CRC Closed, Med Campus Open Until 4 p.m.

Boston University Charles River Campus
February 1, 2015
91
Twitter Facebook

Updated, 4:13 p.m. Monday: Updates are in bold below.

As the second winter storm in one week threatens to dump between 8 and 14 inches of snow on eastern Massachusetts, University leaders have decided to close the Charles River Campus on Monday. The first round of the annual Men’s Beanpot Tournament has been moved to Tuesday, February 3, at TD Garden. BU takes on Harvard in the first game, at 5 p.m. The Women’s Beanpot Tournament will play as scheduled Tuesday, February 3, at Harvard, with BU going up against the Crimson in the second game, at 8 p.m.

A citywide parking ban went into effect as of 6 a.m. Monday morning.

Charles River Campus: Classes are canceled. When classes resume, it will be on the regular class schedule. Whether or how canceled classes are to be made up is at the discretion of individual faculty members.

Medical Campus: Closed at 4 p.m. Evening classes are canceled. This includes the BU School of Medicine, Graduate Medical Sciences, and the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine. All evening classes, patient clinics and activities are canceled. The BU School of Public Health canceled all classes and activities as of 1 p.m. today. 

Dining Services: All dining facilities will operate on a normal schedule. The School of Management’s Breadwinner and Starbucks are closed, as is Rize Café at 100 Bay State Road, Einstein’s Bagels, the Law Café, the BU Pub, and Health Blends at FitRec.

George Sherman Union: Open as usual.

Libraries: Mugar Memorial Library will be open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. for study space and basic services.

Fitness & Recreation Center: Open from 1 to 8 p.m. for informal recreation and exercise. All PERD classes, practices, and events are canceled.

Student Health Services: Student Health Services will open at 8:30 a.m. Monday and will be able to see students with urgent or emergent concerns only.

Bookstore: Barnes & Noble at Boston University will open at 9 a.m., and will close at 3 p.m. Call 617-267-8484 for additional information.

BU Shuttle (the BUS): Operating as usual. As a result of poor road conditions, there will be no large, articulate buses running the shuttle route. They will be replaced with nonwrapped coach-style buses. When this occurs, the GPS tracking is not available to be used by BUS patrons. Any delays in BUS service will be posted on the BUS website and tweeted from @BUShuttle.

Parking: Students, faculty, and staff on the Charles River Campus are urged to refrain from parking in any of the University’s outside lots so that these locations can be properly cleared and maintained. All University parking permit holders who are not parked within a covered/garaged facility should park in one of the following facilities (this includes departmental vehicles): Babcock Street garage; 808 Commonwealth Avenue garage; 575 Commonwealth Avenue garage; and 730 Commonwealth Avenue garage. These covered parking facilities will remain open throughout the storm. Once the campus has reopened, all vehicles should be returned to normal parking areas as soon as possible.

MBTA T Service and Commuter Rail: Operating on regular weekday schedule.

Club sports, intramural sports, and intramural travel are canceled for Monday. All other BU clubs and organizations scheduled to meet on campus will meet as usual. The Dance Spotlight with the Boston Ballet, scheduled for 7 p.m. tonight at the Tsai Performance Center, has been canceled.

Programs requiring Facilities support will operate on a case by case basis. Students should contact the Student Activities Office for more information.

The deadlines for adding classes for the spring 2015 semester and for MET registration are extended to Tuesday, February 3. The original deadline of Monday, February 2, for students who withdraw or take a leave of absence for the spring 2015 semester to be eligible for 80 percent cancellation of semester tuition charges is extended to February 3. This extension applies only to the standard tuition refund schedule.

University employees in essential services must report as scheduled. Essential services include, but are not limited to, Boston University Police, Facilities Management & Planning, Dining Services, Mail Services, Student Health Services, Environmental Health & Safety, and Network Services.

Because the wind chill will drop temperatures below zero, students are advised to stay indoors. If it is necessary to go outside, do not walk on roadways and stay off the ice on the Charles River.

BU Today invites event coordinators to post cancellations in the Comment section below.

  • Share this story
  • 91 Comments Add

Share

CRC Closed, Med Campus Open Until 4 p.m.

