While students enjoyed days off, essential staff kept university up and running
Jordain Carney
Issue date: 2/16/09 Section: News
While the university was closed for four days in late January and students huddled in their rooms to stay warm in the icy cold weather, essential staff members made their way to campus every day to work in dining and residence halls and keep students safe.
"Essential staff is decided by department," said Steve Voorhies, manager of media relations for the university.
After the ice storm, he said, those who worked in University Housing and dining halls, as well as members of Facilities Management and the UA Police Department, were considered essential.
"Our customers are still here during inclement weather and deserve their bare necessities to be [met]," said Gary Hume, director of Residential Facilities. However, the department was very lenient with staff members who were not able to make it to campus because of the inclement weather, he said.
Parts of the Arkansas Union also were open during the aftermath of the ice storm, and Roger Henry helped keep the Union computer lab open the entire four days the university was closed, except for 10 hours when a staff member could not come in because a tree was blocking his truck.
"If we're going to have power, we're going to be open," Henry said.
For Henry, the biggest challenge was trying to communicate with people and find out who was going to be able to come in and who wasn't. He said he thought it was important that the Union and the computer lab stay open so they could "be a place for students and people to meet and stay warm," and he said that students were coming not only to study, but also to work on papers and charge their cell phones.
About 300 people were using the Union daily to meet with their friends, do homework or just stay warm in a place that had electricity, and 50 to 60 students used the computer lab Tuesday and Wednesday.
The ice storm provided obstacles for many staff members trying to get to work, and one member of the computer lab staff walked all the way to campus from his home on North College Avenue, Henry said. While Henry was able to drive his truck up to the university most days because of a small layer of snow over the ice, there were times he had to walk to work because of the icy roads.
Facilities Management staff always is considered essential, but in conditions like those caused by the ice storm, the department starts first with response teams, and the rest of the staff knows they might be needed and are prepared to respond if called upon, said Ron Edwards, director of operations for Facilities Management.
UA students did take notice and were thankful of the staff who came in to work during and after the ice storm, they said.
"Essential staff is decided by department," said Steve Voorhies, manager of media relations for the university.
After the ice storm, he said, those who worked in University Housing and dining halls, as well as members of Facilities Management and the UA Police Department, were considered essential.
"Our customers are still here during inclement weather and deserve their bare necessities to be [met]," said Gary Hume, director of Residential Facilities. However, the department was very lenient with staff members who were not able to make it to campus because of the inclement weather, he said.
Parts of the Arkansas Union also were open during the aftermath of the ice storm, and Roger Henry helped keep the Union computer lab open the entire four days the university was closed, except for 10 hours when a staff member could not come in because a tree was blocking his truck.
"If we're going to have power, we're going to be open," Henry said.
For Henry, the biggest challenge was trying to communicate with people and find out who was going to be able to come in and who wasn't. He said he thought it was important that the Union and the computer lab stay open so they could "be a place for students and people to meet and stay warm," and he said that students were coming not only to study, but also to work on papers and charge their cell phones.
About 300 people were using the Union daily to meet with their friends, do homework or just stay warm in a place that had electricity, and 50 to 60 students used the computer lab Tuesday and Wednesday.
The ice storm provided obstacles for many staff members trying to get to work, and one member of the computer lab staff walked all the way to campus from his home on North College Avenue, Henry said. While Henry was able to drive his truck up to the university most days because of a small layer of snow over the ice, there were times he had to walk to work because of the icy roads.
Facilities Management staff always is considered essential, but in conditions like those caused by the ice storm, the department starts first with response teams, and the rest of the staff knows they might be needed and are prepared to respond if called upon, said Ron Edwards, director of operations for Facilities Management.
UA students did take notice and were thankful of the staff who came in to work during and after the ice storm, they said.
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