On Sunday evening Boston University students received a flurry of emails and text messages from BU Alert and BU Housing and Dining about the university’s preparations for Hurricane Sandy.
Many of the steps were realistic and necessary. The university decided to cancel classes Monday, which was appropriate because students should not have to risk their safety to attend class. Also, some professors travel long distances to teach and probably would have cancelled their classes even if the university had not.
BU Housing and Dining also sent an email to students with tips on how to prepare for the storm such as to unplug electronics and move papers and books away from windows. It was important the university provided students with this information because some students hail from landlocked states and have never dealt with hurricanes before.
However, the BU Housing and Dining email was sent a couple of hours before BU announced its decision to cancel classes. The Housing and Dining email confused and frustrated students because it seemed to send the message, prepare for the worst but expect to attend classes tomorrow.
For what it’s worth, BU probably wanted to take time to analyze the severity of the storm before deciding to cancel classes. It is very easy to blow weather incidents out of proportion, and BU did not want to cancel class unnecessarily. Some people looked at the city of New York and the numerous precautions it was taking and became concerned that BU was not doing enough to prepare. However, Boston is located farther north than New York City. The hurricane is going to affect Boston differently than it does New York.
Still, BU should have been a little more forthcoming with its announcement to cancel classes. Mayor Thomas Menino announced Sunday afternoon that all public schools would be closed Monday and that “non-essential city employees” should remain at home, according to a statement on the city of Boston’s website. BU should have issued its statement shortly after the city’s, not several hours later. If the city determined it was unsafe for people to go to school or work, BU should have assumed as much for its own community.
The university’s formation of a hurricane task force also seems unnecessary. The city of Boston operates without one. It seems like of waste of time and resources for BU, a body much smaller than the city of Boston, to have a weather-related task force.
While BU was correct in its decision to cancel classes Monday, it’s handling of the situation leading up to the cancellation left much to be desired.
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