Wisconsin weather has not been kind to Lakeland College’s faculty, staff, and commuter students this winter. On more than one occasion, grumbling could be heard from the students and others about the icy road conditions, raising the question: what is the process involved in announcing snow days?
Vice President for Student Development Nate Dehne was appointed the responsibility of deciding whether or not snow induced class delays or cancellations are necessary.
First, Dehne monitors the weather a few days before a predicted snowstorm and, if necessary, notifications are sent to the faculty and staff in advance to warn them of the weather conditions.
“I am typically up 4:30-5 a.m. in the morning and I’ll check the latest weather reports,” said Dehne.
On the morning of a snowstorm, Dehne makes a series of calls, the first of which is made to the lead person of grounds keeping, Mark Riesterer, who comes into school as early as 5:00 a.m. to begin work.
The second call Dehne makes goes out to Director of Communications David Gallianetti. Aside from his work at Lakeland, Gallianetti is also a school board member for the Sheboygan Area School District. This connection allows Gallianetti to give Dehne insight as to what the Sheboygan Area School District is doing in terms of class cancellation.
Dehne said he personally still keeps an eye on other school districts in the area, especially the rural districts in the immediate area.
“Obviously if [rural school districts] can’t get their busses out to get kids, the road conditions are such to where people shouldn’t be out and about,” Dehne said.
The entire process takes place in the early hours of the morning. “We try to have the call made no later than 6 a.m.,” Dehne said.
As for cancellations made in the middle of the school day, the process remains about the same. Dehne said, “I’ll consult with our academic team as far as if we’re going to close early, [and] what time that should be so it coincides with class start times.”
This exact process includes cancellations for Lakeland’s traditional program. For the evening program, Dehne talks to Zach Voelz, who is the vice president in charge of the Kellett school program. Voelz will contact the center directors and they will make any executive decisions.
In regard to what conditions classify for a snow day, Dehne said there are no set conditions due to the number of scenarios that could occur. “There’s no set minimum. We could get an inch of snow with 40 mph winds and that would make travel on County Highway A awful,” Dehne said.
Lakeland College commuters may not all agree with Dehne as to what winter conditions are safe to drive in. Dehne acknowledges this and treats any disgruntled students as if they were one of his employees.
“If you don’t feel comfortable coming in—if you feel like your car might not make it or you’re not feeling safe—you need to make that individual call,” Dehne said.
Gallianetti essentially agrees with Dehne’s perspective and said, “Ultimately, it’s about student and faculty safety.”
In regard to the lack of snow days this year despite the less than favorable road conditions, Dehne said, “I’m worried about not making the right decision. It’s not a decision made flippantly.”