Update 10:15 am: all classes/activities UFV campus at CEP cancelled

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Effective immediately, all classes and activities at the UFV campus at CEP are cancelled today, Tues. Jan 14.

The Chilliwack campus at CEP will remain open under normal operating hours for faculty and staff.

The SUS Shuttle service will begin to taper operations due to weather related staffing issues and will run on the following special schedule only:

Abbotsford to Chilliwack:

  • 11:30am ABBY to CHWK
  • 1:30pm ABBY to CHWK
  • 3:30pm ABBY to CHWK

Chilliwack to Abbotsford:

  • 10:30am CHWK to ABBY
  • 12:30pm CHWK to ABBY
  • 2:30pm CHWK to ABBY
  • 4:30pm CHWK to ABBY

The Langley run is operating normally.

UFV will provide further updates and support to ensure students have safe transportation or accomodation.

Please check UFV.ca regularly throughout the day for updates.

18 thoughts on “Update 10:15 am: all classes/activities UFV campus at CEP cancelled”

  1. Is there a specific reason your shutting down Chilliwack? I live out there but work @ the Abby Campus so would like to know if i should attempt to head home earlier that i had anticipated.

  2. Absolutely ridiculous that we had to come to Chilliwack campus today. Who looks at the weather reports and makes these decisions? It is extremely unsafe driving conditions. One of my classmates even ended up in the ditch. It is very frustrating that we spend two hours to get to school, only for it to be cancelled hen we get here. Releasing a statement to “use our discretion when traveling” is ridiculous. The roads between Abbotsford and Chilliwack and horrendous, ESPECIALLY Kieth Wilson road, and the freeway as well. It is your responsibility as a University to keep us students and faculty safe and when you say there is class, of course we have to attend!! If we do not, we will be behind in class, put our education in jeopardy, and waste our instructors time who had to also travel out to Chilliwack. Programs that are heavy course load such as the nursing programs located in Chilliwack, it is mandatory that students attend class particularly labs. On days like today, when you announce that campus is open we MUST attend.

    • Hi Sally,
      I completely understand your frustration. Today at Chilliwack was a very unfortunate scenario where the SUS shuttle began operating normally but then reduced their schedule. This originally involved suspending service. As you can see from the post above, the hours have been tapered with reduced service until 3:30 or 4:30 depending on what direction you are travelling in. This meant we had to cancel classes so that students dependent on the shuttle where not stranded in Chilliwack, or Abbotsford. UFV is working on a strategy to ensure this does not happen even after the last shuttle bus leaves. We will provide an update at 3pm today.

      UFV is sorry you had to experience the frustration of working hard to get to school and then having classes cancelled. This was not great, but it was unavoidable in a dynamic situation where weather and traffic conditions have to be predicted.

      Safety should always be your priority and your instructors will understand this priority, especially given the severe weather conditions. As we indicated in our messaging, we urge you to contact your faculty member or your clinical supervisor (for nursing and other programs), or supervisor for staff, if you feel you cannot travel safely. Thanks again for your comment and please stay tuned here or at ufv.ca for updates.

    • Hi J,
      It’s a tough one to call, but please make safety your priority. Please refer to Drive BC camera’s for more information. If you are in doubt perhaps discuss with your supervisor.

  4. You should shut down all the campuses. What about people living in Chilliwack having to commute to the Abbotsford Campus, do you not care about the students from there?

    • Hi Rick,
      We are sympathetic to this situation and UFV is watching the weather very carefully. There are many departments at UFV involved in assessing the risk on and off campus for students, faculty and staff. UFV monitors roads, weather, traffic, on campus conditions, and forecasts in all regions where we have campuses and in regions we know our faculty, staff and students, commute through. We will update the university’s status by 3pm today.

    • Hi Jenn,
      Please keep an eye on the weather and we will update the university’s status by 3pm. UFV is also working on a plan to ensure everyone has transportation or if this is impossible then a place to stay. We will update that plan by 3 pm today.

  7. So is there no shuttle bus from Abbotsford to Chilliwack past 3:30 pm? Or does it return to normal schedule after that?

  8. Please consider in the decision to keep campuses open or closed the storm coming this evening will travel treacherous. People attending evening classes in Abby and returning to Chilliwack will be stuck in the hight of the snow storm.

  9. Hi Dave,

    I can acknowledge that there are many factors that play into the decision making process when it comes to deciding whether or not to close each campus. However, it was extremely frustrating when the UFV Chilliwack campus was announced to be open this morning, just for myself and my classmates (among many other students and faculty) to drive out there in unsafe conditions and have the campus deemed closed shortly upon arrival. Not only did many us have to drive in these unsafe conditions to get to school and then all the way back home, there was also no class on top of it, making the unsafe driving back and forth pointless.

    With all due respect, I disagree with the statements that we as students can always “use our own discretion” when deciding whether or not to attend class when the campus remains open in these driving conditions. I understand that these statements must be made so that UFV isn’t held liable if anything happens. It doesn’t however resonate well with me, a nursing student, who had a lab class today that is mandatory to attend. Either my safety or my education takes priority. I am well aware of the correct response/action to take in these situations, but I would prefer that my education doesn’t take a hit in the process.

    I am certain that when considering whether or not UFV campuses are to remain open tomorrow, all of these factors will be taken into account. We all pay good money for these classes and are not looking for an excuse to have a day off, we just want to stay safe.

    With appreciation,

    Cassidy Phillips

    • Hi Cassidy,
      Thanks for your comment. I sympathize with you having to fight the roads and traffic to get to class only to have to head home shortly after. We are sorry this worked out the way it did. The decision to cancel classes at Chilliwack was not easily made but we did this because we wanted to avoid stranding SUS shuttle passengers after service was disrupted early in the day. This dictated some quick class cancellation to give students time to get home on the last shuttles. And to ensure students were not left stranded away from their home when service was eventually suspended. SUS stretched to add shuttle runs, but we were afraid the last bus at the end of the day would be overcrowded. This could have led to people being left behind due to capacity issues. We did add an extra private bus late in the day to avoid students being stranded when the SUS shuttle service ended. We know how dedicated and hard working students are and we are trying to balance safety with tight academic schedules.

  10. Will the shuttles be back to normal tomorrow morning? Or will you guys not know until the morning? I have to be in class by 8:00am along with other shuttle riders in the class.

    • Hi Mark,
      This service is operated by the UFV Student Union Society and they will let us know based on conditions in the morning. Sorry we do not have that information tonight but the overnight weather and road conditions in the morning will inform these decisions. Check UFV.ca at 6am tomorrow for an update.
      THe SUS facebook account also posts shuttle info https://www.facebook.com/ufvSUS

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