Public Safety and Facilities Management staff members informed University leadership that while roads on campus and in the immediate vicinity are in decent winter driving conditions as of mid-morning, they are concerned about high winds and more snow expected later this afternoon.

Exempt from the 1 p.m. closing, of course, are the police and road crew members who will remain on the job this afternoon. We appreciate their professionalism and dedication. They plan to take a break around 5 p.m. to evaluate whether to continue their plowing, salting and sanding this evening, or return early Friday morning. In any event, travel on campus is not recommended later today.

Employees should always use their own judgment about whether they can safely travel to or from campus, and if and when they should report. Faculty and staff are directed to contact their immediate supervisors if they have questions about the winter storm and its impact on their operations. The UW-Green Bay Winter Storm Policy is online at http://www.uwgb.edu/provost/policies/storm.asp

Before the Tornado Drill, we ask that you:

• Discuss within your office, your classroom, or with your staff as to where you could go in the event of a Tornado Warning.

What will happen during the Tornado Drill:

At 1:00 pm a mock Tornado Watch will be issued: Which means that conditions are favorable for a tornado to develop and you should monitor weather conditions via local media or national weather service. In the event of a Tornado Watch no siren or public address message will sound.

At 1:45 pm a  mock Tornado Warning will be issued: This means a Tornado has been sighted in the area:

• If you are outside you should hear the tornado sirens emit a steady tone for 3 minutes.
• Public Safety will send out the warning using several of our warning systems: public address announcement, text message, and a pop up message on your computer alerting you of the mock Tornado Drill, and requesting that you seek immediate cover.  In seeking cover you should:
  • Evacuate to an interior room or hallway, and on the lowest level if it is safe to do so.
  • Stay away from windows, glass, and large open areas.
  • Protect your head and face; get under a steady surface or structure if one is available.
• Once in a safe location tune into local media or the National Weather Service via radio or computer if available.
• You should remain in a shelter area for five (5) minutes
• Five (5) minutes after the mock warning is sounded, a mock all clear will be given and the warning sirens and a public address announcement should sound again ending the mock tornado drill.
• If you do not receive a mock all clear notice after five (5) minutes, you should return to your normal work or activity.

If you have not signed up for GB Alert, our emergency text messaging system, you can do so by going to:  http://www.uwgb.edu/publicsafety/gbalert/

If you do not hear the mock Tornado Drill Announcement or the announcement was not loud enough, Tomas Kujawa would appreciate hearing from you as to what the problem was and where you were at the time of the announcement.

For additional information about what to do in the event of a Tornado / Severe Weather or other emergencies go to the University’s Emergency Plan, which is located at:  http://www.uwgb.edu/publicsafety/pdf/Campus_Plan.pdf

Thank you for your cooperation and participation in this Tornado Drill.

With updated forecasts now calling for snow to persist and travel conditions to deteriorate in our part of Northeast Wisconsin, I make the following announcements to members of the UW-Green Bay community:

• All classes that either begin or end after 3:35 p.m. today (Wednesday, March 23) are canceled. As of now, our regular class schedule is expected to resume Thursday morning.
• University employees already on campus are encouraged to leave early if they are concerned that travel to their homes would be less safe later this afternoon or evening.

Thomas K. Harden

Chancellor, UW-Green Bay