After initially planning to resume classes Monday, UCF changed its position and announced that the university will resume classes Tuesday Oct. 4 after growing complaints from the student body over the response to the aftermath of Hurricane Ian.
UCF released another #UCFalert this weekend letting its student body know about the change in plans with the new reopening date stating after “working closely with community partners and monitoring local conditions” that the university will now remain closed through Monday Oct. 3.
“We have learned that several of our local school districts have conducted assessments and that they will be unable to re-open as planned and will remain closed through Monday, Oct.3,” UCF said in a statement. “In response to these additional last-minute closures and to re-open Tuesday, Oct. 4.”
The change in the reopening date comes after a wave of negative backlash from students claiming that the university is being “insensitive” and “not supportive” of a large number of students who are still dealing with power outage and extensive water damage from flooding in the area that have upended many Knights’ living situations in a disastrous way.
The Central Florida area experienced significant flooding that rose as high as 6 ft in some areas with thousands of households are still without power.
UCF said that its Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) will be open Monday to offer an in person and Virtual post Hurricane crisis support drop in to cater to Students’ mental health as they navigate the next steps forward as they try to now juggle worrying about their worsened living conditions with coming back to school and focusing on their workload from classes at the same time.
Whether students are ready or not, the university’s regular operations and classes are set to resume Tuesday Oct. 4.
