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Inside Higher Education
California Fires
Close Colleges
Institutions affected by California wildfires juggle logistics of
finals, move-out, assignment deadlines.
By Nick Roll
December 11, 2017
Colleges across Southern California are suspending or canceling classes
-- and, in some case, final exams -- as wildfires continue to ravage
the region and disrupt daily life for affected residents. In addition
to keeping their campuses and students safe, colleges are also having
to deal with logistical issues brought on by delayed homework
assignments and commutes disrupted by fires far away from campus.
Closures have ranged in length and time, but perhaps the most
disruptive to students and faculty alike was at Thomas Aquinas College,
a small, private liberal arts institution in Santa Paula, where the
Thomas fire has been raging nearby. The college evacuated its students
last week and opened this past weekend so that students could retrieve
their belongings, though it remains closed. Final exams were canceled,
and after some back-and-forth -- and considering sending final exams to
students over break to do at home -- the institution decided it would
hold this semester's final exams at the start of the next semester.
To accommodate the move, one week will be removed from the second
semester, and professors will have to update their syllabi accordingly.
The university has also modified its schedule, and residence halls will
open early so that students have time to get to campus and study. Even
with those adjustments, making all the exams fit in one week poses a
logistical challenge for the university and students alike, so some
exams will be optional.
"By holding exams when students return from the Christmas break, the
college can preserve the benefit of common study. Also, since many of
you were unable to retrieve your books from the campus before returning
home for the Christmas break, having take-home exams would unfairly
disadvantage those students who left without their books. Finally,
having exams soon after experiencing the fire and evacuation would
unnecessarily add to the stress and anxiety associated with final
exams," John J. Goyette, Thomas Aquinas's dean, said in a statement.
Students have been instructed not to return to campus -- with an
exception to pick up their belongings -- until next semester. Those who
cannot immediately return are being accommodated on campus through
Saturday.
On Sunday, the University of California, Santa Barbara, announced that
finals scheduled for this week would be rescheduled for January. The
university cited concerns about power outages that are disrupting
technology services, confusion about a false report of an evacuation
and other problems to state that going ahead with final exams had
become "untenable."
Though many colleges closed for some period of time last week, most
were hoping to be open again Monday.
Mount St. Mary’s University's main undergraduate campus is set to be
closed to the general public from Monday through the rest of the
semester, though students are able to access the campus to retrieve
their belongings. The Los Angeles institution held final exams Friday,
with more scheduled for Monday, at the institution’s second campus,
though “professors also have discretion in how to best complete their
courses this semester.”
Fires also mean students and faculty have to deal with the logistical
struggle of homework assignments, or even showing up to class.
“Students unable to attend class Friday should notify their
instructors, and employees unable to report for work should contact
their manager. Faculty and supervisors are asked to continue providing
latitude to students and employees affected by the fires,” California
State University, Northridge, announced in a tweet. The institution had
closed Thursday, but reopened Friday.
The University of California, Los Angeles, was safe from fires, but had
to close last week because of how the disaster was affecting those
trying to get to campus. As for how to handle the academic disruptions,
the institution left it up to individual professors and departments.
“While the campus itself is safe, difficult traffic conditions continue
to prevent many students, faculty and staff from reaching UCLA,” the
university said in a statement published Wednesday. “Consequently, UCLA
is canceling classes today that begin on or after noon. Students should
check with their instructors or departments about making up class time
or class work. Depending on how conditions change during the day we
will have further instructions this afternoon.”
Also disrupted at some point by fires were institutions in the Ventura
County Community College District; California State University, Channel
Islands; California State University, San Marcos; Los Angeles Valley
College; Los Angeles Mission College; Los Angeles Pierce College; Santa
Monica College; and Palomar College.
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