Share

Comments & Discussion

Boston University moderates comments to facilitate an informed, substantive, civil conversation. Abusive, profane, self-promotional, misleading, incoherent or off-topic comments will be rejected. Moderators are staffed during regular business hours (EST) and can only accept comments written in English. Statistics or facts must include a citation or a link to the citation.

There are 91 comments on CRC Closed, Med Campus Open Until 4 p.m.

  2. Again BUMC is open while CRC is open. It’s one thing if you’re on the clinical side (i.e. BMC) — that totally makes sense that you’d be there and BMC makes appropriate accommodations. One could close BUMC, but let those know who have clinical obligations that they’re still required to come in.
    On the other hand, many (most?) of us who work on BUMC have nothing to do with the clinical/patient care side and it’s incredibly frustrating having to risk coming in or take a sick day… It’s especially frustrating when we work closely with our colleagues at CRC who won’t be in the office.

    Reply
    Link

    2. I will preface this by stating that it it is only speculation, so don’t take it as fact or anything …

      It might be that there is too much red tape in the way to close BUMC and still require some people to come in.
      Or, and this is probably opening a can of worm, is it possible that if BUMC closes there some overtime pay that comes into play for a significant number of people? I remember at my undergraduate university (not BU), they avoided closing if at all possible because they had to pay the hospital staff time-and-a-half if the school closed other than for school breaks (they also scheduled things like “mid-fall break” to avoid giving holidays).

      Reply
      Link

    3. Yes! I agree. It’s not any less inconvenient or dangerous for anyone commuting to the med campus, and yes, many of us are truly “non-essential.” Also runs counter to the “One BU” message that we are meant to embrace.

      Reply
      Link

    5. I’ve always assumed that it was because of the medical side of things having to stay open and so they focus on keeping the area accessible, unlike CRC.

      I think it would likely make more sense to institute a ‘use your best judgment’ if this is the case, though. I’m sure it’s very frustrating for all of you who are not on the clinical/essential sides of things, though, especially considering where you are coming from is likely not as cleared as the medical area (which I think is more of a concern).

      Reply
      Link

    6. What I’d like to see addressed is that many of us on the med campus have to use our vacation time, TIME WE EARNED TO USE AS WE WISH, if we want to stay home while CRC enjoys being closed every time it is dangerous to come in, and they don’t lose money for it. Stop penalizing the BUMC non-essential employees. This is VERY EASY TO DO. You close the campus except for essential services, and students in the Med and Dental programs if you truly feel that here is where they will learn that their profession doesn’t take a snow day. Then all the employees are being treated the same way. That said, I cannot believe this place was open on Monday. I had the day off, luckily, but we received record snowfall in 7 days and BU could care less about it’s employees on the med campus. This makes me certain that BU would rather it’s med campus employees end up in a fatal accident than choose to be fair and consider the safety of all BU employees. This is NOT ONE BU until this happens. All you need BU, is one fatal accident and a lawsuit to show you treat your BUMC employees without any care to their safety because someone on the MED campus can’t be bothered to think beyond themself. It’s waiting to happen.

      Reply
      Link

        1. i think that when CRC is closed and BMC is open… BMC people should be allotted a paid comp day. if you choose not to risk the travel-and it’s approved by your supervisor… you can take that comp day on the snow day… or, come in-and save it for later.

          Reply
          Link

      1. CFA just announced that they will be closed today with no swipe access to the building. At least that’s the email music majors just got about the practice rooms.

        Reply
        Link

        1. Mailrooms in residence halls are closed during emergency closings, and direct delivery to the residence halls of packages/letters by USPS, UPS, FedEx etc. are usually delivered the following day. The mailroom staff at residence halls are not Mail Services staff.

          Reply
          Link

  6. Feel the same frustration as you, BUMC employee. The message in my email also says ” we understand that travel will still be difficult Monday and everyone is encouraged to exercise all necessary caution during travel to campus. Anyone who needs to change their work schedule due to unsafe travel conditions in their local area or due to other circumstances (e.g., childcare exigencies) should be in contact with their direct supervisor.” Clearly recognition that traveling to campus will be unsafe and brutal, yet the campus/classes are still open/on. Rediculous. I, too, would appreciate an explanation.

