Information for UConn Students, Faculty and Staff Regarding Storm Preparations

This article was originally published on the UConn Today Web site on February 7, 2013.

By: Provost Mun Y. Choi & Richard Gray, CFO

To the University Community:

The University is closely monitoring weather reports that forecast a snowstorm Friday and Saturday in our region. [...]

The University’s Alert webpage (http://alert.uconn.edu) is the definitive outlet for information about UConn’s status during and after weather disruptions and other emergencies, and should be your primary source for updates.

In addition to the Alert page, UConn also operates a 24-Hour Emergency Closing Information Number at the Storrs campus: 860-486-3768. Telephone numbers for information about closings on other campuses are included at the end of this message.

The safety of our students, faculty, and staff is paramount. At the same time, the University has important research, teaching, and service missions to carry out, and must maintain effective operations. We therefore make decisions about cancelling classes, closing early, opening late, or closing altogether very carefully, with full consideration of all available information about weather predictions and road conditions.

While we make every effort to notify the news media about operating changes at UConn’s campuses, we cannot guarantee that details provided by news outlets represent the most current or complete information. Again, we urge you to heed the University’s Alert site, email notifications, and emergency closing lines as your primary source of updates.

The possibility of power outages or other damage in Storrs and elsewhere in Connecticut may make email messages impossible to send or receive during this weather event and its aftermath. In light of this, the University will also utilize our Alert system to communicate this information via text message to cell phones.

If you have not registered your cell phone with the University, please visit alert.uconn.edu and do so. Information will also be provided on the University’s smartphone app, myUConn, which can be downloaded at my.uconn.edu.

Text messages, the news media, and UConn’s Facebook page and Twitter feeds may be the only reliable avenues of communication if power is lost, so please ensure your mobile devices are fully charged heading into tonight and Friday.

Certain operations on some campuses must continue uninterrupted even in severe weather, including public safety, residential and dining services, health services, and facility maintenance. Decisions about whether to continue or cancel other services, such as transportation, are made on a case-by-case basis.

The Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts, UConn Athletics, and other units that sponsor activities decide independently whether to continue or cancel their events, and you should contact them directly with questions.

In addition to the 24-hour emergency information line at Storrs, people seeking information about closures at regional campuses during power outages may call the following numbers:

• Avery Point: (860) 405-9000 / 9020
• Greater Hartford: (860) 570-9327
• School of Law: (860) 570-5145
• Stamford: (203) 251-8524
• Torrington: (860) 626-6808
• Waterbury: (203) 236-9800
• UConn Health Center: (860) 679-2001

Sincerely,

Mun Y. Choi
Provost and Executive Vice President

Richard D. Gray
Executive Vice President for Administration and CFO