Western Michigan University announced on March 19 that its Kalamazoo campuses would remain closed for the day following a widespread power outage in the area. Classes were canceled, and only essential services continued to operate, while power was reported restored earlier in the day.
The closure affects only the Kalamazoo campuses; the Grand Rapids campus and the College of Aviation in Battle Creek remained open. The university said some network services might still experience intermittent issues as systems are brought back online. Information Technology staff are monitoring network status and addressing problems as they arise.
Campus operations have been adjusted due to the outage. All WMU shuttle services are running normally, but dining options at Valley Dining Center and Student Center Dining are limited to cold food items for students with meal plans. Campus Cafés, retail operations on the first floor of the Student Center, bookstore, PNC bank branch, HÔU JIA restaurant, Waldo Library, Zhang Legacy Collections Center, and Sindecuse Health Center are all closed for the day. The Student Recreation Center will be open from 5 to 9 p.m., while FedEx remains open for pickups but cannot print new items.
Event organizers have been asked to update their listings on the university events calendar to indicate whether activities will proceed as planned, move online, or be canceled. Updates regarding special hours will be provided as information becomes available.
According to the official website, Western Michigan University enrolls more than 17,000 students and fields 16 Division I varsity sports as a Mid-American Conference member. The university supports inclusive excellence for all students and emphasizes education that is learner-focused, research-oriented and globally involved according to its official website. WMU also promotes sustainability through LEED-certified buildings and award-winning landscaping according to its official website, and has earned top-100 rankings for several graduate programs nationally according to its official website.