Updated: Camosun College campuses are closed today, Wednesday, February 13.
Updated: Camosun College campuses are closed today, Tuesday, February 12.
On Monday, February 11, just after 6:30 am, Camosun College announced that both campuses would be open despite snowfall overnight continuing into today and Saanich Police urging people to not drive if at all possible.
Camosun students took to social media in protest of the college’s decision to open. The Facebook post where the college announced that campuses would remain open today has 188 comments as of 2:07 pm, most of which are students voicing their concern.
Adrian Johnson wrote that “It is unfair to students that classes are still in session since we are in midterm season. Those that are unable to attend… will be missing out on midterm review classes and new content.”
Gwendolyn O’Connor said, “What about students who have disabilities, eh? Thanks Camosun.”
Taylor Westendale said “This is such a joke… I live in the middle of [M]etchosin and I’m not going to risk my safety to make it to campus when snow is suppose[d] to continue all day. Do you even consider those of us who live in [M]etchosin, [S]ooke, [H]ighlands etc…”
Johnson went on to say that because some students are unable to attend class and are potentially missing out on midterm review having the college open does not “uphold the college’s commitment to equity and equality in learning” and said that placing the onus on students to get to class safely “shows a reckless disregard for student safety.”
Camosun vice president of student experience Joan Yates urges students to not come in if they feel unsafe, and says the college monitors changes in transit and weather conditions closely, as well as messages from the Saanich Police. Yates says “the biggest factor by far” is whether or not Camosun’s facility services staff deem it safe to be on and get to campus. They were working to determine that as early as 4 am, says Yates, and they concluded that it was.
When asked about the fact that Saanich Police recommended people to stay off the roads, Yates says, “I don’t know the timing of that, and so I would have to get back to our Facilities folks.” (Saanich PD sent out a media release at 5:33 pm on Sunday night “advising motorists to stay off the roads, and if travel is necessary, winter tires or chains are required.”)
Yates says that the college is “really aware that people are deeply, deeply frustrated and upset.”
“We know that. We absolutely know that, and we’re really sorry about that; no question,” says Yates, adding that student safety is “paramount to us.”
“If they’re feeling unsafe, don’t come in,” she says. “Absolutely. And we would not want to jeopardize that. I hear that very, very clearly.”
Yates says the complaints are substantial and that the college is “taking it seriously.”
“We make the best decision we can when we have the information at hand,” says Yates. “Right now, we’re clear.”
Camosun College Student Society (CCSS) executive director Michel Turcotte says that the CCSS realizes it was a very hard decision for the college to make.
“We think the college made the best decision they could given the information that they had,” he says, “given that UVic and Royal Roads remained open.”
Saanich Police public information officer Julie Fast says the Saanich Police don’t control what organizations such as the college do in these situations.
“Our primary concern is safety on the roads, and with the road conditions as they are today, this is what we’re recommending,” says Fast. “It’s not a directive; it’s not that we’re shutting down the city of Saanich.”
Fast says it is not finable to drive without snow tires or chains.
“If you need to drive, we’re asking you to just be very conscious; make sure you’re prepared. If you don’t need to go anywhere, it’s best just to take a snow day and stay at home.”
Yates says that in regard to students who are concerned about missing midterm tests or preparation, that is handled on a class-by-class basis, and that the decision is largely left to the instructor.
“Our expectation is that faculty… will be making some decisions about that,” says Yates, but she calls that “a speculative thing.”
“I mean, again, if we close, there may be impacts on that as well,” says Yates. “We’re really reluctant to short-change students of their classes and their class time.”
Turcotte says that part of what needs to be balanced is where students live: if the college remains open, there are still students who could make it to the main campuses, he says.
“One thing our members should remember is that if the college should close, those instructional hours are not reassigned at some later point. They’re just lost,” he says. “So either way, those members are missing something they paid for. One of the reasons I’m sure it was hard for the college to make that decision is, if you look at a demographic map of where the students live, quite a few of them live reasonably close to, for example, Lansdowne, and those transportation corridors were open. We fully understand that if you’re coming from parts of the Saanich Peninsula, or Highlands, or Sooke, you’re in a different situation. But there are a reasonable number of students who could access at least the main campuses of the college today. So it’s balancing that issue.”
More snow is expected to fall tonight. There have been reports of crews attending to emergencies as needed throughout Saanich, according to the Saanich Police.
“We want everyone to remain safe,” says Turcotte. “I think the worst in this case is yet to come, because there’s forecast for for even more snow tonight, so I’d be watching all the appropriate Facebook and Twitter and other feeds tomorrow to get a better idea of what the situation is going to be on the campuses.”
At 1:34, the college announced that classes will be cancelled tonight effective 3:30 pm, and buildings closed at 4 pm.