Recent weather-related campus delays and closures have sparked criticism from students across Cleveland State University’s social media platforms.

In response to campus delays issued Tuesday, Jan. 20, and Tuesday, Jan. 27, many students said the decisions did little to ease safety concerns, particularly for commuters. CSU is largely a commuter campus, with roughly 80% of the student body living off campus.

In addition to the two delays, snow storms have prompted Cleveland State to close campus four days this semester – Thursday, Jan. 15, and Saturday, Jan. 24 through Monday, Jan. 26. 

Student frustration was especially visible on Cleveland State’s Instagram page, where five winter weather alert posts generated nearly 300 comments. A majority of the responses criticised the university’s decisions and called for better communication and more commuter-focused considerations.

On the Tuesday, Jan. 20 Instagram post, one user commented “Still no consideration for commuters, especially ones who have to get to campus early regardless of late starts (aka me).”

Another student user said “This is dangerous for your students! Close down. Far too cold.”
 

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Similar concerns appeared on Facebook. On the Tuesday, Jan. 27 post, one user commented “Really wished you canceled all day - get home safe everyone. Visibility is horrible on the Westside.”

Under the same post, a user commented “Thanks for the 4:30 a.m. wake up call to tell me. It would have been more acceptable at 10:00 p.m. on Monday night. Smh.”

A survey which the Cleveland Stater conducted Tuesday through its Instagram, asking whether CSU should have shut for a full day that day showed widespread dissatisfaction with the university’s decision to open at 12 p.m. Of the 197 respondents, 184 said classes should have been canceled for the entire day, compared to 13 who said a half-day delay was sufficient.

The Stater reached out to Nigamanth Sridhar, Ph.D., CSU executive vice president and provost, who explained how weather-related decisions are made through a multi-step process that weighs safety, campus conditions and academic impact. Dr. Sridhar noted that the university relies on three primary sources when determining whether to delay or cancel classes.

The process begins with the CSU Police Department, which receives updates from the City of Cleveland agencies, other law enforcement agencies and the National Weather Service regarding upcoming weather.

Facility teams then assess campus conditions and determine what can reasonably be addressed, such as “ensuring that sidewalks are cleared and that campus facilities are generally able to handle the pressures of the weather,” Provost Sridhar said.

A recommendation is ultimately made by a group that includes the Chief of CSU Police Department, the Chief of CSU Facilities Management, Chief Administrative Officer and provost. This recommendation also includes consideration of the timing of the semester and how it will affect current classes and coursework. 

That recommendation is then shared with President Laura Bloomberg, Ph.D., who makes the final decision on whether to close or delay opening the campus.

Sridhar said campus delays and closures are only considered when specific inclement weather thresholds are met, as defined by the university. 

“So, generally, if the campus is inaccessible because of heavy snow, and/or if the sustained wind chill is -15 degrees Fahrenheit – those are the things that will trigger campus closure,” the provost said. 

While the university has received feedback from students, most of it negative on social media, Sridhar emphasized that campus safety and academic responsibility remain the university’s top priorities. 

“We take feedback into account for sure, but the decisions that we make keep the safety of our campus community foremost, in terms of our people being able to get to campus safely,” Dr. Sridhar said. “Our responsibility to students is to make sure that they have the appropriate amount of instructional time in their class.”