On Wednesday, February 5, the National Weather Service announced a severe weather warning for the McLean County area for freezing rain, but IWU did not cancel class or enact any winter weather precautions.
The same day, ISU closed the school at 4:30 p.m., citing inclement winter weather conditions. IWU Physical Plant spread salt on the main campus sidewalks.
“I think a good benchmark for the university is when all of the other school districts and universities in the area are also closing for the weather,” Senior Lacey Hodge said.
“As a residential campus, closures for weather are rare,” Dean of Students Karla Carney-Hall said. “Our focus for any university closure is that the weather presents a significant safety hazard.”
In the winter of 2024, one student suffered serious injury after falling on the sidewalk during an ice storm. While the student was on their way to the Campus Safety ride assistance, they had fallen.
“Campus Safety is always here to ensure the well-being of the faculty, staff and students by being available to immediately offer aid and assistance to anyone who may get injured due to weather,” the Campus Safety office said. “We can always be called to report any weather related issue, as we can then contact Physical Plant.”
“I think we can handle a little cold and ice, because Physical Plant does salt really well,” Senior commuter Nick Gryl said.
Senior Hannah Kocar, a commuter, pointed out that IWU rarely closes in inclement weather. “The day that the wind chill was 20 degrees below zero, we should not have had class,” she said.
“In the email that the university sent, they explicitly said to avoid being outdoors. We cannot avoid being outdoors when we’re walking to class.”
Senior Rowan Danou was unconcerned about IWU’s winter weather policy. “As long as the heat is running, the paths are clear and the plows in town keep up, I see no reason to close,” he said. “Maybe I’m just a Wisconsinite.”
“If it’s multiple tens of degrees below zero, I feel like the walk is bad enough, especially commuters who already have a lack of parking available,” Gryl said.
For commuters and residential students worried about attending class in inclement weather, Dean Carney-Hall recommended contacting professors. “If the University is open, students should follow the class absence policy for each class or reach out to their professor about any policy exceptions due to weather,” she said.
“Not everyone lives right next to campus buildings and they have a longer walk,” Kocar said. “It’s cold and unsafe.”
Carney-Hall emphasized the importance of safe winter weather gear, preparing one’s vehicle for below-zero temperatures and staying on salted sidewalks even if the walk is inconvenient.
“We’re in the Midwest, we can handle some snow,” Danou said.