No snow day for campus employees

By Jaryd Wilson

Published Dec. 5, 2006

Though MU canceled classes, the MU Inclement Weather policy does not relieve any regular staff members from work. The policy states that the university maintains its teaching, research and service activities in accordance with established schedules and operational demands even if classes are canceled.

It also states that because certain essential functions of the university must be provided at all times, campus operations will not be suspended in the event of severe weather even though classes could be canceled.

Because of the policy, staff members had to travel to campus Friday morning.

"If staff members can't make it or leave early, they have to account for the time missed, either by taking a vacation day or a personal day," Staff Advisory Council Chairwoman Rebecca Bergfield said. "Otherwise, they have to take a leave without pay."

For part-time or temporary employees, no vacation or personal days are offered. If they are unable to make it because of weather, they have to rearrange their schedule or take a leave without pay.

Bergfield said forcing staff members to take a personal day because they are unable to get to work is something that the council might address at some point.

"We might talk about that, but it hasn't been an issue since 1995 when we got 19 and a half inches of snow," Bergfield said.

The MU student staff got a lot more than it bargained for on Friday after more than 14 inches of snow fell Thursday night.

Peer advisers working for the Department of Residential Life were asked to help shovel snow, spread salt on the ground and work in the dining halls on Friday to help the full-time employees deal with the severe weather.

Sophomore Jake Kohut, a peer adviser on the second floor of Gillett Hall, was one of many that were up early Friday morning and on their way to work.

"I got up at 7 to clear the ice from the east wing door," Kohut said. "The ice prevented the door from closing during the night, and snow had blown into the stairwell."

Kohut said though the work was voluntary, the staff was expected to help.

"Shoveling the sidewalk and front steps and spreading salt was mostly volunteer work, but we received e-mails and phone calls from numerous levels of authority in the department that gave us our assignments for working in the dining halls," he said.

Although it might have been easy to be upset about the extra work on a snow day, Kohut said he did not mind.

"Think of it this way, if I had been living at home, I would have been shoveling the driveway and making my own lunch," he said. "Here, I shovel the sidewalk and make lunch for other people. I don't see a problem. It was fun, and it gave me a chance to chuck a snowball at my hall coordinator, so I have no complaints."

Kohut said the only complaint he received was from residents who wanted to go on the balcony. Kohut said the Department of Residential Life chose to keep the balconies locked because of the weather.