As a winter storm heads toward Centre County, Penn State officials are developing contingency plans that could accommodate students’ final exams if University Park operations are interrupted.
AccuWeather is projecting between 3 and 6 inches of snow for State College and between .15 and .25 inches of ice between early Thursday morning and Friday afternoon. In a news release, Penn State said it will provide more information about final exam plans by 5 a.m. on Thursday.
Should weather interrupt Thursday’s final exams, potential contingency plans include moving exams to Friday or even Saturday morning “if absolutely necessary,” according to the university. In those cases, on-campus students who have their exams rescheduled may have their move-out date extended past the traditional weekend deadline.
Penn State also said that some instructors could decide to move final exams to an asynchronous, online format.
“We know this is an important and stressful time for our students and faculty, and the potential for winter weather only adds to that stress,” said Justin Schwartz, Penn State’s interim executive vice president and provost. “The safety of our students, staff and faculty, however, is paramount and we will make adjustments to final exam schedules if necessary to keep our community safe.”
Schwartz continued by asking faculty to be “flexible” with students when it comes to potential scheduling conflicts and finding solutions.
You can find the latest information and news regarding potential cancellations and closures by following along with Penn State’s PSUAlert website and Twitter account, as well as Penn State’s news site and Twitter account.
On Tuesday, the National Weather Service issued a winter storm watch for portions of central Pennsylvania. The storm is expected to quickly impact local roadways and slow down commutes.
Bob Larson, a senior meteorologist at AccuWeather, says the upcoming storm poses a significant threat to students and families driving to and from Penn State this week. While snow and ice are expected in central Pennsylvania, precipitation in the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia areas will likely result in rain.
“They’re going to run right into this mess and could be caught off-guard if they leave in rain and they’re suddenly driving into a fierce snowstorm,” Larson said. “So, that’s something to consider during the day on Thursday.”
Drivers are encouraged to avoid non-essential travel on Thursday while the bulk of the upcoming storm blows through the area. Those who must travel are encouraged to maintain a safe distance between cars, keep their lights on and allow extra time to finish their commutes while factoring in potential delays.
Matt DiSanto contributed to this report.
