While students are sleeping on blustery winter mornings, university officials are deciding whether conditions are extreme enough to merit the cancellation of classes.

“The administration looks at safety,” said John McCarroll, director of University Relations.

He said the administration must determine how the weather will affect the ability of faculty, staff and students to make the trip to campus.

It is the responsibility of Loras Jaeger, director of the Department of Public Safety, and Warren Madden, vice president of Business and Finance, to decide if the weather warrants canceling classes.

The decision is made as early as possible, and University Relations announces any cancellations on the radio and television.

McCarroll said officials consult the Iowa Department of Transportation, CyRide, the City of Ames and the National Weather Service before a final decision is made.

Eric Biga, senior operations assistant for CyRide, said whether the buses can run is an important factor in the university’s decision to cancel classes.

“We carry tens of thousands of students a day,” Biga said. “If we can’t run, that will affect significant numbers of people traveling to campus.”

The DOT informs Jaeger and Madden if the interstates and highways are safe for traveling, McCarroll said. The City of Ames notifies the administrators as to whether public roads are safe for travel.

Information regarding cancellations also is posted on the ISU home page, he said.

McCarroll said classes are rarely canceled because “the vast majority of our students are … either on campus or very near campus.”

Since the university does not provide for the occurrence of snow days it is unusual for classes to be canceled, McCarroll said.

Even if classes still are in session during adverse weather conditions, McCarroll encouraged travelers to use their own judgment when deciding if they can make the trek to ISU.

“If you don’t think you can make it, don’t come,” he said.

Missed days are more common in the Ames Community School District than at ISU.

Joe Stratton, business manager and treasurer of the Ames Community Schools, said a list of people must be called in order to gauge the traveling conditions of roads.

Like ISU, Ames Community Schools contact the National Weather Service, city maintenance crews, the DOT and surrounding school districts to determine whether other schools have canceled classes.

The announcement of a cancellation or delay is made early — usually no later than 6:30 a.m.