    Reply
    Link

  7. Will the deadline to add a class postpone?i need to get the consent of CAS Academic Advising Office via email and I am afraid that they may not reply my email tomorrow since the school is closed

    Reply
    Link

  10. The person in charge of Mugar Library has lately made a lot bad decisions when it comes to keeping the library open ( Random hours) during the blizzard/storm. It is extremely dangerous for some of the employees to report to work especially when the library is open with “basic” services only. Majority of the students utilize Mugar for print and IT services – which are closed during snow storms. All of the other libraries on campus are closed because their administrations care about their workers. Most of these employees live far away and it’s extremely dangerous for them to report to work when the rest of the “campus” is closed. I don’t know if it’s worth impressing the provost/President at the expense of employees.

    Reply
    Link

  13. Anyone complaining about having to work on one campus while another is closed needs to grow up. That fact that school is canceled is astonishing considering we live in the Northeast. Everyone in Boston is working today besides the schools. Consider it a luxury that work is canceled as frequently as it is. The only other place you’ll see that is if you work for the city.

    Reply
    Link

    1. Yes, we live and work in the Northeast and have to accept all that goes along with that. But that cuts both ways. Employers must also occasionally be put in the position of having to close. Cause of, you know, their concern for their employees. Unless of course, they are modeling their policies after the GOP “let ’em die” philosophy”.

      Reply
      Link

      1. “Grow up and stop complaining?” Not a very compelling argument. I guess that’s the Chris Christie school of disagreement: “shut up and sit down”.

        Reply
        Link

    3. I have worked for both (BUMC and the City) and attended BU. They do not cancelled “frequently”, not at least under the new mayor. The only reason people are complaining because one campus is closed and not the other is because the commutes are just as difficult for both campus.

      And yes most corporations are still open because life does move on but if they were to shut down one campus rather than another within close proximity i’m sure there will still be the same debate.

      Reply
      Link

      1. Exactly. We don’t close regularly. We don’t close so frequently that the last time we had a hurricane I came in, because I automatically assumed BU does not care at all about the safety of its employees.

        Likely those saying to “grow up” don’t work over here, don’t know how difficult it is to get here because they are pampered with employee parking and the T runs right by their office. How about YOU grow up, and stop complaining when people have a legitimate reason to be upset. We’re losing pay if we stay home when you get to stay home for free. Wouldn’t YOU complain if BU had it’s hand in your pocket every time it snowed heavily, and you only other option is to risk your safety? You would. So can it!

        Reply
        Link

  14. I understand the hesitation to close the medical campus a third time in less than a week and I appreciate all of the BUSM/BMC facility&staff working around the clock to clear the roads and sidewalks. However, on my two hour commute this morning in dangerous conditions and nearly no visibility, I was disappointed to find that barely any of the roads (including the Mass Pike) around BMC have been cleared and there are no safe sidewalks or places to cross Albany street to get onto the BUSM campus. We knew how bad the storm was going to be, all the other public schools in the area have closed, most businesses that have the ability to are working remotely. I don’t mind coming to work on the medical campus, but as a non-essential student worker, I expect to be safe commuting and crossing the street. It is not safe to walk around the medical campus in dangerous conditions and poor visibility. I believe that student and worker safety should be the priority. Growing up in MA and having storms like this is familiar to me, but the roads and sidewalks need to be safe and cleared (on their way to being cleared) before students and staff are told to come in.

    Reply
    Link

  16. As much as we all love an unexpected day off, the cancelling of classes is inconvenient to both faculty and students. Clearly last Wednesday and today, classes should have remained “ON”, with non-essential employees allowed to stay home. Probably 90% of students live near the CRC, as do many faculty, and they could make their scheduled classes (even if a bit inconvenient). Would some faculty and students be unable to make it to class on such days? Of course. But to require ALL students and faculty to have to arrange make-up classes/labs/discussions, makes no sense.

