Classes resume Feb. 18

Update: Feb. 18 6 a.m.
All Vanderbilt classes resume today. Please follow guidelines immediately below.

Update: Feb. 17, 5 p.m.

Dear members of the Vanderbilt community,

We plan to resume classes tomorrow, Wednesday, Feb. 18.  We will monitor conditions closely overnight and post any updates, if needed, on the Vanderbilt homepage by 6:30 a.m. tomorrow.  With this in mind, please plan accordingly and advise others as needed.

For your reference, the following is a link to a campus map detailing optimal walking routes.

If you determine conditions are not safe for you to travel to campus, please notify the appropriate parties (for example):  for faculty, your classes via listserv or Blackboard; for students, your course instructor; for staff, your supervisor. 

We appreciate the efforts and dedication of the many staff who have ensured our students and our campus are safe and functioning well over the past two days.

Sincerely,

Susan Wente
Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs

Previous Update: 6:30 a.m. Feb. 17
Given the continuing severity of travel conditions and our ongoing concern for the safety of all members of the Vanderbilt community, all undergraduate, graduate and professional classes, including School of Medicine classes, will be canceled today, Tuesday, Feb. 17. The state of Tennessee has declared a state of emergency, Metropolitan Transit Authority bus service has been canceled and Nashville Mayor Karl Dean has urged those who can to stay home today. All members of the Vanderbilt community are urged to exercise caution when going outside.

Feb. 17 Message from Traci Nordberg to university (non-medical) employees
Due to continued inclement weather and poor road conditions, the majority of academic programs will be reduced or closed again today. Our paramount concern is for the safety of our students and staff. Staff directly supporting academic programs may use PTO if they are unable to get to work and will be not be penalized for being absent or arriving late. However, with students on campus some areas will need staff to provide food and other services.  Administrative areas such as Finance, DOA, OGC, Athletics, DAR, Public Affairs, Investments, and IT will determine their core services and staffing needs and contact employees about whether to report to work. Those who are not identified as core, or who are unable to make it into work, may use PTO. As always, we look for employees to use their best judgment about commuting when we are experiencing inclement weather.

Previous update: 5:30 p.m. Feb. 16
All classes at Vanderbilt University are scheduled to resume Tuesday, Feb. 17. Should the weather worsen overnight, this website will be updated with the latest information by 6:30 a.m.

Staff directly supporting academic programs may use PTO if they are unable to get to work and will be not be penalized for being absent or arriving late.  However, with students on campus, some staff will be needed to provide food and other services and should look to their department leaders about whether to report to work.

Previous update: Feb. 16
All undergraduate, graduate and professional school classes at Vanderbilt University were canceled Feb. 16. The School of Medicine held classes, but students who could not attend classes or clinics because of the weather were excused. Light sleet and freezing rain have produced a thin layer of ice on roads, parking lots and sidewalks. Additional accumulation is expected throughout the day.

The university will continue to monitor weather conditions and will post further updates to this website about the situation, including the resumption of classes. Faculty, students and staff who are on campus are urged to exercise appropriate precautions when outside.

In the meantime, essential staff members in the Police Department, Plant Operations, Dining Services, and Housing are in position and will be available throughout the day and evening to ensure that our students are safe and well cared for and our campus buildings are secured.

Feb. 16 message from Traci Nordberg to university (non-medical) employees regarding weather
Due to inclement weather and poor road conditions today, the majority of academic programs will be reduced or closed. Our paramount concern is for the safety of our students and staff. Staff directly supporting academic programs may use PTO if they are unable to get to work and will be not be penalized for being absent or arriving late. However, with students on campus some areas will need staff to provide food and other services. Administrative areas such as Finance, DOA, OGC, Athletics, DAR, Public Affairs, Investments, and IT will determine their core services and staffing needs and contact employees about whether to report to work. Those who are not identified as core, or who are unable to make it into work, may PTO. As always, we look for employees to use their best judgment about commuting when we are experiencing inclement weather.

Sincerely,

Traci Nordberg
Chief Human Resources Officer

Feb. 16 Update from Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Our hospitals remain under normal operations. All units are fully staffed. However, we have announced closures and have contacted patients who were to be seen in the following outpatient clinics today. These clinics are at several different locations in Metro Nashville and in the outlying counties. As of now, all other VUMC clinics remain operational and will see patients today.