Wright State, Wittenberg remain closed due to weather, others colleges like Miami open as roads clear

Sinclair Community College resumed in-person classes on Tuesday, about 36 hours after snow stopped Sunday evening. Much of the area received over a foot of snow. Most area universities had resumed in-person classes by Wednesday, though Wright State will continue to be remote by the end of the week. BRYANT BILLING/STAFF

Credit: Bryant Billing

Credit: Bryant Billing

Sinclair Community College resumed in-person classes on Tuesday, about 36 hours after snow stopped Sunday evening. Much of the area received over a foot of snow. Most area universities had resumed in-person classes by Wednesday, though Wright State will continue to be remote by the end of the week. BRYANT BILLING/STAFF

While many universities have resumed in-person classes, Wright State University will continue to be remote until the end of the week, a spokeswoman for the university said.

Sinclair Community College and Cedarville University resumed in-person classes Tuesday. The University of Dayton and Miami University resumed as normal Wednesday. Wilberforce University resumed classes on a two-hour delay Wednesday.

“We will continue to monitor weather conditions through the weekend before making final determinations about next week,” Nichole Rustad, spokeswoman for Wright State, said.

She said the factors that made the university continue to be remote included worries about students with mobility issues.

“All universities invested in technology to deliver course material virtually as they worked through the pandemic,” Rustad said. “We’re simply using that technology so learning does not need to stop due to weather.”

The University of Dayton canceled or postponed multiple events this week due to ongoing weather conditions, according to a university spokesman.

“Decisions to cancel or delay because of weather are not made lightly and are rendered by senior leadership after receiving input from several offices that have surveyed conditions on campus and surrounding areas and have studied current weather conditions and forecasts,” University of Dayton officials said in a statement.

Wittenberg University had not resumed classes as normal as of Wednesday, said Karen Gerboth, Wittenberg vice president of marketing and communications.

“As a residential campus, Wittenberg rarely closes, except in extreme conditions and during Level 3 emergencies issued for our county,” Gerboth said. “Decisions surrounding when to close or move to remote learning are determined in coordination with the president, provost, police division, finance, facilities, and human resources. The final call is made by the president.”

While Sinclair Community College resumed in-person classes Tuesday, Scott Marshall, a spokesman for the college, said students who are concerned about commuting to class on icy or slick roads should communicate with their instructors.

“A closing is implemented only under extreme circumstances,” Marshall said. “The safety and security of students, employees, and visitors is carefully considered.”

Mark Weinstein, a spokesman for Cedarville University, said the university followed the weather closely and consulted its policies with the best interests of students, faculty and staff in mind.

“The final decision on whether to cancel classes is made by senior-level administrators,” he said.

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