**Updates Student Union Shuttle status
All UFV campuses are OPEN on Friday, Jan 17 except for Hope Centre. All classes and activities will proceed as scheduled. Hope Centre is closed today.
Allow extra time for commuting due to winter road conditions and use caution when travelling to, and around, UFV.
Drive BC has highway cameras and current information on road conditions.
Student Union Shuttle bus update
Langley is running normally.
Chilliwack is currently running half capacity, but will be running normally after 8:15am
(check the Student Union Facebook page for their updates)
Be prepared for cold temperatures and watch for snow clearing equipment as crews work to clear the remainder of snow from our campus parking lots and walkways.
Please check ufv.ca for updates.
Hey
Does the person making the decision not know it is a sheet of ice on the highway right now? Pretty dangerous to be driving.
Hi Student T,
Thank you for your comment. Yes we look at all highways and routes leading to UFV. As always – don’t drive if you determine it’s not safe for you. There are many opinions on the roadways – yours is the one that matters for you. Notify your faculty of your decision. If you decide to drive, allow a lot of extra time for a slow commute.
I have been out there and the highways are just fine – slippery (a LITTLE slushy) in some areas, others not. The person making the decision I believe makes it based on Transportation Canada and Weather Network Warnings and as of yesterday the weather warning for snow was lifted or certainly reduced in severity.
I teach in Abbotsford, and classes were not cancelled Tuesday, yet half of my students chose to stay at home because they were from Chilliwack. Was fine with me. 🙂
Hi all, we make the decision based on a lot of data points:
I do not make the call – it’s a team effort. They’d never give me that much control 🙂
Actually its a committee that looks at a lot of data early in the morning. Like 4 in the morning early.
We know people commute some distance to attend including on hwy 1 – especially hwy 1 – so we look at these factors for all regions and all campuses including these data points:
o Environment Canada warnings and forecasts
o RCMP road advisories
o Drive BC reports
o First hand reports from those who have to drive to campus
o Media traffic reports
o Reports from 24/7 staff in the security offices who take photos of the campuses and measure snow accumulation, wind speed, and condition of sidewalks etc.
o Ability to clear snow so parking is possible
o Staffing levels and ability to clear snow from sidewalks, walkways etc.
o School district closures
o Municipal closures
Stay warm.. and keep studying.
hey
you guys are just considering driving but what about students who take bus to travel. its so cold outside and bc transit buses services is so bad here.
Thanks Student V,
We know it is very cold. Dress for the weather. Layers work well. Seriously, take it easy out there – wear warm clothes, lots of them, I am currently wearing seven layers. Its hard to move… but at least I’m warm. Be sure to allow more time to commute than normal. Education rests for no one.
Dave – I love that mantra at the end. “Education rests for no one”. Is that yours, or did you steal it from some-one?
Coffee… I owe that one to coffee.
Thank you for everything you have done to keep us safe and updated this week Dave!
Paige – my job is easy. You guys have the hard work – all that knowledge acquisition isn’t easy. But you know it’s going to pay off. Happy friday!
Nice to see positive and respectful feed back from some students. 🙂 🙂
Wow!!! Student safety is not your concern then. Do you not consider the ice under all that snow. Worst decision ever UFV!
Thanks for your comment Student D,
You can make the decision not to drive if you evaluate conditions and decide it’s not safe for you. Or take transit. There are many opinions on the roadways – but it’s ultimately your call. Notify your faculty of your decision. If you decide to drive, allow plenty – and I mean plenty – of extra time.
I think UFV does a wonderful job when it addresses student safety in all areas of university life! There are some days I think UFV shouldn’t close and you will get those people complaining that it shouldn’t have been a snow day and they needed to be at school etc (I am not necessarily talking about this week), but today, Friday? If you look at DRIVE BC the highways mostly are in good condition. UFV cannot possibly make a decision that suits everyone – I do believe they make the decision based on the weather network and Global reporters out there are saying much improved conditions – its true. If you do not feel safe then no-one will hold it against you if you didn’t attend school.
I’m shocked and disappointed that CEP campus will remain open today. The conditions outdoors are abysmal and students are now left to make the decision between their safety and education. Praying for those that choose to navigate these roads.
Thanks for your comment Student M,
IF truly deciding between your safety and your education, safety wins. Live to study another day. Don’t drive if you evaluate conditions and decide it’s not safe for you. Then notify your faculty members of this decision. There are many opinions on the roadways – but it’s always your call on your safety. If you’re driving, allow plenty – and I mean plenty – of extra time and space.
Safety of course, just like Dave says and has been saying frequently! UFV promotes this all the time, every day of every year. 🙂
Student m – the conditions are much much improved today hence the decision UFV has made. As for your decision – no one person or instructor will hold it against you if YOUR decision is to choose safety. As for education – I am sure there is something you can study up in the safety of your home?
