In-person classes to resume Friday
Jan. 29 | 6:00 p.m. Classes and activities will resume on campus tomorrow except for those in the NSERL, BSB and SSA buildings, according to a schoolwide email.
According to the email, all other buildings are “fully operational.”
Individuals with labs or offices in one of the three affected buildings are recommended to check their emails for further information.
Damaged infrastructure across campus forces classes to remain virtual into Thursday
Jan. 28 | 6:20 p.m. A schoolwide email sent this evening said classes will be virtual tomorrow, the fourth consecutive day.
“Although road conditions have improved across much of the region, the severity of the winter storm has impacted heating and plumbing in a number of buildings on campus. Therefore on-campus activities and classes will remain suspended on Thursday, Jan. 29 to allow for repairs,” the schoolwide email said.
During today’s virtual meeting of the Handbook of Operating Procedures committee, university administrators said the campus was facing widespread infrastructure challenges in the wake of the freeze.
Student Government Vice President David Baker reported that university leadership said the central steam lines around campus, which connect to the Student Union and ATEC, are suffering unknown problems still under investigation.
Certain athletic buildings like the Activity Center and Rec Center West will open Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. The Callier Center Richardson and Dallas locations will stay closed through Thursday.
Research buildings close after winter storm flooding
Jan. 27 | 11:45 p.m. The Bioengineering and Sciences Building and Natural Science and Engineering Research Laboratory are closed indefinitely due to flooding caused by winter storm infrastructure failures.
David Hyndman, dean of the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, said in an email earlier this week that the weather “impacted a significant number of our research labs and administrative offices” in both buildings.
Per the email, temporary accommodations will be arranged for those with primary labs and offices in the buildings, and individuals will be allowed inside on a case-by-case basis for critical or time-sensitive research needs.
“Facilities teams and contractors are working diligently to determine the extent of the damage and remediate the affected spaces,” Hyndman wrote in the email.
The buildings mainly host research labs and faculty offices for science-based projects. According to the Office of Sustainability, it cost $113 million to construct the ecologically-conscious BSB.
Campus Taco Bell opens as winter storm winds down
Jan. 27 | 1:10 p.m. Taco Bell will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. today alongside Dining Hall West’s inclement weather operating hours. Until today, the dining hall has been the only available on-campus food option during the winter storm.
Students can find the most up-to-date dining hours by visiting @utdallasdining on Instagram.
Wednesday classes canceled, marking third consecutive winter weather cancelation
Jan. 26 | 5:00 p.m. All on-campus activities set for Wednesday, Jan. 28 have been canceled, according to an announcement sent out by UTD over email. This marks the third continuous day of cancellations due to inclement weather.
In addition to the essential services, the University will open the Student Union, Activity Center, and Rec Center West from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday. The university food pantry, Comet Cupboard, will remain closed.
The National Weather Service anticipates that the extreme cold warning will be over by 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 27. Until then, students should avoid outdoor activity and take extra precautions to stay warm if they must travel outside.
Tuesday classes canceled as week poised to begin asynchronously
Jan. 25 | 5:00 p.m. All campus activities scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 27 have been canceled, according to UTD, in addition to Monday’s all-day cancellations.
Coursework will continue asynchronously on Monday and Tuesday, though no classes will occur in-person. The specifics of how each class will continue has been left up to its instructors.
Any further cancellations or changes will be announced “as soon as possible,” per UTD’s student-oriented webpage on the matter.
Essential services on campus such as Dining Hall West and University Housing remain open.
Monday classes canceled as snowfall continues
Jan. 24 | 2:00 p.m. All campus activities held Monday, Jan. 26 have been canceled, according to a mass communication sent out by UTD.
Faculty must still choose to continue instruction that day using eLearning or other online tools, but there will be no in-person classes, according to UTD’s webpage geared at updating students on the school’s response to the weather. A decision about whether activities will resume Tuesday will be made by 3 p.m. Monday and announced over email and UTD Alert.
Essential campus services including University Housing and Dining Services will continue operating during the closure, while academic buildings and recreational spaces like the Student Union will be closed. Only essential staff are required to report to campus.
Snow showers are expected to continue into Sunday, with the National Weather Service’s forecast for Monday projecting an end to the extreme cold warning and snowfall.
Campus covered in snow, ice as winter storm arrives overnight
Jan. 24 | 11:15 a.m. As the first week of spring semester came to a close, UTD woke up to a snow-capped campus.
Temperatures overnight went below freezing and the National Weather Service forecast estimates today will see temperatures between 8 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit, with a wind chill as low as -8 degrees.
Freezing temperatures are expected to continue until Monday night and Tuesday morning.
The freeze has come with disruptions to local transportation. The DART 883 bus line and Comet Cruiser is still operating as of publication, with delays across the entire DART service area.
UTD suspends all activities after 5 p.m. Friday
Jan. 22 | 10:50 a.m. At 9:54 a.m., UTD announced all in-person activities will be suspended after 5 p.m. today, with the suspension lasting through the weekend until Sunday, Jan. 25.
According to UTDPD, starting at 5 p.m., students and staff members will be instructed to leave. Doors will be locked and law enforcement will be checking rooms and utilizing cameras to ensure no one remains in campus facilities during the suspension, one officer told The Retrograde.
Though Dining Services, Housing Services, UTD Police and Facilities Management will remain operational, all “nonessential staff should perform their duties remotely, unless otherwise directed,” according to an email sent to staff members.
UTD will decide whether activities will resume Monday by no later than 3 p.m. Sunday.
NWS forecasts severe storms for UTD this Friday
Jan. 21 | 2 p.m. The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch for the entire North and Central Texas region from Friday afternoon until Saturday night.
Dallas meteorologists report that ice, sleet and snow are expected over Friday and Saturday with temperatures in the low 20s Fahrenheit over the weekend and into next Tuesday.
In a statement to university residents, UTD Housing recommended students turn up the heat to keep their apartments warm and open cabinets under sinks. UTD Housing also instructed residents on-campus to avoid dripping their faucets.
“At this time we are not concerned about the pipes freezing, and we want to avoid flooding,” the statement read.
As of publication, classes have not been cancelled.
Gregorio Olivares Gutierrez | Editor-in-Chief 
Gregorio Olivares Gutierrez | Editor-in-Chief 
Gregorio Olivares Gutierrez | Editor-in-Chief 
Gregorio Olivares Gutierrez | Editor-in-Chief 
Shreya Ravi | Retrograde Staff 
Shreya Ravi | Retrograde Staff 
Shreya Ravi | Retrograde Staff 
New snowfall outside Founders Building. Gregorio Olivares Gutierrez | Editor-in-Chief