To the University Community:

Due to the possibility of hazardous travel conditions around the state following Hurricane Irene, classes are canceled on the Storrs and regional campuses on Monday, Aug. 29.

Additionally, all “Week of Welcome” orientation programming scheduled for this Sunday, Aug. 28, is also canceled. Orientation activities happening today and Saturday will take place as scheduled.

[UPDATED @ 6:15 AM on Monday, August 29, 2011]

For Storrs employees:

Due to continued road closures and power outages at the Storrs campus, “Non-Emergency Support Personnel” are not required to report to work on Monday, August 29. All “Emergency Support Personnel” are required to report to work as scheduled.

Any new or updated information related to the University’s status on Monday will be communicated via email, voicemail, and the UConn homepage, as it would in advance of a winter storm. However, power outages in Storrs and elsewhere in the state may make this message impossible to send or receive. In light of this, the University will likely utilize our alert system to communicate this information via text message to cell phones. If you have not registered your cell phone number with the University, please visit alert.uconn.edu and do so immediately. More information regarding the University’s emergency closing procedures may be found here.

Text message, and the news media, may be the only avenues of communication if power is lost, so please ensure your cell phones are fully charged heading into Sunday.

Employees should shut off all lights, computers, and other appliances before leaving work Friday.

Information on student move-in schedules or preparedness can be found in this message, sent Thursday.

Additional preparation and post-storm safety information from Public Safety and Facilities Operations:

• When outside after the storm passes, always assume that all power lines are “live” – do not go near any fallen power lines – or trees touching fallen power lines – as they can be extremely dangerous.
• Do not walk through moving water. Six inches of moving water can make you fall. If you have to walk in water, walk where the water is not moving.
• Consider moving valuable equipment as well as books, files, papers etc., from known or suspected sources of leaks. Cover valuable items with plastic in high-risk spaces, such as near windows. Consider equipment that is powered by electricity and think about what steps need to be taken to protect that equipment.
• If a piece of electronic equipment is wet, do not use it.
• Any equipment and/or laboratory work that might be affected by a power outage should be shut down, and if lab research is being considered then it should be postponed until after the storm. If lab research is in process, then proper preparations need to be made to deal with likely power outages.
• Keep in mind that the ability to travel may be limited. Off-campus students as well as faculty and staff might not be able to get to campus during or immediately following the storm.
• Keep batteries charged on flashlights, radios and phones.

The University will continue communicating information as it becomes available.

Barry Feldman
Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

John Saddlemire
Vice President for Student Affairs