Snow storm causes postponements and cancelations

SOU campus weathers snow storm

This week’s snow and freezing temperatures have resulted in all SOU classes, events and activities being canceled for two consecutive days, and also for a variety of events later in the week being postponed or canceled.

Affected events include the women’s and men’s basketball double-header that has been moved from tonight to Wednesday night; the indefinite postponement of the Campus Theme lecture “Peeking Behind the Veil” that had been scheduled for Wednesday night and the “Creating a Culture of Care” behavioral health dialogue that was scheduled for Thursday; and the first-ever cancellation of a Preview Day for prospective students and their families, which was planned for Friday.

As much as six inches of snow has accumulated on and near the SOU campus this week, with driving and walking conditions remaining hazardous. The National Weather Service is forecasting additional snow at times throughout the remainder of the week, although precipitation amounts are expected to decrease and temperatures are predicted to rise somewhat.

Additional updates on the status of classes at SOU are likely as information becomes available. The Hawk Dining Commons has operated as normal during the inclement weather.

The basketball double-header against Oregon Tech is now scheduled to be played on Wednesday at Lithia Motors Pavilion, with the women’s game at 5:30 p.m. and the men’s game at 7:30 p.m. Those who purchased tickets for tonight will be able to use them for the rescheduled games.

This week’s Campus Theme lecture, “Peeking Behind the Veil,” is expected to be rescheduled for a later date. Dr. Fred Grewe, a recently retired chaplain, will share his thoughts about how religion helps shape people’s experiences of reality.

The behavioral health dialogue, “Creating a Culture of Care,” had been planned for Thursday in the Hannon Library and is also expected to be rescheduled. Participants in that event will have opportunities to join breakout groups on a variety of topics.

Friday’s previously scheduled Preview Day has been canceled, but another Preview Day is planned for April 11. The SOU Admissions Office events occur a few times each year and are opportunities for prospective freshman and transfer students, and their families, to experience the SOU campus, tour the residence halls, explore facilities and meet with faculty members.

SOU leaders have emphasized throughout the current weather event that the safety of students and employees is the university’s top priority. Maintenance crews are working to reduce hazards, but those who must be on campus have been urged to be cautious.

Students and employees are encouraged to sign up for weather and other emergency notifications through both the city of Ashland’s NIXLE alert system and SOU Alerts, which allows users to manage and customization notifications. Southern Oregon radio and television stations can also be monitored for up-to-date weather conditions.