Sent: Fri 12/19/2008 10:45 AMIt occurs to me that if everyone's sent home at noon, that means no cafeteria, so no lunch, and I'm already hungry. I am suddenly strongly motivated to actually go home early. (It also means I can pick up milk, etc. before it's actually blizzarding.)
Subject: Severe weather and HBS closing
To: HBS Staff and Faculty
From: Jay Light
In a few minutes, you will receive an email from central administration at Harvard with the University's recommendation that all non-essential personnel depart by noon given the current forecast for severe weather.
Today, the Business School will recommend the same guidelines for HBS staff and faculty:
* Non-essential (or non-emergency) staff should leave by NOON today.
* Individuals with commuter challenges should consider an earlier departure.
We wanted to note, however, that there may in the future be situations where the University, or parts of the University, close, but HBS will need to remain open and/or ask essential personnel to continue working. While fully aware of the need to ensure the safety of all members of the community, we also must be mindful of factors – including the residential nature of our campus, and executive education programs that often begin on the weekend – that would necessitate staffing in parts of the School. Thus we would ask that you look to your departments heads for guidance confirming whether and when HBS closures are in effect.
Enjoy the weekend.
[And the OSS party has been postponed to Monday or Tuesday; they'll be in touch.]