(HELENA BOLOGNA/The Daily Campus)
President R. Gerald Turner discussed the weather policy and fall 2011 enrollment with SMU’s Faculty Senate meeting Wednesday afternoon.
Turner discussed the inclement weather policy while addressing the responses from students and faculty, specifically due to the reversal of the decision to hold classes on Wednesday, Feb. 9.
Turner explained the process for canceling school. A committee of administrators that includes Vice President for Business and Finance Chris Casey, Associate Vice President Bill Detwiler, Vice President for Development and External Affairs Brad Cheves and Chief Rick Shafter consult before President R. Gerald Turner makes the final decision.
Once the decision is made, SMU sends out a campus-wide e-mail and posts the decision on the SMU website.
The decision to close school last Thursday was decided around 6:30 a.m., which meant the final decision was not accessible to students and faculty until almost 7 a.m.
The late notice that SMU would be closed caused a campus-wide uproar.
Turner apologized for the late decision that inconvenienced commuters who were already on the road.
“Literally, we can’t do it too early or too late,” Turner said. “That Thursday (morning) was too late, no doubt about it.”
While students and faculty were upset with the late e-mail, English professor Jasper Neel expressed his concern with the tone of the e-mail.
“The only mistake pertained to the e-mail Wednesday,” Neel said. “It was strangely worded—faculty was expected to be there.”
Turner responded that their main concern was to send an e-mail in a timely matter and to get the facts straight.
Christine Buchanan, a biology professor, said the most frightening part of having SMU remain open was not the drive to campus, but rather the walk from the parking garages to the classrooms.
In response to Buchanan, Turner said, “The unintended consequences are almost overwhelming.”
He furthered saying that the ER sees more SMU students on days that SMU closes because “students are out and about rather than on campus.”
Turner also addressed where applications numbers stood currently and how it would affect enrollment numbers for fall 2011.
Turner said SMU is “on track from an application stand point” since the number of applications have increased from last year.
With a 4,000 application increase from the 9,000 applications last year, SMU is looking for scholarship support in order to maximize enrollment, as well as provide scholarships for President and Hunt scholars.
“Turner also discussed other big topics for the spring, which included the SACS visit the first week in April as well as the centennial celebration April 15-17. In regards to the SACS visit,” Turner said, “It’s an important thing for us to take seriously and work with these individuals.”
