There was confusion this morning for many people at McMaster about whether the University was open or not. Under the Snow Closure Policy the University closes if the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board closes its schools. However, today the University decided to stay open.

“The School Board made a decision to close based on criteria that are important for its students and staff,” said McMaster president, Peter George. “However, we deal with different issues at the University. For example, this week our students are writing mid-terms, and in view of the improving weather forecast, we decided that closing would be too disruptive to our students. We made the right decision to keep the University open but the confusion highlights the need for us to change our Snow Closure Policy so we are not tied to decisions that don't necessarily reflect the University's needs.”

The Snow Closure Policy is now being reviewed and any change to the policy will be communicated.