WINTER STORM ADVISORY: 1/26 and 1/27/2015

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

UPDATE: 9:00 a.m.

The University has resumed normal operations today, Wednesday, January 28, 2015. Students, please confirm with your field supervisors that your field placement will take place as usual.

Monday, January 26, 2015

UPDATE: 1:00 p.m.

From Columbia University's Emergency Operations Team:

• Classes today, Monday, January 26, 2015, scheduled to begin on or about 3:00 p.m. or thereafter, are cancelled.
• Classes for Tuesday, January 27, 2015 are cancelled.
• Essential personnel are expected to remain at their posts today and to report to work Tuesday as directed by their supervisors, consistent with University Policy.
• Depending on operational needs, we encourage departments to release non-essential personnel beginning at 3:00 p.m. today.
• For Tuesday, non-essential personnel are not required to report to work. If you have a question about your “essential status,” please check in with your supervisor.
• We urge all members of the Columbia community to stay informed about conditions as the storm progresses. Please continue to check the Columbia Preparedness site and the Columbia homepage for updates.
• Butler Library will be open Monday and Tuesday as a study space. All other libraries will be closed beginning Monday at 3:00 p.m.
• Dodge Fitness Center plans to remain open. Check its site for updates.
• College Walk pedestrian gates (both Broadway and Amsterdam) will be closed. College Walk main gates will remain open.

For advice specific to the members of the School of Social Work community, please keep reading.

11:00 a.m.

The National Weather Service is predicting a storm for the NYC area starting Monday afternoon, January 26th, and continuing into Tuesday, January 27th. The storm will bring heavy snow and wind. We expect that the School will be open for regular hours; however, we will send updates as we receive them and post them here.

All members of the School of Social Work community should remember that their safety comes first; please use your best judgment regarding travel in stormy conditions.

Specific Advice for:

STUDENTS

• PLEASE DO COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR FIELD INSTRUCTOR TO BE SURE THEY KNOW WHETHER YOU ARE ABLE TO GO TO YOUR FIELD SITE TOMORROW. PLEASE ALWAYS CC YOUR ADVISER.
• Please also check this site for information on Tuesday classes. Classes are cancelled for Tuesday. We will list further class cancellations as the information becomes available. Your instructors will be in contact with you regarding alternatives for making up the class time, if applicable.
• All full-time members of the Field Education Office and of the Office of Advising will be available electronically if you have specific questions. That said, there is no need to confirm with them that your field placement is cancelled tomorrow.
• If you decide to travel in storm conditions, do so WITH EXTREME CAUTION.

INSTRUCTORS

• If you will be cancelling your class, please email ssw-iss@columbia.edu to let us know. (In addition to your own notifications for students in your classes, we will post a notice of class cancellations on this site, along with other information from CU public safety as it becomes available.)
• All instructors must give some thought to how you can deliver content to students who may need to miss class due to weather conditions or if you are unable to get to the school. Please note that it is not easy to schedule a make-up class because the students' schedules are very tight. Nevertheless, it is possible to schedule a room and hold an extra class. Contact Jackie Martinez if you would like to explore this option. Keep in mind that you cannot make a make-up class mandatory.
• Some instructors opt to tack on ten minutes to the next few classes, but please note that not all students will be able to stay.

ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF

• Before leaving the office today, January 26th, please make sure all windows are closed securely.
• Remember windows in spaces that are not usually occupied. It is often an open window in one of these "forgotten" rooms that causes frozen or split pipes, not to mention wasted energy.
• Leave all radiator valves and fans coils on to ensure adequate heating and to avoid damage from freezing. Fan coils should be set to the slowest speed setting.
• Clear clothing or furniture away from heaters to avoid inadequate heating that may cause freeze-ups and damage.
• Make sure all faucets are off.
• Report problems, such as leaks or windows or doors that cannot be closed, to the Facilities Services Center at (212) 854-2222, 24 hours a day.

Important Contact Information

• Morningside Campus general information number: 212-854-1754.
• Columbia University Preparedness site: Snow Emergency 1/26 and 1/27/2015
• Columbia University Facilities: 212-854-2222, 24 hours. (Facilities assists with campus and building services on Morningside.)
• Public Safety: 212-854-5555. (For on-campus emergencies; for medical or off-campus emergencies, please call 911.)
• If you have not already done so, we strongly encourage you to sign up for the University’s Emergency Text Message notification system in order to receive emergency updates on your mobile device. You may enroll online via SSOL.

Helpful Links

• New York City Severe Weather
• Register for Notify NYC, the city's official emergency information source.
• National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center
• Metro Transit Authority (for subway, bus, train info)
• New York 1 (24-hour news channel, with updates on closures)

Image: Courtesy nonorganical via Flickr (CC BY 2.0).