Students arriving on campus have been bundled up tight as temperatures have been dropping below zero on a regular basis.
To help combat the freezing cold weather, IVCC instituted a temporary shuttle service on Jan. 23 until 2 p.m. to help get students from their vehicles to the college without exposure to the cold.
“I used the shuttle and I really appreciate that they did that for us,,” said student Chelsea Berg. “It was a wonderful idea and definitely kept us warm!”
The shuttle first began moving students on Jan. 23, but the criteria by which the school administration will decide when to use the shuttle in the future will be discussed in the final week of January.
Country Catering also opened up a temporary shop near the college’s entrance where students could purchase warm beverages after or before their frosty trek outdoors.
Despite those measures, some students remained critical of IVCC’s decision to have classes during Jan. 23’s extreme temperatures.
Jerry Corcoran, IVCC President, gave information on what the requirements usually are to close the campus and what the process generally entails.
Corcoran explained that the process usually begins around 5 a.m. and involves many faculty members, including G4S security, in deciding whether or not to close the campus.
Corcoran himself is also conferring with local high-school superintendents about their plans, but they do not necessarily share the same requirements that IVCC does.
One of the concerns that other local schools take into account are buses. Corcoran explains, “Although it would be great if everyone always made the same decision, there are factors that differ for each entity, particularly when one takes into account the risk that goes with buses transporting children on rural country roads to and from elementary and secondary districts.”
The administration takes many different factors into account from temperatures, to road/parking conditions, and weather forecasts for the remainder of the day.