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
Students taking a “Community Design” class worked with real-world clients as they designed marketing materials for two local nonprofit organizations. The organizations are now using the materials the students created, including bus ads, a billboard, and printed brochures.
May 26, 2022
Jake Puff ’23 was part of a team that helped create marketing materials – including a prominent billboard – for two local nonprofit organizations. That billboard, installed on Campbell Avenue in West Haven near the University, was part of a project for their “Community Design” class. It was a unique way for students to gain hands-on design experience while building connections with real-world clients.
Puff, a graphic design major, and his classmates worked with the West Haven Community House, which offers a Head Start program, and Literacy Volunteers of Greater New Haven. He helped create a Head Start billboard and bus ad, as well as a “rack card” brochure. He also collaborated on advertising flyers for Literacy Volunteers of Greater New Haven that read “learn to read for free” in multiple languages.
“The most meaningful part of working on these projects with these clients was the opportunity to do real graphic design work that would be utilized within the community,” said Puff. “I also enjoyed learning what the process of working with clients outside of the University is like.”
Designed to offer students the opportunity to gain experience working directly with real-world clients, “Community Design” helps local nonprofit organizations with their marketing and design needs while enabling students to develop their skills.
Students begin by researching their clients. They worked directly with the organizations to ascertain their marketing goals and to better understand the challenges they face in connecting with their target audiences. They then use this information to identify possible strategies to help the organizations reach their goals through design initiatives. Working in teams, students developed their ideas and presented them to their clients via Zoom. They used the clients’ feedback and recommendations to adjust their presentations and develop their final products.
Prof. Gene Mayer, a practitioner in residence at the University, was the students’ instructor. He says it is a great way for students to learn to work as part of a team while making their designs fit their clients’ needs. It also enables them to practice what they’ve been learning in their art and design courses.
"Unlike typical course assignments, which are mostly hypothetical, students must develop and present design concepts for actual clients,” he said. "The way we structure the course, the students are responsible for developing and presenting their ideas to the clients. This gives them the opportunity to put into practice the presentation skills and visual vocabulary we've been teaching through classroom critiques and discussions."
In addition to making sure their work fits their clients’ needs, students also had to make sure their designs fit a set of specifications for size, image quality, and color integrity. They worked with the media kit specifications required for bus and billboard ads.
Students also designed a series of printed pieces, such as “rack cards,” flyers, and small posters for Literacy Volunteers of Greater New Haven. The production files were delivered to the printer, and the organization is now using the materials.
"The students' interaction with these organizations helps create a stronger bond between the University and the local community,” said Prof. Mayer. “It helps make the University a good neighbor – a neighbor that can have a positive impact in the area."
In addition to gaining meaningful experience working with clients, students also developed important skills, such as interpersonal, teamwork, and presentation skills. They also finished the course with samples they can include in their own portfolios.
Puff, the graphic design major, says Prof. Mayer was very helpful in guiding him and his classmates as they navigated the process of working with clients.
“Working with these outside clients was a great learning experience that helped us understand the entire process – from presenting our preliminary designs to working with their feedback and producing a final product,” he said. “It was also rewarding to see our work displayed in West Haven on the billboard and the bus ad.”
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.