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
As part of the University of New Haven’s afternoon Spring Commencement ceremony, Clarissa Lopez ’21 M.S. and Nyhsere Woodson ’21 addressed their fellow graduates and encouraged them to continue to apply what they have learned at the University in every aspect of their lives.
May 20, 2021
When Clarissa Lopez ’21 M.S. began her time as a Charger, she became the first member of her family to pursue an advanced degree. She completed her master’s degree in national security in only eight months – while working full-time and completing an internship.
Lopez spoke to her fellow graduates as part of the University’s afternoon Spring Commencement ceremony, which included graduates of the Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences and the Pompea College of Business. Discussing the importance of fostering inclusion, she thanked University of New Haven President Steven Kaplan, Ph.D., for helping to cultivate a welcoming environment at the University.
“His acknowledgment and voicing of concerns for the ongoing challenges that different communities faced were not dismissed, but, rather, were discussed,” she said. “That is just one of the reasons I am proud to call myself a New Haven Charger. As I am officially part of the four percent of the Latinx community to receive a master’s degree, I am here to tell you I can’t wait to see that number grow.”
More than 1,600 members of the University’s Class of 2021 were awarded their degrees on Commencement Day. Lopez was among the nearly 40 undergraduate and graduate students who applied to be one of the University’s Spring Commencement speakers. Sixteen of those students were selected to do a live audition via Zoom, and two students – one undergraduate and one graduate – were selected to speak at each ceremony.
Nyhsere Woodson ’21, who accepted his bachelor’s degree in finance, spoke on behalf of the undergraduate student body. Discussing the importance of learning to adapt and assimilate, Woodson shared the lessons he has learned during the many transitions he experienced throughout his life, including moving several times as well as attending three different high schools and two universities. He told his fellow graduates that he also learned what it took to follow his dreams.
"It was the absence of fear that empowered me to keep breathing because I soon found out that I had the strength that I was looking for,” he said. “Over the past year, we may have felt like it was difficult to breathe. We’ve had experiences that seemed tailored to take our breath away. In a blink of an eye, social isolation became the norm, and life became sponsored by Zoom. But yet we remain. We made it.”
Acknowledging the challenges that his classmates faced during the pandemic, Woodson told his fellow graduates that it was their response to adversity that defines them. He encouraged them to use the skills they developed at the University to continue to thrive.
“Adversity breeds innovation, resilience, and greatness,” he said. “Our class has the opportunity to succeed beyond our wildest dreams because we have been through the trenches and came out victorious. Who do we become after this? It’s your story to write.”
Lopez also urged her classmates to reflect – specifically regarding the fight for justice. Concluding her speech with a poem titled “What is Justice?,” Lopez discussed the importance of advocating for justice in all areas of life – including policing, education, and healthcare.
“Justice is one where me standing here is not questioned or presumed that I am here due to my looks,” she said. “It’s recognition that I am here because of the work that I put into being here and that is why I have the privilege of delivering this speech today.”
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.