In life we face decisions every day – it’s what you do with that decision that determines how successful and productive your day will be. 🙂
The roads in Chilliwack are not bad if you take your time and dress warm. Some people don’t know how to stop complaining.
Hey guys, let’s keep it civil here. Or organize a snowball fight to settle our differences. 🙂
Respectful comments and logical questions will be approved and replied to, others… they will be lost in the white-out snow storm of the internet.
Ufv does not….and I repeat does not consider the safety and wellbeing of its students…if they did then the school would be closed. Dave no offence but when people over the past few days have brought up our safety multiple times we get a general response.
Not a smart decision. There is way too much ice under the snow.
Hi again, Student T
Of course we take safety into consideration. Always. And as for “general” response – I think if you look on this post, and at comments on other days, you will find we’ve been pretty: 1) consistent with our messages 2) personal in our replies 3) good at answering specific questions 4) responding professionally
Are we perfect? No. But these weather situations are not perfect either. They are fluid and unpredictable. If you determine it is not safe for you to drive, then do not drive. Your safety is ultimately your responsibility. We will do all we can to make our campuses safe and welcoming for all.
Student – I think you are 100% wrong, I repeat 100% wrong. UFV does consider the safety and well being of its students and staff.
The role of Dave Pinton I would think is to state the clear cut position on any given day about the closures of the institution, this being a general response, and not to engage a detailed reply to each and every ones’ specific needs and complaints. That being said he still does.
Each person should be allowed to make a personal decision that is right for them which is what UFV is advocating, so lets not expect UFV to make our personal decisions for us when we don’t like the ones they have made for us.
Thank you for all your hard work keeping us all updated this week Dave. I’m sorry that some students are taking their weather-related stress out on you. I personally have made the decision not to drive to campus today (I live at the top of a very icy hill), but I understand that that is my choice and regardless of whether the campus was open or not I would have made the same choice not to drive today.
Thanks Melissa, but it’s not about me. It’s about everyone looking after their personal safety and while UFV does all we can to make the correct call on for each day (and sometimes moments in the day) so that students are safe on our campuses, it is not up to us to decide what is safe off campus for everyone. That is an individual decision. Be sure to tell your prof’s your decision. And stay warm. I hear hot coffee, or hot chocolate is good brain food.
Melissa
So agree with you! 🙂 You cannot please everyone all of the time. Its that simple really. If UFV opens and a student feels unsafe, they stay home. Easy peazy decision. Instructors I am certain are NOT going to penalize a student if that was their choice. I wouldn’t, I don’t. 🙂
Bookkeeping Instructor.
what time are the shuttles scheduled for today ?
Hi UFV (good name)
Langley is running normally.
Chilliwack is currently running half as many shuttles, but will be running normally after 8:15am.
The SUS facebook page is not yet updated with this information but the folks at SUS will be updating this info shortly.
There’s not really leaving an option between education and safety in this situation. Thanks anyways
Hi
There are always options. Safety always is first. If you determine it is not safe for you, then do not make the trip. Contact your professors in the usual way to inform them of your decision.
It may be a difficult decision to make – there are a lot of contradicting reports – but no one but you can assess this for you. We cannot decide for you, we can make sure our campuses are clear of snow and safe.
Thanks for your energy keeping up with all these comments, Dave! And thanks to you and the team who have to wake up super early to make these calls, I super appreciate having an early heads up! 🙂
Sad to see that the school is open and compromising student safety on a day that it shouldn’t be. Is UFV the one I can send my ICBC bill when I crash on my way from Burnaby? Honestly, if the highway cams show that the conditions are bad, don’t open the school.
With love,
A student who can’t feel his fingers while typing this
I would like to say that I feel the slippery conditions at the Mission Campus have not been considered. It will be very unsafe for my classmates and I to drive up the steep hills and slippery roads. This campus is not easily accessed by the highway like the Abby campus, and I am very scared to drive. please consider cancelling class at the Mission Campus.
Thank you
I have a lab I can’t miss or else I’ll lose the marks, but it’s too icy to get there easily. I have to do it if I want to pass
Hi Student test (your name, not mine)
Check the conditions carefully please. If you determine you cannot safely drive then notify your professor.
Any chance that tonight classes could get cancelled? I got a 7pm one that I’m not looking forward to, coming from Burnaby.
Hi
This is an excellent question. I will look into our plan for communication for later today. I will get back to you – at this juncture I would plan to come to class, but perhaps also check with your professor. More later.
Hi Oisin,
I will be posting shortly, but ALL classes and activities for the remainder of Friday, Jan 17 will proceed as scheduled. Take the commute slowly and leave lots of time to get to where you need to go.
Thanks Dave, really appreciate your continuous updates.