Curtailed operations: When and why

By Lori Wright, Media Relations

If a snowstorm is swirling off shore and forecasters predict the Seacoast may get walloped, even the most hearty of New Englanders – folks who are used to living in snow country – may wonder, “Will UNH curtail operations?”

The decision to cancel classes and close the university is a well thought out one that includes the weighing of multiple factors, and consultation with those with the most reliable information about impending weather conditions. It is also a decision that is made several hours in advance of the actual curtailment to enable good communication of the decision. Given the uncertainty and variability in weather conditions, this adds to the challenge.

So how does UNH decide when to curtail operations?

According to Candace Corvey, vice president for finance and administration, -- who makes the final recommendation about curtailed operations -- UNH’s goal is to keep the university open and running, but when a storm is predicted such that safety of faculty, staff, and students may be in question, the administration takes into account current and expected conditions of roads, parking lots and sidewalks on campus, in Durham and in the communities immediately surrounding the campus. Information from Facilities and Transportation Services, the National Weather Service and State Police is weighed.

If a storm occurs overnight, UNH tries to make its decision by 4 a.m., which means Corvey is seeking information from Facilities and other information sources about conditions that will occur in three to four hours.

“We work very hard to make the right calls at the right time, and we debrief after each storm. Still no matter what we do and when we do it, we will have some subset of UNH angry with us. In fact, with rare exceptions, I get complaints of equal numbers after each weather situation from people who think we should have curtailed and people who think we should not have done so,” Corvey said. “Weather prediction is imperfect and UNH is leanly staffed. We do our very best, but I know there are times when it doesn't look that way.”

UNH is less likely to curtail operations when classes are in session and students are living in the residence halls. The university is even less likely to cancel classes when exams are in session because of the extreme difficulty of rescheduling exams. “In other words, the very same storm (if there were such a thing) might cause curtailment of some sort during winter break but not when class is in session,” Corvey said.

UNH also is less likely to close than area primary schools. Unlike K-12 schools, UNH does not have the option to extend its school year into the summer. In addition, area schools also do not have half of their student body living on campus.

UNH is more likely to curtail operations on a weekday than a weekend, since there is far less traffic on campus during the weekend. And if the decision is made to cancel classes during the week, UNH tries to sync it with class schedules so that no class begins or ends midway during the curtailment process.

“We take into account the extent to which the storm is producing icing (we are more likely to curtail for ice than a few inches of snow) and the extent to which it is expected to produce poor visibility at drive time,” Corvey said.

Some faculty, staff and students commute from areas that may experience more severe weather conditions, and as a result the administration encourages people to make smart and safe choices for themselves given the conditions they face.

If employees cannot make it to campus because of weather-related issues, and UNH has not curtailed operations, they can use vacation or earned time. There also may be some jobs that lend themselves to working at home, which could be an option, with prior supervisory permission, Corvey said.

Even if classes are canceled, athletic events may not be. Intercollegiate athletics makes its own decisions and announcements about canceling athletic contests since each situation requires an agreement between the home team and the traveling team and is not a unilateral UNH call.

The only employees who do work during curtailed operations are those deemed “essential personnel.” Each department determines which of the roles it carries out are essential to the operations of a residential campus regardless of weather. Many of those considered essential personnel work in facilities, dining, police/security, and CIS.

Working during a snowstorm is challenging, but Corvey said she has never received a complaint from anyone deemed essential. “They are all dedicated folks who know what their role means for the basic infrastructure workings of the campus,” she said.

Every effort is made to clean sidewalks and parking lots after a storm, but there are times when faculty and staff may arrive to find work crews have not reached their buildings. Corvey said if an entrance seems safely passable with caution, employees should use the entrance, but if it does not seem safe, they should use another entrance if possible.