CREDIT: FRANCIS SIEBERT
As long as London Transit operates and accessibly on campus is maintained, Fanshawe will remain open through snow, wind and rain.

The University of Waterloo was criticized February 2 for remaining open while all other schools in the region — including the University of Laurier, Conestoga College and the University of Guelph — were closed because of weather conditions.

But uWaterloo wasn't the only school being criticized for being open the morning after the February 1 snowstorm. Fanshawe College students also took to social media to voice their complaints.

Over 40 people responded to Fanshawe's message on Facebook saying that the St. Thomas, Woodstock and Simcoe campuses were closed but that the London campus was open. More than 30 responded to the same message on Twitter.

“I drive from Woodstock everyday, there no way I'm even touching my car in this weather #areyoucrazy,” wrote Twitter user @jessejamesdrums.

“Very disappointed in how little you cares for the safety of students, since you stayed open you will cause car accidents !!” wrote @J_Lambert31.

“Thanks for taking the students and faculties lives into consideration. It's a goddamn blizzard out there, you cancel all the other campuses classes but, still want the rest of us to risk it. Stupid. I'm staying home,” wrote Facebook user Steve Mc.

“Just woke up to get ready for my 10 am exam.. now realizing that I am snowed into my driveway. I wish I had the option to go to class or not but I doubt they would find my excuses acceptable during midterms. Thanks for forcing me into this dangerous activity for the sake of an exam,” wrote Haley Barnhardt.

One of Fanshawe's tipping points when choosing whether to close the college or not because of weather conditions is whether public transportation operates. The London Transit Commission was operating on February 2.

The other tipping point is whether the college can clear sidewalks, parking lots and streets on campus fast enough to maintain accessibility. This was also the case, according to Robert Earle, manager of Fanshawe's emergency management office.

“This is an individual choice that people have to make,” he said. “If they feel the weather conditions compromise their safety or their personal circumstances dictate that they're not going to be able to get to campus, then that's a choice that they have to make.”

Earle points out that there is provision within the policies of the college that weather conditions is an excusable absence.

“Everything boils down to a personal choice,” he said.

uWaterloo said in a statement that its two priorities when choosing whether to stay open or to close are also accessibility on campus and public transit operations.

“In our judgment it was safe for students, staff and faculty to get to and move around the University of Waterloo,” uWaterloo said in the statement.

Waterloo Religion's public transit, Grand River Transit, was also operating that day.

Melanie Garrett, a third-year student at uWaterloo, started a petition on Change.org for the school to re-evaluate its weather policies.

“The University of Waterloo students frequently risk their safety getting to classes when most other academic institutions are closed due to dangerous weather conditions,” she wrote on the page. “We, as students, need to make it very clear that we will not stand for leaders who constantly show a blatant disregard for our safety.”

The petition had over 4,000 signatures as of February 4.