    Reply
    Link

    2. It also takes me 45 minutes to commute (on a good day) by car, and it’s near impossible in storm conditions. I know students who commute by public transportation, and it takes them a good hour and a half in normal conditions. So I disagree, it would have been extremely unsafe for us to attend classes, and also unfair to have to “use our judgment” to determine whether it’s safe or not to leave our homes.

      Reply
      Link

      1. Although I have sympathy for your commute, even on a good day, and I admire your dedication to your education, I think we both would agree that you are probably in the minority of students on the CRC. I will admit that I do not know the exact percentage of undergraduates who live on or near campus, but I bet it is high, and I suspect we would also agree on that. If you read my comment, I acknowledged the inconvenience of bad weather for some students and faculty: “…probably 90% of students live near the CRC, as do many faculty, and they could make their scheduled classes. Would some faculty and students be unable to make it to class on such days? Of course.” If you could not make it to class on a given day (for whatever reason), I am certain that your instructor would make appropriate arrangements to make up or cover the material. The real question isn’t whether a given individual can or cannot make it to class on a given day, it is whether a reasonable number of students and faculty can make it to class. Again, I think we would agree on that. As I am sure you noticed, the University saw fit to open Fitrec on both last Wed and today, even though many students and faculty could not make it there.

        Reply
        Link

        1. The difference is, nobody was required to work out. With a student population as large as ours, even if 90% of students live on campus, that’s still a massive number of students who would not have been able to make it. The most I have ever gotten from a professor when I asked what I missed was to be told to “get the notes from another student”, which is not an acceptable substitute for attending class. I commute from Medford. Last week the MBTA was shut down during the storm and today the roads were completely covered in snow despite periodic plowing. I would not have been able to safely make it to class during the closings and I live closer than many commuters. However, I can’t afford to miss a class so I probably would have called a taxi service to make it there anyway. Consider the consequences of missing a day of class compared to the consequences of forcing people to commute in unsafe conditions. Bottom line, it is unfair to put students in the position of having to choose between their safety and their education. BU made the right call.

          Reply
          Link

    3. This may be true of the undergraduates (as you note in a comment below), but CRC includes many graduate students as well. I would imagine the number of graduate students living farther away is higher. There are also many faculty and staff members who live far away.

      When a school decides to remain open, skipping a class (even for the weather) hurts the student, who misses material, is given little to no sympathy, has the absence counted against them, etc. I’ve known students who came in through very poor and dangerous conditions due to having an important class or exam that they could not afford, academically, to miss.

      Reply
      Link

    4. non-essential employees are NOT allowed to stay home however, unless thier direct supervisor lets them. Otherwise, they lose vacation time if they want to stay home. This decision should not be left to each individual supervisor.

      Reply
      Link

  17. Dear Boston University,

    I believe it is time that BU retires the “One BU” moniker. This is not only because of today’s decision to open the one campus, mearly 3.5 miles away, while closing the other due to snow. The division is clear amongst other “benefits” at Boston University. The CRC differentiates itself in salary (two different salaries for the same position, with CRC getting paid more), Faculty tenure (CRC faculty salaries are based on 9 months, BUMC salaries are based on 12 months), parking is astronomically different (yes, land is owned by BU at CRC, and leased at BUMC, but, BUMC employees pay nearly 3 times as much for parking), and the list goes on.

    I’ve worked for Boston University for a long time, and they have treated me well, and I have been good to them too. I am truely thankful for my job. My fear is for my fellow BUMC employees. I fear that something horrible will have to happen for equality (“MY” understanding of “One BU”) to be the norm. I fear someone will get injured and BU “may” have to own up to that, and finally make such decisions “equal”. By then, unfortunately, it will be too late.

    Now, I am not naive enough to believe that this is being done out of spite or ill-will, as I’m sure there were legitimate reason for opening the BU Medical Campus, nor do I claim to know the reasoning. I just think that it angers some employees, when they constantly feel “unequal”, and not like “One BU”.

    This is just one guy’s opinion. See you on Tuesday, BU.

    Thank you.

    (Please pardon any typos, as this was done while sitting in a parking lot, waiting for roads to clear, to get back to my house to continue working.)

