Liberty University Snow Days

Liberty students across Lynchburg experience the same level of excitement as their professors when the Campus Alert System sends out the text message or email saying that school is closed because of snow.

Both sides can admit one of the best parts of the winter season is snow days. However, the days where snow falls heavy yet Liberty stays open can be confusing and frustrating for those whose cars are buried or stuck.

Col. Richard Hinkley, the Liberty University Police Department chief of police, said the top priority during snow days is student safety. However, the criteria is not based on what other schools in the area do.

“Many factors weigh into the decision, especially road conditions off campus and road and sidewalk conditions on campus,” Hinkley said.

Hinkley said the decision to close or delay school is not decided by only one person. Multiple departments make the call on whether or not to stay open.

“It is a group decision with Liberty police and academic and human resources,” Hinkley said.

For off-campus students, getting to class is more difficult than on-campus students. The team making the decision does consider the off-campus commute when deciding whether or not to close or delay school, according to Hinkley.

Off-campus students deal with snow removal, black ice on the roads and delays. Jessica Phelps, an off-campus student, said her concern when it snows is getting out of her driveway.

“Liberty does a great job clearing its roads, but the back roads around town many times do not get cleared until days later,” Phelps said. “I do not feel comfortable driving on the roads when there is any form of ice or snow and have to end up finding a ride to class.”

Students must be alerted before arriving to class. Due to the fact that classes begin at 8:15 a.m. each day, Hinkley said Liberty tries to notify faculty and students before 6 a.m. on any school day.

When there is a threat of inclement weather the next day, Liberty may make the decision to close the day prior to the expected snowfall.

Though it seems Liberty stays open while other schools in the area close, the school bus system is a key factor in other schools’ decisions. Not only can roads be hazardous, but students also have to wait in the cold weather at the bus stop.

“K-12 will close or delay more than Liberty because of the buses they have to run to get students to school,” Hinkley said.

Liberty is not given a limit on the number of snow days. Closing or delaying is based on the severity of the winter weather advisory.

Students can sign up for the campus alert system through LUPD’s page on Liberty’s website.