After a delay in the start of the spring semester due to severe winter weather, all university campuses will begin in-person, remote and hybrid classes today at their regularly scheduled times.
Starting Sunday, Jan. 14, snow and record low temperatures hit Oxford and much of the Mid-South causing unsafe road conditions. In Mississippi, 29 injuries and 12 deaths have been reported to the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency since Jan. 14.
On Jan. 17, Chancellor Glenn Boyce sent an email informing students, faculty and staff of the new start date for the semester and the cancellation of all campus activities Jan. 18 and 19. He also advised students to delay their return to Oxford until Jan. 23 at the earliest.
“Hazardous conditions and extreme temperatures continue with the current forecast predicting temperatures to remain below freezing until Sunday,” Boyce said in his statement. “University facilities crews need sustained above-freezing temperatures and space to operate in order to effectively clear a layer of ice covering roads, parking lots, and sidewalks on campus.”
Closure of the university was subsequently extended until Wednesday, Jan. 24.
Although some worried that the missed classroom days would have to be made up later in the semester, possibly interfering with previously scheduled time off such as spring break, Jacob Batte, director of news and media relations, explained this would not be the case.
“The three days lost to the delay will not be made up,” Batte said. “Faculty will adjust their syllabi to ensure that all necessary content is taught during the semester.”
Due to the delay, the deadline to add and drop courses without fees was pushed to Feb. 7. March 8 is the final deadline for course withdrawals.
The last bout of winter weather in December 2022 affected the university’s response to this year’s weather patterns.
“The university’s facilities management team has been on standby this week responding to any issues in buildings and, once it is safe to do so, will begin clearing the roads and walkways on campus,” Batte said. “Additional winter weather preparations learned from the December 2022 freeze were implemented earlier this month and have so far proven effective.”
Students responded to the snow, ice and frigid temperatures with surprise, relief and delight, considering if offered the rare opportunity for sledding down hills on campus.
“I was surprised to hear that it would be snowing in Oxford – and for the first time in a few years,” sophomore finance major Richard Mugler said.
Many parents and students were grateful as the delay kept them from having to travel in the unsafe weather. Matt Clark, sophomore integrated marketing communications major and club hockey player, was worried about making it back in time for his first game of the season, which ended up being canceled.
“My car doesn’t have all-wheel drive, so spinning out on frozen roads is a high possibility,” Clark said. “With the lack of snow plows in the state of Mississippi, I am worried that it won’t get cleared quick enough for my game on Saturday.”
Many parents also took to social media to express how the delay was beneficial to students returning to campus for classes.
“Thank you. We were trying to figure out how to navigate the return coming from Illinois,” Nicole Paulsberg Lindsey, a UM parent, said on Facebook.
Lola Lang, a junior integrated marketing communications major from Florida, shared her thoughts about the delay.
“I was ready to go back to school. I’m a little bummed (we didn’t start back) on Monday, but I definitely didn’t mind a snow week,” Lang said.
In addition to impacting school, the weather kept Lang away from work at Starbucks for three shifts.
“Starbucks, being a bigger corporation, gives catastrophe pay so I was still able to be reimbursed for some of my shifts,” Lang said. “Other people weren’t as lucky and they just were out of work the whole week.”
Despite this, Lang thought the university made the right decision to delay the start of the semester.
“I think it was the right move,” Lang said. “I think it’s easier to have a few good days and be able to prepare rather than have school and no one be able to attend classes.”
Mary Evans contributed reporting.
