The trajectory of Hurricane Florence shifted overnight as this Category 4 storm continues toward the coasts of the Carolinas. Due to this and in an attempt to err on the side of caution and allow many of our students to return to their homes while they are able, Catawba College administrators have decided to cancel classes on both Thursday and Friday of this week, including SEGS classes scheduled Thursday evening. Weekend athletic competitions scheduled for football, volleyball, and the soccer teams are also cancelled.
Residential students who choose to remain on campus and shelter-in-place can be assured that the campus will be operational for them with food service, public safety, and essential personnel available to them around the clock. Residential students who plan to return to their homes are asked to inform the residence assistants in their residence halls of their plans.
Staff are to report to work on Thursday, unless leave is taken. Non-essential staff are not required to work on Friday. Staff members deemed essential for this event are to be notified accordingly.
The personal safety of Catawba’s students, faculty and staff is of upmost concern and members of the campus community are encouraged to use their best judgment when making decisions about traveling to and from campus.
Catawba’s Emergency Response Group will continue to hold daily meetings and to collaborate over the weekend monitoring the path of Hurricane Florence and its potential impact on the campus. Should the effects of Florence be such that classes are cancelled next week, members of the campus community will be notified by a CatawbAlert or by monitoring the website at www.catawba.edu and the college’s social media platforms.
Here are some answers to questions that various offices on campus have received from students and their families this week in light of Hurricane Florence’s approach:
Will classes be cancelled?
Yes, classes are cancelled for both the day and evening programs on Thursday, September 13 and Friday, September 14. Students will work with their professors to determine how to make up or submit classwork that may have been scheduled for one of the two dates when classes are cancelled.
Can residential students stay on campus with classes cancelled?
Yes, residential students may stay on campus and be assured of food service, security services and essential personnel in Student Affairs, Facilities, Housekeeping, Public Safety, and Information Technology to meet their needs. A generator in the Cannon Student Center will allow Chartwells to prepare food and a place for students to gather and charge phones and computers if there are power outages.
How can we receive the most current information about the status of the campus and classes for next week?
Members of the campus community will receive CatawbAlerts regarding additional class cancellations or college closings, if there are any, while the College website will be the place to visit for more detailed information about the effects that Hurricane Florence has on the campus and its infrastructure.
The CatawbAlerts notification system is used to provide updates, instructions and other information that will be vital to the health and safety of the Catawba campus community. Any changes to Catawba College’s operation schedule will be announced via CatawbAlerts and via campus-wide emails. These alerts will also be displayed on the Catawba website at www.catawba.edu. Members of the campus community are allowed to register up to two text (cell) numbers, six (off-campus) e-mail addresses and four voice numbers. CatawbAlerts registration and subsequent personal account administration, including updates to the list of notified numbers and e-mail addresses, can be found in CatLink. Parents cannot register themselves, their student must include them in their registration.
