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
Devansh Sheth ’23 wanted to help foster a conversation and promote change. So, he organized and hosted a virtual panel discussion, bringing together professionals in law enforcement and the University community.
July 13, 2020
When Devansh Sheth ’23 saw the recent incidents of violence and police brutality taking place across the country, he knew he wanted to do something. Although he saw a lot of posts on social media that aimed to spread awareness, he wanted to do more.
While processing his own emotions, Sheth began thinking about how he could contribute to the dialogue in a positive way. He decided to create a platform to enable multiple perspectives and voices to be heard. With guidance from one of his criminal justice professors, Michael Jenkins, Ph.D., and a friend, he organized a virtual panel discussion to start a conversation about race.
“I know I am only one person, but just as a tiny pebble creates great ripples when dropped in a lake, my goal for this event was to inspire participants to reach out to others – especially those they disagree with – and serve the greater good together,” said Sheth, a forensic science major. “In this way, small conversations lead to big narratives, and, eventually, to bigger societal changes.”
Sheth conceived and organized the event, titled “Bridging the Divide,” over the span of only two weeks. Hosted on Zoom, Sheth brought together a panel of experts for a discussion about race relations and law enforcement.
Danielle Cooper, Ph.D., an assistant professor of criminal justice at the University of New Haven, encouraged participants to explore their feelings and not to “flee from feeling unsettled.”
“I encourage people to do a ‘gut check,’” continued Dr. Cooper, who serves as director of research at the University’s Tow Youth Justice Institute. “Center yourself and ask yourself what about the situation makes you uncomfortable. Lots of people – especially Black people – are in excruciating pain, and that doesn’t exclude people in the criminal justice field. That’s what I’m dealing with myself, and there has to be action.”
"I know I am only one person, but just as a tiny pebble creates great ripples when dropped in a lake, my goal for this event was to inspire participants to reach out to others – especially those they disagree with – and serve the greater good together."Devansh Sheth ’23
The conversation included Sonia Watson, deputy chief of the Hartford Police Department, and Ronnell Higgins, chief of the Yale Police and director of public safety at Yale, who also serves as a criminal justice practitioner in residence at the University of New Haven.
Sheth led the discussion and invited the audience to ask questions through Zoom’s messaging feature. They discussed topics such as civilian review boards and rebuilding relationships between law enforcement and local communities.
Panelist Lorenzo Boyd, Ph.D., the University of New Haven’s vice president for diversity and inclusion and chief diversity officer and director of the University’s Center for Advanced Policing, discussed the importance of empathy, of understanding one’s privilege, and of building bridges.
“As a Black man with a Ph.D., I understand the level of privilege I have, but I understand that people in society view me as a potential threat,” said Dr. Boyd. “If my skin color can be seen as a threat, am I ever unarmed?”
Sheth hopes the panel will encourage and enhance education and training among the University community – and beyond. He wanted the panel to be a platform where multiple perspectives and ideas could be shared, and he hopes it encourages his fellow students to get involved.
“I was someone who has never gotten involved, but I wanted to work on exploring solutions so something like this does not continue to happen in the future,” he said. “I want to show that it is really easy to make your ideas into a reality. You just have to want it enough.”
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.