Updated at 5:05 pm, Wednesday, Sept. 13
We are currently in recovery mode on campus, but want to provide an important update. We have not had power until this morning in the IST or the Wellness Center, and we are under limited operations at this point.
STUDENTS: Please do not report to campus until Saturday at the earliest but Sunday is preferable. We have concerns about food services (because they have been out of power and they need time to restore operations) and the ability to provide air conditioning for all of the residence halls.
IST FACULTY & STAFF: Employees who are essential to bringing campus back up will be asked to return tomorrow, and you will be contacted if this is the case. Others are able to return to work tomorrow if you choose. Everyone who works at IST should plan to return on Friday.
POLY SOUTH & FIPR EMPLOYEES: These buildings are not operational at this time, and employees will not report until Monday.
If you have any questions or extenuating circumstances, please contact your supervisor directly.
I hope you are recovering well from the storm and you and your families are OK. I also want to thank the many Florida Poly employees who have been on campus monitoring and maintaining operations throughout the storm. There are many employees from operationally critical divisions who have been working nonstop since last Friday, and we greatly appreciate your dedication and commitment to Florida Poly and to our students.
— President Dr. Randy K. Avent
Updated at 9:37 pm, Monday, Sept. 11
Due to power outages on campus we have made the following decisions:
Students: Classes are cancelled until Monday, September 18th. Please stay safe and travel carefully over the weekend. We will see you on Monday.
Faculty and staff will report to work once power has been restored on campus and we are sure it’s safe for you to return. If you have circumstances that prevent you from returning once we announce it’s OK to return, please contact your supervisor.
Please monitor email and social media for an announcement when power is restored.
Updated at 2:36 pm, Sunday, Sept. 10
We continue to watch Hurricane Irma very closely. The safety of our students, faculty and staff remains our highest priority. In anticipation of the impacts this storm will have on our area, Florida Polytechnic University will remain closed at least through Tuesday, September 12. We will continue to monitor the situation, and once we have been able to assess damage and have a better idea of a timeframe when our students, faculty and staff can safely get back to campus, we will let you know if any further closures become necessary.
We understand many of our students have evacuated and we hope you and your families are safe. We plan to be flexible throughout the week and understand traveling back to campus may prove difficult for some.
Updated at 3:25 pm, Thursday, Sept. 7
ALL, please be aware of the following IMPORTANT information regarding the Florida Poly campus throughout the storm.
1. The IST building will be on lock-down and not accessible from Friday at 5pm until we reopen. The IST building is NOT a designated shelter.
2. Please do NOT try to come on and off campus. It is important the police are able to keep campus safe and traffic to an absolute minimum.
3. Students who have signed up to stay in the residence halls will be relocated to Residence Hall 2 by noon on Friday. They will be advised to stay there until campus is reopened and we have the “all clear” from the police department that it is safe to leave.
4. We do not know when campus will reopen. That will depend on the severity of the storm and what damages occur. Our police will let us know when it is safe to reopen.
5. Stay tuned to social media and FloridaPoly.edu for updates on when campus will reopen.
6. Kade Ross, Director of Student Living, and Tonya Chestnut, Director of Student Development, will be staying at the residence hall with the students.
7. Food service will be available, although limited, and is for those who have signed up to stay in the residence hall throughout the storm.
8. University police WILL be on campus 24/7 and monitoring the situation very closely.
9. Counseling services are also available. Mental health professionals are available 24/7 through BayCare Behavioral Health Student Helpline. This service is free and confidential for all Florida Polytechnic University students. BayCare 24/7 Helpline: (800) 878-5470.
10. Self-help information is available regarding those services and can be found at https://floridapolytechnic.personaladvantage.com/portal/subject/10000488. For access code information, please see your Florida Poly email.
11. Information on Polk County emergency management services and public shelters can be found here: https://www.polk-county.net/emergency-management/emergency-shelters
Updated at 4:25 pm, Wednesday, Sept. 6
Auxiliary Services & Transportation Update
FOR STUDENTS REMAINING IN RESIDENTIAL HALL
Retail Hours: Mosaic Café will close at 5pm Wednesday and re-open when classes resume. Mondos and Corner Grill will close Thursday at 7pm and re-open when classes resume.Board Operations: Wellness Center Dining will continue regular operations through dinner on Thursday.
Limited Service Hours – Beginning Friday, Sept. 8
- Breakfast — 7:30-9:00
- Lunch — 12-1pm
- Dinner — 5-6 pm
Saturday, Sept. 9
- Brunch — 11 – 12 pm
- Dinner — 5pm-6pm
Bag lunches — with supplies for two days — will be dropped off at Resident Hall on Saturday at 4pm for Sunday and Monday.
