Storm Prompts Washington College to Cancel Classes for Monday and Tuesday

CHESTERTOWN, MD—Based on the latest weather reports about the impact of Hurricane Sandy, Washington College is canceling all classes and activities for both Monday and Tuesday, October 29 and 30.

Students who can do so safely are being strongly encouraged to go home and to leave campus/Chestertown no later than mid-morning Sunday depending upon the distance and location of their destination.

In its messages to students, the College stressed that those who do leave should return to campus only when it is safe to do so. The email to students continued:

“Assuming classes will resume on Wednesdays, faculty members are asked to consider that some students may not be able to return to campus safely and in time to attend class that day and to work with those students to enable them to make up any missed work.

Students who remain on campus will be expected to shelter in place in their residence halls during the storm if it is unsafe to go outside and possibly in hallways away from windows during the height of the storm. As with any storm of this size everyone should be prepared that some or all services, including power, Internet, cable, and phone, will be disrupted. Public Safety officers will be on campus and available, and Residential Life staff will be on duty to help students during the storm and its aftermath.

Dining Services will be open regular hours on Sunday but all retail operations (Martha's Kitchen, Mondo Subs, Java George) will be closed Sunday through Tuesday. On Monday and Tuesday Dining Services will be open during its regular weekend brunch/dinner hours. Dining Services will also be prepared to provide boxed meals for students to take back to their rooms in the event that students are asked to shelter in place for a significant period of time.

As of today, campus events through Sunday will still go on as scheduled. Events scheduled for Monday or Tuesday are cancelled, including lectures, films, and all athletic events and practices. All campus facilities, including the library and JFC will be closed on Monday and Tuesday. Hodson Hall will be open for meals and, if safe to do so, the student center may also be open both days.

Any changes in campus operating hours or news of power outages, etc. will be sent to the campus community through the WAC Alert system, campus emails, and the College's web site (www.washcoll.edu).  Please check these as the storm moves closer for more WC information and monitor local weather forecasts for storm information.”

Updates on the storm’s expected path and impact and how they will affect campus will be posted on the Web site and distributed through the College's emergency alerts and email.