Each time wintry weather blankets the area and students cross their fingers for the cancellation of class, a key group of Virginia Tech officials grapple with the decision of whether to open the university.
“Nobody is ever happy. It’s either we should have cancelled and we didn’t, or we did cancel and we shouldn't have,” Vice President for Administrative Services Sherwood Wilson said. “You make the best decision that you can.”
The Virginia Tech Police Department compiles much of the information about impending weather forecasts from sources including the National Weather Service, the town of Blacksburg, the Virginia State Police, and the Montgomery County Sheriff. Tech police then give Wilson a call.
“There are a number of check offs they need to do,” Wilson said.
It also depends on any events occurring on the Tech campus, such as special exams. Then, if class should be cancelled, Wilson calls Provost Mark McNamee, who then notifies President Charles Steger.
Wilson and McNamee make the joint determination whether it is appropriate to cancel class. They then make the recommendation to Steger.
“The Vice President for Administrative Services works with the provost ... and their various support units ... about everything from the national weather service to the national transit to the Town of Blacksburg,” said university spokesman Mark Owczarski. “Those two individuals use their reach in their areas to collect that information.”
The decision can be made overnight, or well in advance.
“There’s really no set answer,” Owczarski said. “It depends on the circumstances of what we’re dealing with, but it’s made in collection when the natural flow of things occurs.”
Snow has played a larger role than usual this school year.
The budget for snow removal, clearing of parking lots, and other actions in response to severe weather is included with the university facilities budget.
Facility services has already spent $50,000 of its budget on snow removal this year. A more typical year costs them only $25,000 in snow removal.
“I suspect this year we’ll probably be over budget by the time spring rolls around,” Owczarski said.
As for the current snowstorms forecasted for Friday, “the process has already begun,” he said.
Wilson spoke to the National Weather Service Thursday afternoon.
“We’ve been modeling this thing all day,” Wilson, who had just spoken with the National Weather Service, said. “The best prediction right now is that it’s going to be primarily a snow event. The plan is to assess the situation at 5 in the morning. If those conditions at the time warrant a delay or closing we’ll make that decision.”
He said 5 a.m. is a crucial time in deciding whether to cancel classes.
Input from the Blacksburg Transit also plays a significant role in the decision.
“We are very dependent on the BT here because we have so many students living off campus,” Wilson said. “If the BT is having a hard time getting in (to campus) then that’s fairly significant.”
“If snow conditions (are such) that people are going to be in jeopardy driving to work, we take that into account,” Wilson said. “All of those things combine into decisions that ultimately get made.”