SCAD has postponed the start of the fall quarter for Atlanta, Savannah and eLearning by one week after incoming Hurricane Irma was upgraded to a Category Five storm.
The storm, currently tracking west across the Atlantic towards Florida, is considered by meteorologists to be the strongest Atlantic storm in over a decade. The Atlanta area is likely to experience heavy rain and wind starting early next week.
The decision to postpone the fall quarter came almost exactly a year after Hurricane Matthew caused closures at both the Atlanta and Savannah campuses in 2016. In a statement from the official SCAD Alert system, the decision to postpone was due to the uncertainty of Hurricane Irma’s full impact on SCAD operations and student safety:
“Due to the magnitude of the storm and the uncertainty of Hurricane Irma’s path, SCAD will postpone the start of classes for Savannah, Atlanta and eLearning for one week. It is our hope that delaying the start of fall quarter will not affect the quarter’s scheduled end on Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017.
Students and families should NOT plan to travel to the Savannah or Atlanta campuses at this time. New students will not be allowed to move in to residence halls before Thursday, Sept. 14. Returning students will not be allowed to move in before Saturday, Sept. 16. Only students who are already pre-approved and currently in transit, arriving before 5 p.m. tomorrow, Wednesday, Sept. 6, may check in to their residence halls. We realize this change may inconvenience travel plans, however SCAD is focused on student safety.”
SCAD Atlanta will remain open for the time being and makeup classes have yet to be scheduled. All students are advised to continue checking for SCAD updates to university operations.
For live updates on the impact of Hurricane Irma in the Atlanta area, click here.
For hurricane preparedness and a safety and preparation checklist, click here.