Snow days at UNE are as unpredictable as getting snow in March – they don’t happen, until they happen. Students often take to social media to call out Don Clark, the Director of Campus Safety and Security, who is the unlucky soul responsible for sending out the snow day announcements to UNE Faculty and Students. Although the attempts to get a snow day are often desperately hilarious and fun to read, they are focused on the wrong person.

Bill Bola, Vice President for Operations, is the hidden mastermind behind snow days at UNE. Bola states this his process starts with “[reviewing] the reports and forecasts from all available sources as to the conditions on both our Portland and Biddeford campuses as well as the surrounding communities that are home to many of our students, faculty and staff.”

Bola then speaks with the Facilities Management Staff, who is responsible for the control of the snow and ice conditions on campus, around 5:30 AM to see the current conditions on both the Portland and Biddeford campuses.

At approximately 5:45 AM speaks with Provost Koelbl where they “review all available information and make the best decision we can, using the best information available to us while always keeping the safety of our UNE community members foremost in our decisions.”

“If we decide to cancel or delay,” Bola continues, “I call our Communications, IT and Security offices with this information and they in turn distribute the decision to commercial media outlets, social media sites, our switchboard answering service, our automated voice mail announcement and a community-wide email is sent.”

Although the Cancellation/Delay Policy states that the announcement of a decision is to be made by 6:30 AM, Bola uses this step-by-step process to make and announce the decision around 6:00 AM.

Even though the decision to cancel or delay classes on both the Portland and Biddeford campuses is made by 6:30 AM, certain conditions can cause Bola to adjust the decision. Monday February 8^th, 2016 is perfect example. Bola explains that “the storm track changed midday and the forecast was changed indicating that the storm rather than ending at noon was now going to persist until after dusk. Because of this change we reassessed our earlier decision and decided to allow our community the opportunity of traveling home in the daylight rather than in heavy wind and snow after dark, so we closed early; again a safety concern.”

Bola states that, “In short any event that could pose an imminent or credible risk to the safety of our community members will cause us to review the sources of the threat, assess the risks and make the very best decision that we can that will protect our community members.” So when you lay in your bed at 7:45 AM waiting for that email from Don Clark saying that your 8:00 AM has been cancelled it is good to remember that Bill Bola is the man in charge of your snow day fate – and that Bola would have made that decision at 6:00 AM and you should probably get up and get dressed for class.

For more information see the Cancellation/Delay Policy on the UNE Website: http://www.une.edu/about/cancellationdelay-policy