I have been a student at SMU since 2003. Over the past eight years, I have been appalled by SMU’s approach to inclement weather. With the recent “snowmageddon,” in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, I have gone from appalled to downright outraged. During my years at SMU, there have been countless occasions when all school districts and universities in DFW are closed, while SMU remains open.

President R. Gerald Turner and the rest of the SMU administration who make the decisions regarding inclement weather do not give enough thought to those of us who are commuters. I believe they view SMU students as being in the protected bubble of on-campus living. Indeed, much of SMU’s student population lives on campus, in a dorm or sorority/fraternity house and can roll out of bed 15 minutes before class starts and (cautiously) walk. President Turner himself lives a mere few blocks from campus.

However, a great deal of SMU’s students and faculty are commuters. Approximately 10,000 students commute in their own vehicles while, according to greenreportcard.org, another 20% of SMU students commute to campus via alternative methods, such as public transportation.

While attempting to drive from my home from Colleyville to campus on Feb. 3, my son’s third birthday, I spun on a patch of ice and smashed into a guardrail with my son in the car. On Feb. 9, I stepped out of my car, slipped on a patch of ice and bashed the back of my head against the concrete.

Although SMU eventually closed the campus on Feb. 3, the administration’s original intention was for the school to be open, as stated in the mass e-mail sent the evening before. The campus was open on Feb. 9; Texas Christian University, The University of Texas at Arlington and The University of North Texas, to name a few, were all closed.

Commuters are not the only ones in danger. A young lady in two of my journalism courses fell and injured her arm while attempting to walk to class in the snow and ice; she later received stitches and is currently wearing a sling. According to the SMU Daily Mustang news site, students are openly expressing their displeasure with SMU on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, as well as on local television stations. Students have even posted photos on Twitter of injuries they sustained while trying to make it to and around campus.

I dislike missing school and getting behind on course material just as much as the next person. However, I would rather get behind on my schoolwork than risk my safety. I urge President Turner, Provost Paul W. Ludden, and the SMU police department to take the same approach to inclement weather as other universities and school districts in the area. After all, if students and faculty cannot make it to class safely, what is the point of having class in the first place?

Shelby Miller is a senior journalism major. She can be reached for comments or questions at [email protected].