campus email;
• via text message;
• via a “crawl” on campus TV monitors and University websites;
• on Twitter: @SUCampus, @SyracuseUNewsand @SyracuseDPS;
• on Facebook: @SUCampus, @SyracuseUniversityNewsand @SyracuseDPS;
• on eduand Syracuse.edu; and
• via Syracuse University public radio station WAER-FM/88.3and other local media outlets.

Only Syracuse University’s internal communications and media relations teams are authorized to transmit to the campus community and the news media announcements about closings, work-schedule changes or class-start delays.

Although Syracuse University rarely closes for inclement weather, campus community members should be aware and take precautions when severe weather is in the area. If community members experience weather conditions that could affect their safety when traveling to and from the University, they are encouraged to use their judgment as it relates to travel. Faculty and staff concerned about their safety should contact their department head or supervisor, respectively.

For information on winter weather preparedness, visit the Department of Public Safety website.