UPDATES: University cancels classes, Richmond closes Boatwright after crash

Update at 1:10 p.m.: John Jacobs, captain of the University of Richmond Police Department, said URPD has been notified of one minor crash on campus today, as Richmond and much of the East Coast face the season’s largest snowstorm.

One person went off the road on Boatwright Drive, but the driver did not hit anything, Jacobs said.

Boatwright Drive, notorious for its steep climb and sharp curves, has been closed, according to an email sent by university communications.

“We don’t want to take any chances,” Jacobs said.

Update at 9:53 a.m.: The National Weather Service is now calling for seven to 15 inches of snow to fall in the Richmond area, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reports. A map (below) via the National Weather Service as of 8:55 a.m. predicts Richmond will receive 8-12 inches of snow this weekend.

Update at 9 a.m.: Faculty, staff and students received an email from university communications at 7:48 a.m. notifying them that all classes and events scheduled to start at 10:15 a.m. were cancelled. The university originally planned to cancel Friday events starting at noon or after. The email in its entirety is reprinted below:

Due to the change in the timing of the impact of the winter storm, all classes and events scheduled to start at 10:15 a.m. or later on Friday, January 22, are cancelled through Sunday, January 24, at 8 a.m.
Designated essential personnel who are asked to work during this period should coordinate their work schedules with their respective supervisors. Non-essential personnel should refer to the inclement weather and emergency policy for information regarding time keeping and pay available at http://hr.richmond.edu/talent/policies/inclement.html.

Faculty, staff and commuter students are encouraged to exercise their best judgment regarding local road conditions when determining whether it is safe to travel to and from campus on Friday.

Faculty may use their discretion for any additional class changes.

For additional information, please visit http://alert.richmond.edu/.

Original post: In preparation for Winter storm Jonas, University of Richmond sent an email to faculty, staff and students at about 5:00 p.m. Thursday alerting them that all classes and events scheduled between 12:00 p.m. Friday and 8:00 a.m. Sunday were cancelled. The email in its entirety is reprinted below:

Due to the winter storm forecast, all classes and events scheduled to start at noon or later on Friday, January 22, are cancelled through Sunday, January 24, at 8 a.m. Designated essential personnel who are asked to work during this period should coordinate their work schedules with their respective supervisors.

Faculty, staff, and commuter students are encouraged to exercise their best judgment regarding local road conditions when determining whether it is safe to travel to and from campus on Friday.

Faculty may use their discretion for any additional class changes due to deteriorating weather conditions prior to noon on Friday.

The men's home basketball game vs. Davidson originally scheduled at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday will be moved to Monday at 7 p.m. The women's home basketball game vs. VCU has been postponed; a date has not yet been determined. For more details, visit http://Richmondspiders.com.

The University will continue to monitor the situation and should the storm begin earlier than is currently forecast, further announcements regarding the status of University operations will be made.

Please continue to monitor your email, http://alert.richmond.edu/, local media and the hotline(804-289-8760) for additional information. Adjustments to the hours for dining services and the UR transportation system, as well as the Library and Weinstein Center for Recreation and Wellness will be posted at http://alert.richmond.edu/.

For additional information, please review the Inclement Weather and Emergencies policy available online at http://hr.richmond.edu/talent/policies/inclement.html.

The university offered more details about the hours of operations for several of its on-campus services on its website. The information is reprinted below:

Dining and Retail Locations

Please visit http://dining.richmond.edu/ for up-to-date information about the hours for the dining and retail locations.

Library

• Boatwright Library will close at 5:00PM Friday, remain closed on Saturday, and reopen at 11:00 am Sunday.
• Parsons Music Library will close at 12:00 Friday, remain closed on Saturday, and be open on Sunday from 2pm – 11 pm.
• Curriculum Materials Center will close at 12:00 Friday, remain closed on Saturday, and reopen at 1:00 am on Sunday.

Transportation

• UR Downtown shuttle will run on a normal schedule 9 am to 5 pm.
• Daily Connector will begin at 10am and ending time will be determined by evening road conditions. The Daily Connector will not be serving the Village Shopping Center.
• Spider Mall Crawl will not operate on Friday or Saturday.
• Campus Loop will not operate on Friday night.
• Service Vans have been cancelled.

Weinstein Center Hours

• Friday 6 am to 1 pm
• Saturday 12 to 4 pm
• Sunday 9 am to midnight
• All classes and programs are cancelled from Friday at Noon until Sunday at 8 am. Please check http://recreation.richmond.edu/ for updates.

The Collegian will provide updates as more information becomes available.

Contact editor-in-chief Jack Nicholson at jack.nicholson@richmond.edu