By Elijah Westbrook
As snow continues to fall across eastern Connecticut with high winds creating drifts, the rest of the state is starting to dig out, including Quinnipiac University.
In a press conference provided by the university, school officials said they are doing everything they can to make sure roads and pathways in and around Quinnipiac’s three campuses are safe and accessible. Keith Woodward, Associate Vice President for Facilities Operations, said facilities is working very hard to make sure the pathways near residence hall areas on the Mount Carmel and York Hill Campuses are clear.
“Plows have been out there since 9:30 this morning clearing roads in and around all three campuses,” Woodward said.
In an effort to ensure students are safe during this time, Quinnipiac’s Department of Public Safety has stepped up its patrol by providing students with transports to and from the health center on the Mount Carmel Campus.
School officials said they determine the snow removal budget based on storms in the past and therefore use that as an estimate. “We can’t discuss budget numbers specifically,” Woodward said. Woodward also said if there is a year where the school gets a lot of storms, the university has to pull from other budgets within the school to accommodate the amount it needs.
A statement provided by Quinnipiac’s Department of Public Safety reads, “The University will continue to suspend all shuttle service for the remainder of Tuesday, Jan. 27th.” The decision was made after receiving the latest update from the State of Connecticut’s Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, as well as the Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security. “In addition,” the statement says, “the towns of Hamden and North Haven continue to have travel advisories and parking bans in effect.”
David Barger, Chief of Public Safety, and David Woodward seem to be happy with the amount of students who moved their cars to the York Hill parking garage, allowing for easier snow removal on the Mount Carmel campus. “We are super appreciative about that,” Barger said.
The university is advising students to monitor their emails and all Quinnipiac social media platforms for updates throughout the day.
