Fanshawe College faced the heat from students Thursday after announcing classes would go on as scheduled, despite London-area school boards declaring a snow day.
Upon learning Fanshawe would still be open, many students took to Instagram.
“Please don’t risk our safety like this! We WANT to be there but the accidents and roads are BAD,” said one user.
After a night of pounding snow, temperatures had dropped to -23 C by Thursday morning leaving icy, snow covered roads.
“How is this possible when all other schools and daycares are closed. How are parents expected to come to class? This is very inconsiderate,” another user said.
Some students who did make it to campus, said road conditions were terrible.
“I still think it’s ridiculous that schools open, even during normal time because no public schools are open, catholic schools… students just find it really hard to get into the school right now,” said Fanshawe student Connor Brooks.
Driving in London was difficult on the snow-covered roads, but for students like Julia Seitz, the journey to get to the city was the toughest part of the day.
“I actually commute to Fanshawe from Cambridge which is about an hour and 15 minutes on a good day. Today it took me about two hours, had to take backroads because they closed the highway.”
The decision to keep campus open left commuting students asking if the college cared about their safety.
XFM News reached out to Fanshawe College, and they provided the following statement:
“The College takes safety into account with all decisions about whether classes will continue as normal. This would include whether our roads and sidewalks can be kept plowed and shovelled and whether city buses are still running,” the statement said.
“We advise students and staff to take care when coming to the campus and if they feel they cannot get to campus safely to advise their professors or managers. During severe weather, our regional campuses sometimes give professors the option to move classes online.”
Fanshawe has a track record of remaining open in tougher weather conditions, and with students voicing their hopes for change, Fanshawe may want to lend an ear to its students.
