In the Spring 2025 semester, 8 and 9:25 a.m. classes have been canceled seven times due to inclement weather. 

According to Provost and Executive Chancellor of Academic Affairs Lynn Vidler, the Spring 2024 semester had three closures and one delay. To date, the Spring 2025 semester has had zero closures but seven delays.  

Closures affect all classes except online asynchronous courses. Delays only impact classes before 10 a.m. Biology Teaching Professor Lisa Durrenberger says the cancelations are “a gift in the moment, but you’re going to pay that price.” 

For lecture classes, professors can record lectures and ask students to submit a small assignment in place of the day’s class. Since labs are designed for hands-on experience, there is no out-of-class equivalent, according to Durrenberger.  

In most cases, when a lab is cancelled, it has no major effect on students because directors can rework the lab schedule. Research-based labs, however, are on tight schedules and cannot afford to miss excessive sessions, said Durrenberger. 

Due to the number of missed classes this semester, Durrenberger is anxious she will have to extend one of her lab courses into finals week to account for the missed content. Originally, this week was left open for students to study at home. 

In the event of a lab cancelation, professors must collaborate with lab coordinators to reschedule. In addition to missing content, weather delays and closures waste the time and money spent on preparing materials for labs, according to Durrenberger.  

According to Vidler, professors are allowed to alter their courses to account for weather related cancelations and disruptions. Occasionally, professors have to alter the course syllabus to account for the missed classes. 

“I did have one semester in the past where I really did have to change the syllabus and say, ‘Here’s the topics we’re losing, and carry on.’ I think science is challenging, and you can’t blast people with a fire hose and think they’re going to be successful,” Durrenberger said.  

Vidler said there is no limit to the number of weather delays or closures called in a semester, with safety being UCCS’ main focus.  

“We really care about the safety of everybody on our campus, and we try our best to make the best decisions that we can with the information that we have. We always try to err on the side of caution,” Vidler said.  

Students can learn more about inclement weather delays and closures on. the UCCS Police website.  

The mountain lion statue covered in snow. Archive photo by Lillian Davis.