These will contain the following:
- RTE (Ready to Eat) Meals
- Bread
- Peanut Butter & Jelly Packets
- Granola Bars
- Fruit Cups
- Chips
- Cookies
- Bottled Water
- Cutlery Kits
Tuesday service level will be determined after assessments of the storm.
- Breakfast — 8am-9am
- Lunch —— 11am-12
- Dinner —– 5:00-7:30
Regular operating hours for retail and resident dining will resume when classes resume.
IMPORTANT MESSAGE FOR PARKING AND TRANSPORTATION:
Phoenix Shuttle schedule:
September 7th: Route A, service will be suspended at 5pm.
September 8, 9 and 11: Shuttle service is suspended.
Cars on campus: The university is not responsible for any damage to student, faculty, staff or vendors personal vehicles left on campus during the storm.
Updated at 4:03 pm, Wednesday, Sept. 6
FACULTY & STAFF
As you know, we continue to closely monitor the expected path of Hurricane Irma. Your safety and the safety of our students is our first priority.
We will be closing the University tomorrow (Thursday, September 7th) at 5:00 p.m. so you have the opportunity to make any necessary preparations. We will remain closed through Tuesday morning, at the earliest. As stated in yesterday’s communication – IF you have a circumstance that requires you to leave prior to tomorrow at 5:00, please discuss this with your supervisor.
Essential operational personnel, please check with your supervisor on the need for you to report to work Friday, or throughout the course of the storm.
Stay tuned to the website: FloridaPoly.edu, email and social media for further updates.
Please be safe and be prepared… take any and all necessary precautions to ensure you remain safe over the next couple of days and into next week.
Updated at 3:36 pm, Wednesday, Sept. 6
STUDENTS
As you know we continue to closely monitor the expected path of Hurricane Irma. Your safety and the safety of our faculty and staff is our first priority; thus, we want you to have all of the information you need to make an informed decision and do what is right for you and your family.
What we know at this point:
- Classes have been suspended at 3:00 today until further notice
- Campus will be closing (except for essential operational functions) Thursday at 5:00pm through Tuesday morning at the earliest. An announcement on when campus will reopen will be made when we are more certain of the storm path and potential effects.
- Each student should evaluate his/her personal options for safety. At this time, this is a closure not an evacuation, which means one residence hall will remain open. However, Florida Poly urges students who live on campus to move to safe off-campus locations by noon on Friday, September 8.
You should also consider the following information in making your decision:
- Our residence halls are not shelters – they are constructed to withstand Category 3 winds (111–129 MPH), but are not shelters.
- For students who choose to stay on campus, Residence Hall 1 will be closed and students will be housed in Residence Hall 2 by noon on Friday.
- Food services will be available, although limited, and we will provide a separate update on those in another communication.
- The University cannot guarantee that power and water will not be interrupted. Additionally, water and medical assistance will be limited.
- Students with special needs should make plans now to relocate off-campus.
IF the storm changes course and we declare an evacuation:
- Campus will be shut down in terms of all operations.
- You may be required to evacuate to a public shelter – the link below provides information regarding Polk County public shelters and emergency management information. https://www.polk-county.net/emergency-management/emergency-shelters.
- As a reminder, the University does not serve as a public shelter during hurricanes.
- All food services will be suspended.
We are here to help you with anything you need. Please be safe, take all necessary precautions and be prepared for this storm.
Stay tuned to the website and social media for updates throughout the storm.
Updated at 6 pm, Tuesday, Sept. 5
We have been monitoring the situation with Hurricane Irma and we understand that this storm can and probably will have a great impact on our students, faculty and staff. We also understand that there are storm preparation activities that you may need to attend to – whether it be for yourself or your family.
With that said:
STUDENTS & FACULTY: We will be suspending classes beginning tomorrow at 3pm. Classes will be suspended for the remainder of the week. Understanding that some of our students may need to travel, classes missed tomorrow (prior to 3pm) for hurricane related activities will be excused.
STAFF: We will remain open and operating at full capacity until further notice. However, we understand you may also have hurricane preparedness efforts that you need to take care of for you and your family. Please discuss these extenuating circumstances with your supervisor. Supervisors are encouraged to work with their employees to allow them to prepare for the storm.
ALL: Please stay tuned to email, social media and Blackboard Connect (My Poly Alert) to keep updated on University news, further closures and information about when we would reopen next week.