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How to find out if WMU is closed

Nov. 30, 2006

KALAMAZOO--Your radio alarm clock wakes you to news that several elementary schools are closed because of a winter storm, but there is no mention of classes at WMU. How do you find out if the University is closed?

First, unless you have heard otherwise from one of the official sources listed below, assume that Western Michigan University is open and will remain open as scheduled.

There are three ways that students, faculty, staff and others can determine if WMU is closed due to severe weather or some other emergency condition. The following applies only to closings of the entire University. If one or more of the branch campuses closes--but not the main campus in Kalamazoo--the announcement is made separately by the affected branch campuses.

Call (269) 387-1001

Closing announcements will be available immediately at (269) 387-1001. This includes announcements that the University is closed, as well as announcements that the University will be closing at a specified time later in the day.

Go to www.wmich.edu

Closing announcements will be posted immediately on the WMU home page under WMU News, and additional information, including any cancellations of public events on campus, will be posted in WMU News as soon as the information is available. Links to WMU News can also be found on the home tab in GoWMU and a variety of other University Web pages.

Radio and Television

As soon as a decision to close WMU is made, area radio and television stations are immediately notified by University officials. Based on past experience, the radio and television stations in West Michigan do an excellent job of promptly and accurately reporting school closings.

Assume WMU is open

In the absence of notification to the contrary via one of the official methods listed above, all normal operations will continue as scheduled. Assume WMU is open. University closings due to severe weather are very rare. The University has canceled evening classes only once in the past few years, and it has been more than six years since the last time WMU was closed for an entire day.

The University policy governing closings was thoroughly reviewed and updated in December 2000. Among other things, that review resulted in the creation of the emergency information number, (269) 387-1001, specifically so that students, faculty and staff would have another way of obtaining information about closings.

University Policy for Closures

Media contact: Thom Myers, (269) 387-8400, thom.myers@wmich.edu

WMU News
Office of University Relations
Western Michigan University
1903 W Michigan Ave
Kalamazoo MI 49008-5433 USA
(269) 387-8400
www.wmich.edu/wmu/news