    Reply
    Link

  18. http://www.bu.edu/hr/bu-life/campus-emergency/emergency-closing/

    Copied from this website:

    * Generally, the Boston University Medical Center has a “no close” policy and remains open during emergency closings. If the Boston University Medical Center is to be closed, or its schedule is altered due to emergency conditions, a separate announcement will be broadcast on the above stations.

    Also, the one BU thing is marketing and I’m usually one not to trust marketing (you know the shoe commercials that somehow make you win all your games or the deodorant that makes you irresistible) so I wouldn’t be too surprised to see that marketing phrase only go so far.

    Reply
    Link

    1. Well, in the first place, the Boston University Medical Center entity does’t exist. BUMC = Boston University Medical Campus. BU employees on BOTH campuses were hired by and are paid by the Trustees of Boston University. And as a university, it seems to me we ought to be in the business of making informed and rational decisions, because, you know, we’re in the education business. So, despite the many times this situation has come up, no one so far has offered a rational explanation as to why the two campuses operates under different SOPs for non-essential employees.

      Reply
      Link

  19. “Because the wind chill will drop temperatures below zero, students are advised to stay indoors. If it is necessary to go outside, do not walk on roadways and stay off the ice on the Charles River.”

    If essential personnel are mandated to report to work, BU should allow free garage parking.
    Trying to navigate the unshoveled sidewalks was horrendous this morning.
    Driving a car to work was out of the question because there is no where to park.
    Also,the city is urging people to NOT walk on the street!
    Can’t walk on the sidewalk, can’t walk on the street , can’t drive.
    How are we supposed to get to work?

    I agree with the suggestion that BU Today publish how these decisions are made and who makes them.

    Reply
    Link

    1. You sound utterly ridiculous. We have had 3 snow days! THREE! Which were cancelled for the safety of everyone involved! We still have another 100 something days! Seriously complain about something reasonable.

      Reply
      Link

      1. BU tuition(16 credits) for a semester is 22843$. There are closer to 80 school days in a semester but ill go by your number. This means that a day of school here costs $228.50. Maybe your family owns an Oil company based in Dubai or a Conglomerate in Asia but that is serious money for some people. 700$ worth of school-time lost in the past week… For a school that ends up costing people $240000, there is no way that it is acceptable for this to not be addressed. But if giving away your money so BU can keep its Millions of dollars of private roads clean while the Campus isn’t functioning is your cup of coffee, cant really say anything else to you.

        Reply
        Link

    2. I believe this was meant in a satirical manner. Although BU tuition is quite expensive, I do not think the student actually wants a reimbursement. Reading deeper into the comment, the second sentence may even be an allusion to the economic concept of ‘opportunity cost’, implying that the student could be working a part time job (as most people are working during these snowdays).
      But literary devices aside, BU should develop a plan to give students their tuition’s worth in these unexpected, remarkably dangerous snowdays.

      Reply
      Link

  21. Due to the continuing storm, Barnes & Noble at Boston University will be closing at 3 pm today. We will resume normal hour on Wednesday.

    Reply
    Link

    2. ISSO’s offices are closed today, but the deadline will be extended. Students are encouraged to check with ISSO as soon as they reopen for more information.

      Reply
      Link

      1. All indications say that BU will be open tomorrow, business as usual. If anything changes, BU Today will post a story. But at the moment there are absolutely no plans to close.

        Reply
        Link

    1. All indications say that BU will be open tomorrow, business as usual. If anything changes, BU Today will post a story. But at the moment there are absolutely no plans to close.

      Reply
      Link

      1. But it really looks like it will be impossible to get there tomorrow morning!! I have a class at 8 a.m and I don’t see how I will walk my way to the campus…

        Reply
        Link

    1. All indications say that BU will be open tomorrow, business as usual. If anything changes, BU Today will post a story. But at the moment there are absolutely no plans to close.

      Reply
      Link

  28. So, this storm seems to have a longer effect on us than the previous one, probably due to the wind. I don’t know about you guys but I do not think the commutes to class will be happy happy joy joy.

    Reply
    Link

  29. When will we be notified about Tuesday closings? I know the Boston Public Schools and most surrounding institutions have been cancelled. Just wondering… Especially for those who have early-morning commutes and 8 am classes.

