By Elizabeth Gladstone
Multimedia Coordinator
At 5:14 a.m. on Feb. 13, David Muha sent a campus-wide email stating that the College was reverting to remote classes due to the impending snowstorm. He wrote in the email that employees were expected to “work remotely during business hours.”
If the College is implementing a spontaneous, remote work day, it is safe to assume that the conditions outside are expected to be unsafe for commuters and employees when arriving at campus.
As a junior education major, and for other students currently in their student teaching placements, this campus-wide shift did not apply. That morning, I was still expected to arrive at my half-day practicum placement at 7:45 a.m., a 30-minute drive away from campus. The College has a rule that all students in a clinical or practicum are expected to follow their district’s schedule and go to their respective placements, rather than follow the College’s schedule.
My practicum partner and I left campus at 7 a.m. because my district did not have a delay or close for the day. We began our drive, and as soon as we started to drive on the highway, we knew it was going to be unsafe.
Within a matter of minutes, we passed six or seven disabled vehicles on the sides of the road, some that had spun and hit guard rails and some that slid into the tree line next to the highway. We had to change lanes to avoid a car that was facing oncoming traffic after being involved in an accident. On the other side of the road, police vehicles could be seen tending to several collisions.
After seeing multiple disabled vehicles, we decided for our safety to return to campus. We were able to arrive back safely after driving with extreme caution.
I later found out that my professor emailed another student in my class that practicum was canceled, which was sent to her at 8:49 a.m. Only after she drove through these conditions and made it to practicum was it announced that she no longer needed to go. This was never addressed to the entire class; it was only emailed to students who emailed the professor first.
I should have never had to experience something like this. Not only were we at risk of being involved in a car accident, but the possibility of us getting seriously injured was great. Why is it acceptable for the College’s employees to stay home for the day and work, but students in their student teaching programs still have to drive through dangerous conditions to get to their placements?
The College needs to heavily reconsider what they expect of student teachers on snow days. Students should not be expected to show up to their practicum placements if the College’s professors do not have to come to campus. This rule is risking the safety of our students, which can be prevented if we can follow the College’s schedule rather than the respective districts.
