Mahar stands behind class cancellation policy
It was a snowy day. Other schools in the area had already closed and Lodi Preisler
was waiting to see if she would have•her 3:30 class. She waited. Two o'clock,
2:15, 2:30. . .still no cancellation. After cleaning off her car, Preisler trekked to
school. She finally arrived at 3:35. Sure, she was late, but she was alive. At 3:45,
Penn State decided to cancel class. Preisler had just made a trip to school for ten
minutes of instruction.
Many students have been in this situation before, not knowing what the weather
will• bring and more importantly what Penn State will do about it
"You're in limbo," said Josh Yeckley, education. "If you
have a 3:30 p.m. class they should let you know by 2:00
p.m. Some people have to drive over an hour to get here."
Dr. William Mahar, associate provost and senior associate
dean for academic affairs, said the decision to open or
close school lies in the hands of a "storm team." The team
consists of several department heads and Penn State staff.
"Since the Provost and Dean is the chief executive officer
of the College, she makes all the decisions, but she has del
egated some responsibilities to the "storm team" because
such designations are commonly used by local and region
al news media," said Mahar.
Helen Casner, management, said the problem she has with
the snow situation is similar to other students's concerns.
"If Harrisburg weather is better than Juanita, Mifflin, Hazelton, 'or Wilkes-Barre
areas, [Penn State Harrisburg] does not close or delay," she said.
Mahar said,"Students who say that Penn State Harrisburg does not cancel class
es are wrong. The University Will take every measure necessary to protect the
health and safety of its students and employees."
Mahar explained the general principle governing all decisions to close is that stu
dents must be notified at least two hours before a regularly scheduled class period
because that is what Police Services calculated as the maximum driving distance
for most students.
However, in Preisler's case, this was difficult since the college decided to close
school early.
According to Penn State's Inclement Weather Guidelines found at
http://www.hbg.psu.edu/hbg/weather.html, "the primary function of the college is
Health Services provides convenient remedy for sick students
It is time for biology and you have a headache, but you forgot your headache
medicine. Fortunately, the Health Care Service Center has a packet of Advil.
Located on the first floor of Olmsted, the Health Care Service Center has a variety
of services to satisfy most medical needs.
The center provides videos, pamphlets, and contraceptives in the waiting room
and employs a physician and a nurse that provide medical assistance.
Marylou Martz, coordinator for Student Health Services, said, "Students can
access a doctor twenty-four seven if they need to. "If you call me at five in the
morning, you receive a message and it will give you a number to call." The reg
istry will take the call and the physician will return the student's call.
The Health Service Center provides new student orientation and annual flu shots.
Martz e-mails information to students about up-coming events. Martz said some
students do not always check their e-mails and are unaware of the Health Service
Center..
The waiting area, where most students visit, offers over-the-counter medications
and health pamphlets. Students are allowed to watch videos while waiting to see
the physician or nurse. Students may also use the sick bay area if an illness per
sists.
"Students are not allowed to use the sick bay as a place to get over hangovers,"
said Martz
Studentswho receive treatment are kept track of by a daily log that is filled out
after the session. Students can also evaluate the services they receive and remain
strictly anonymous.
A confidential file is maintained on each student's medical history. The only peo-
By RACHEL SHEPHERD
Assistant Editor
By GLORIA LONG
Staff Reporter
to provide a full 14.75 weeks of high quality instruction during the academic year.
These guidelines describe how the Harrisburg campus will notify faculty, staff,
and students if inclement or dangerous weather occurs or develops prior to and/or
during the normal business day."
Casner also said some teachers will hold classes if school is open while other
chose to cancel class.
"It is not easy to travel over an hour to school for one class that is one hour and
15 minutes long. Administration needs to realize that not all students live on cam
pus or the Harrisburg area, in fact many of us travel an hour or more to get to
class."
According to Penn State's weather policy, if a faculty member does decide to can
cel class, he/she must notify students through telephone trees, e-mail lists, instant
messaging, or any other appropriate means.
These arrangements, which must be approved in
writing by the School Director, should appear in
the course syllabus.
Mahar said there are some financial implications
related to closing the campus. He said some
"essential" technical services employees may be
required to register for work; those individuals
are notified of their status by the Manager of
Human Resources.
pensation [overtime] in accordance with the pro
visions of the contracts between Penn State University and the International
Brotherhood of Teamsters, the labor organization representing most of the
University's technical service employees."
Housing and Food Services, may also be affected by decisions to close the cam
pus. Staff exempt and non-exempt employees may also be affected by such deci
sions in accordance with their rights under the Fair Labor Standards Act, which
applies to employees at Penn State University, according to Mahar.
Staff members assure that the college is doing its best for students. Sue Hipple,
staff assistant in science.and technology, said she was actually surprised the cam
pus opened at noon rather than 10 a.m. last Tuesday. "Usually we never open that
late," she said.
Mahar said,"PSH has cancelled classes during every major weather emergency
for the last two years. I encourage the students who missed the announcements to
consult the weather policy or the University's public records."
pie who have access to the files
are the staff assistant and the
nurse. Patient information can
only be released with a student's
written consent.
Students can also purchase
health insurance depending on
their needs and student status.
International students are required
by the college to get health insur
ance.
Student Health Service makes
referrals for specialists, dentists
and STD and HIV testing.
Students may also receive a blood Eric Thomas looks at the medi
pressure screening, weight, height cine offered in the self-care area
and vision testing.
The scale for taking weight is in the waiting area. "Students like to check out
their weight," Martz said, it is convenient for the student.
Student Health Services must follow Penn State guidelines and
the center is assessed annually by risk management.
The waiting area is open 8 a.m to 8 p.m Monday-Thursday and Friday 8 a.m.
to 8 p.m. The office hours are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tuesday-Friday. The clinic operates by appointment only from 8:30 a.m. to 10
a.m. Tuesday and Thursday.
Martz said that the Health Service Center is only available to students.
"Such employees would receive additional com-
photo by Peter Strella