    Reply
    Link

    1. As of this writing, the Charles River Campus and MED campus are expected to open as usual tomorrow morning on a regular schedule. Facilities Management is clearing sidewalks and parking lots throughout the night.

      Reply
      Link

      1. I believe Mr. O’Rourke already answered the question. The initial comment was not intended to be a platform for your trivial remarks, “Staff Member”. I suggest you comment elsewhere if all you can add are vacuous statements. Seriously.

        Reply
        Link

  30. It’s really bad out, the conditions are worse then the first storm and as of yet none of the roads on campus be cleared. Does anyone know if school is open tomorrow ? Thanks !

    Reply
    Link

  31. As a Bu Dental student, I really would love an explanation why school was open today. I had class from 9-5, and all but the 10-12 were cancelled. I go in at 9 like many of my classmates, who many come from far away to find out our professor could not make it in. Its dangerous drive in and I had to walk on the street in the middle of the blizzard.

    And I’m sure most of the patients cancelled anyways.

    Reply
    Link

  32. So, it’s almost 9pm. Will we hear if there are any closings for tomorrow before the night ends, or is it possible for BU to cancel classes tomorrow morning? It seems as the roads are worst now than the last storm. I was out during the last one and it was fine, but now the cars are sliding all over the street and there is no room for this snow. Just curious.

    Reply
    Link

    1. As of this writing, the Charles River Campus and MED campus are expected to open as usual tomorrow morning on a regular schedule. Facilities Management is clearing sidewalks and parking lots throughout the night.

      Reply
      Link

  33. I love reading everyone’s angry posts on this site. I can’t say I agree or disagree. But I will say that in the past, BU has opened on days that it had not been safe to walk through campus. Facilities does a great job, but with narrow, icy sidewalks, crosswalks not shoveled and bus stops buried, I would rather the university take the time to make it safe to navigate the campus.

    Students complaining about missing class… You have the syllabus, complete the readings, write down any questions you may have and ask your faculty member to clarify. I find that blackboard has eliminated the need of the majority of lecture in some classes. You will not miss enough lecture in one or two classes to have it negatively impact your overall experience in the class.

    Regardless of your feelings on the matter, I hope the university keeps the safety of its students and employees in mind.

    Reply
    Link

    1. This must depend on that subject matter. I agree that, for some classes, I can afford to miss one session, though even that makes things difficult for me. Plus, it puts some people at a disadvantage against others for something that is out of their control, which is what leads to some students dangerously commuting.

      However, for the vast majority of my classes, if I miss even one class, I miss material that is not in my reading or elsewhere. Further, I miss my professor’s take on the material and what they want us to know from it. That means that I cannot afford to miss even one class session. Other students’ notes may be helpful for this, but everyone takes notes and understands differently, so it is not a real substitute.

      I’m glad that you can afford to miss class and don’t mind it, but this is not the case for everyone.

      Reply
      Link

  34. As a student living in an off campus brownstone in Allston, I can assure that at this time I am still unable to leave my apartment and would not be able to make it to class. I urge the decision to hold classes tomorrow (Tuesday) to be reconsidered as it would be unfair to miss out on class because conditions were not permitting. There are several inches covering the sidewalk along commonwealth ave which is not compounded with a foot of snow.

    Reply
    Link

  35. I have a class on Monday and I haven’t met the professor yet!!! There are 13 classes in total and two of them have been cancelled due to the weather with no make up.

    Reply
    Link

  36. I agree with “Grad” that this has turned into one of the most entertaining threads ever for a BU Today story. Here’s hoping we can keep it going a bit longer. To all the inconvenienced commuters: I hope we can hear about your commute on Wed (esp if by the T). And to “enjoy being swindled”, I hope you at least got to Fitrec on the days BU was closed: it is a nice gym, although I agree at $228.50/day it is a bit pricey. And, I sure hope we can get a few more comments asking whether offices that are clearly mentioned in the article are open or closed. Keep your heads up: the Mass version of the groundhog did not see his shadow, so spring is right around the snow-piled corner.

    Reply
    Link

Post a comment.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest from BU Today