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<DOCID>Class_Cancellation_Confuses_Many.doc.txt</DOCID>
<AUTHOR>Doug Anger</AUTHOR>
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On Friday, November 3, LSSU experienced its first closing of the semester due to inclement weather. The Soo Evening News reported a number of minor mishaps, and slippery-road induced mishaps, including two crashes near the campus of LSSU. All classes before 10 AM were canceled because of the snow and ice that had accumulated overnight, but many students arrived for classes as usual, unaware of the cancellation.

University policy is that every effort will be made to get public announcements out by 5:30 AM in the event of a closing, but the only information most students got from the University was on the LSSU website, which many do not check on a daily basis. Neither 9&10 News nor TV 7&4 received any notice of the canceled classes and the email message intended for all students only went to faculty and a handful of other accounts.

There are four types of university closings, each with its own procedures:

In the event of a total university closing, all classes, games, business activities, et cetera, will be canceled from 6 AM to 10 PM. Employees not considered essential personnel should not report to work. Essential personnel include dining services, grounds, security, and health center employees. Other employees can also be considered essential. See the link at the end of this article for the official university policy. 

If the University opens late, as happened Friday, students and staff should report at the opening time. In Fridays case, that was 10 AM. Essential personnel may still have to come in at the normal time.

The University can also be closed early, allowing students and non-essential employees to leave.

The University can cancel classes during a specified time period, as reportedly almost happened during last Fridays power outage. In that case, games and other activities continue as usual and employees must report to work.

University Policy regarding class cancellation and closings can be found online at http://www.lssu.edu/procedures/4-9-6.php.

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