Public Safety is tracking a significant snowfall that will be arriving in our area late Sunday morning (Jan. 25). It will snow heavily throughout the day and evening eventually tapering off Monday (Jan. 26) with 10-14 inches expected statewide. A sleet and freezing rain mix is also possible along the shore. Temperatures will be in the teens and twenties.
Due to this significant winter storm and the extensive campus clean-up operations that will need to take place, all in-person day and evening classes scheduled for Monday, January 26, 2026 have been cancelled. All scheduled in-person classes will transition to being held online or remotely. Additional information on the virtual format for each class will be provided by your instructor.
Faculty have been asked to prepare for Online or Remote sessions in the event of in-person meeting cancellations. These options will be determined by the Faculty member and all questions should be directed to the Faculty teaching each course section. Faculty also have been asked to be very understanding and accommodating of the individual situations of their students who may have difficulty managing these alternative online or remote class meetings on short notice.
Please note that only essential employees, as previously determined by their respective department leaders, should report to campus. All other employees should fulfill the requirements of their role remotely.
Campus operations for residential students, unless otherwise noted, will operate as scheduled, though hours may be modified or changed based on the conditions. Separate messages will be sent from the Peterson Library, the Beckerman Recreation Center, and Dining Services regarding any changes to their normal hours of operation. The Bergami Center for Science, Technology, and Innovation will remain open for residential students to use for study space and to participate in online classes.
Off-campus students that live in the City of West Haven should abide by the city’s parking ban during inclement weather to avoid having their vehicle tagged and towed. Please check the City of West Haven’s website for further information on their snow parking ban.
The Charger Blog
Faculty members in the University’s Pompea College of Business predict a Black Friday that will look very different – with fewer shoppers, seasonal workers, and doorbusters.
November 23, 2020
Brian Marks, J.D., Ph.D., has been monitoring the devastating impact the coronavirus global pandemic has had on the economy. The pandemic, he says, will continue to impact the economy through the holiday shopping season – including Black Friday, which is typically one of the busiest shopping days of the year.
As Dr. Marks recently told Hearst Connecticut Media, Black Friday has traditionally been about in-store sales, whereas the following Monday, known as Cyber Monday, focuses on online shopping. He anticipates a 30 percent decline in in-store shopping this year, as well as fewer of the big bargains that typically draw shoppers in.
“Given the likelihood that fewer people are going to shop, retailers are going to say, ‘we don’t need as many people working in the store,’” said Dr. Marks, a senior lecturer in the University’s Pompea College of Business and executive director of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program. “If retailers are reluctant to buy goods because they fear they will be unable to sell them, they are less likely to offer deep discounts.”
In addition to the expected lower numbers of shoppers, those who do venture out may also spend less. Dr. Marks says it isn’t just the fear of the virus that could be keeping people at home this holiday season.
“There is the uncertainty over a relief package and the unemployment situation,” he said. “Some people are going to be less generous. In times of uncertainty, people are less likely to spend.”
The virus means the holiday shopping season will likely look different this year in many ways. While stores are expected to hire fewer seasonal employees, Patrick Gourley, Ph.D., recently said in an interview with NBC Connecticut that he predicts the expected increase in online shopping will create seasonal jobs elsewhere. Specifically, he foresees warehouses, such as those owned by the U.S. Postal Service or Amazon, continuing to hire.
“We’re definitely going to see a major increase in people ordering packages,” said Dr. Gourley, an assistant professor of economics. “It’s going to change the supply of workers as well as the demand for shopping.”
The number of such warehouses in the state has continued to increase. Amazon recently opened a new delivery station in Danbury, Conn., promising to fill more than 100 jobs. Dr. Marks expects the increase in online shopping to continue – even well after stores and businesses open back up.
“In the longer term, this station is yet another signal of how Amazon is transforming the landscape that has been, that is now accelerated by, this public health crisis and its economic-induced prices,” said Dr. Marks to newstimes. “There will be a level of inertia that once things open up, people will still feel comfortable purchasing more and more goods online. Amazon is positioning itself for that.”
University News
New University-wide council will advance strategic partnerships, immersive student opportunities, and innovative research, supporting the University’s strategic plan the development of its pioneering Center for Innovation and Applied Technology.
The Charger Blog
Entrepreneur David Sussman, Pompea College of Business Advisory Board Member and chief visionary officer of The Family Security Plan®, is collaborating with University of New Haven students, faculty, and staff to create a program and app that helps Chargers support each other to achieve academic, personal, and professional goals. It’s called Uccountability.
University News
Vice President for Innovation and Applied Technology Paul Lavoie will serve on the Board of Directors and as America’s Chief Manufacturing Officer for the newly launched American Manufacturing Futures Institute.