To the Editor:

The Commuter Student Association would like to address the administration of Saint Louis University and the university community as a whole regarding the school closing policy for snow and inclement weather. After doing some research, to the best of our knowledge, the last time the University was closed for an official snow day was during the blizzard of 1983. While school closures should not be prompted by just any circumstances, certain situations do warrant the closing of the University.

We have had two of those instances so far this school year. The first one occurred shortly after Thanksgiving, and to its credit, SLU did close two hours early on Thursday and open two hours late on Friday. All the same, many professors cancelled classes due to their own inability to come to the campus, and even the NCAA College Cup was delayed because of the snow and ice on the soccer field. The second instance occurred this Tuesday, when St. Louis City accumulated nearly three inches of snow and one inch of ice during the time that many faculty and students were traveling to the University campus. The evening classes were not cancelled, at a time when many of the main roads were unsuitable for driving and had not even been cleared by Wednesday. During both instances, several major highways around the St. Louis area were closed, making travel that much more difficult.

We believe it is important for the university to realize that about 20 percent of its students drive a significant distance-during rush hours, we might add-to commute to SLU and back home every day, with another 20% living off campus but near by. Even students living in Reinert Hall have to walk uphill to the Frost Campus for their classes, and sidewalk conditions were extremely dangerous. Furthermore, faculty and staff are also required to drive to campus in order to teach and fulfill their daily jobs.

We feel that it is unjust and dangerous to require these students, faculty, and staff to risk their well-being on occasions like these. It shows a certain disregard for the concerns of commuter students and the segment of the university community that does not live on campus. Therefore, we recommend that the Saint Louis University administration reconsider its school closing policy, for the protection of the substantial part of the university community that is adversely affected by the current system.

Commuter Student Association
Saint Louis University