Snow Emergency - 1/26 and 1/27/2015

Dear Columbia Community,

Classes today, Monday, January 26, 2015, scheduled to begin on or about 3:00 p.m. or thereafter, are cancelled.

Classes for Tuesday, January 27, 2015 are cancelled.

Essential personnel are expected to remain at their posts today and to report to work Tuesday as directed by their supervisors, consistent with University Policy.

Depending on operational needs, we encourage departments to release non-essential personnel beginning at 3:00 p.m. today. For Tuesday, non-essential personnel are not required to report to work. If you have a question about your “essential status,” please check in with your supervisor.

We urge all members of the Columbia community to stay informed about conditions as the storm progresses. Please continue to check the Columbia Preparedness website, http://preparedness.columbia.edu/, and the Columbia homepage, www.columbia.edu for updates.

Morningside Campus Updates

Again, classes and events at Morningside are canceled from 3:00 p.m. onward today, January 26, as well as all day tomorrow, January 27, 2015.

• All events scheduled through University Event Management (UEM) are cancelled. For non-UEM campus events, we advise students and members of the University community to confirm specific details with event sponsors if necessary.
• Butler Library will be open Monday and Tuesday as a study space. All other libraries will be closed beginning Monday at 3:00 p.m.
• Dodge Fitness Center plans to remain open. Check http://www.gocolumbialions.com/ for updates.
• Dining venues will be open tonight and tomorrow, although some will have shortened hours. See the schedule for more details.
• Faculty House will be closed tomorrow, 1/27.

The following Morningside campus gates will be closed for snow removal and icy conditions:

• College Walk pedestrian gates (both Broadway and Amsterdam).  College Walk main gates will remain open.
• Chapel gate
• Earl Hall gate
• CEPSR 120th Street gate
• The exterior staircase at the Northwest Corner Building will be closed due to hazardous conditions. Please use the interior route as an alternative.

Please note the following Columbia Transportation updates:

• The Intercampus shuttle and Fort Lee shuttle are operating with delays and will stop operating at 8pm tonight. For up-to-the-minute information on the status and location of the Intercampus Shuttle, please visit http://transportation.columbia.edu/.
• The Arbor shuttle is slated to end operations this afternoon. Arbor building management will contact Arbor residents directly with additional information.
• Both shuttles will suspend service on Tuesday.

To report an emergency on campus, call Public Safety at 212-854-5555. For off-campus health or safety emergencies, please call 911.

Facilities continues to be available at Morningside to assist with campus and building services. To contact the Facilities Services Center, call 212-854-2222, 24 hours a day.

Lamont-Doherty Updates

• Lamont-Doherty will be closing as of 2:00 p.m. today, January 26.
• Lamont Shuttle Service will also be suspended beginning this afternoon. The last bus to Lamont will depart Morningside at 1:00 p.m. The last bus bound for Morningside will leave Lamont at 2:00 p.m.

Columbia University Medical Center Updates

Again, most classes and events at CUMC are canceled from 3:00 p.m. onward today; however, students in the School of Nursing and the College of Dental Medicine should contact their instructors regarding classes this afternoon.

All CUMC classes are canceled tomorrow, January 27, 2015.

• Access to Bard Hall will be via the entrance at 60 Haven Avenue. The entrance at 50 Haven Avenue will be closed.
• The Lower Level 1 entrance to the Hammer Health Sciences Center will be closed. Access will be via the main entrance at 701 W. 168th Street.
• To respond to the weather situation, routine custodial services at CUMC are suspended. Please call 305-HELP if you need services, such as if you see an overflowing garbage can.
• All ColumbiaDoctors practice locations will be closed on Tuesday.
• The Dental Clinics are canceling all patient appointments after 3 p.m. today, and all appointments scheduled tomorrow, January 27. We suggest that all patients call their health-care provider's office to confirm appointments before leaving their homes.

CUMC Facilities Operations and CUMC Public Safety are available to assist with campus, building, or other issues that may arise. For Facilities, please call 212-305-HELP or email [email protected]. For Public Safety, call 212-305-8100 for routine matters or 212-305-7979 for an on-campus emergency.

Before You Leave

In preparation for the inclement weather, Facilities would like to remind everyone to do the following before departing this afternoon:

• Make sure all windows are closed securely. This single step may be the most important way that you can protect your work area from potentially damaging high winds.
• Remember windows in spaces that are not usually occupied. It is often an open window in one of these "forgotten" rooms that causes frozen or split pipes, not to mention wasted energy.
• Leave all radiator valves and fan coils on to ensure adequate heating and to avoid damage from freezing. Fan coils should be set to the slowest speed setting.
• Clear clothing or furniture away from heaters to avoid inadequate heating that may cause freeze-ups and damage.
• Make sure all faucets are off.
• Report problems, such as leaks or windows or doors that cannot be closed, to the Facilities Services Center by calling the Facilities Services Center, call 212-854-2222, 24 hours a day.

For More Information

For more information on weather and transit, please visit:

• The New York City Severe Weather website:
  http://www.nyc.gov/html/oem/html/nycsevereweather/weather_home.shtml
• The MTA website:
  www.mta.info
• The National Weather Service website:
  http://www.weather.gov/

Again, as the situation changes, we will continue to update the Columbia Preparedness website, http://preparedness.columbia.edu/ and the Columbia homepage, www.columbia.edu. The Columbia University Medical Center homepage, www.cumc.columbia.edu, will also be updated. Alternatively, you may call 212-854-1754 for the Morningside campus or 212-305-7300 for the Medical Center.

Again, please exercise caution if you need to travel, and dress in warm layers if you need to be outside.

Sincerely,

Joe Ienuso
Executive Vice President, Columbia University Facilities and Operations
On Behalf of the Emergency Management Operations Team