While most students in the Southern Tier were tucked away in their beds this morning, reaping the benefits of the multiple delays and closings caused by last night’s snow storm, Binghamton University students trudged through their first day of classes as scheduled.

But the days of hot cocoa and daytime television are over for students at BU. Rather than hope for a light dusting of snow the night before an exam, Bearcats have to pray for a state of emergency, a requirement for closing the University.

BU, which is a state institution, can only legally close when a state of emergency is declared by the governor — an event which has only occurred a few times in BU history, according to Jim Van Voorst, vice president for administration.

“I’ve been here since 1999 and I remember one time that school was closed,” said Karen Fennie, spokeswoman for Physical Facilities.

Van Voorst said that he only knew of two or three instances in the last 16 years where the school closed due to a state of emergency.

Though it’s a rare occurrence for the entire University to shut down due to inclement weather, classes are occasionally cancelled by senior administrators when road conditions are dangerous for off-campus students.

“We consult with University police and ultimately the call is made by senior administration and Vice President Van Voorst,” Fennie said.

According to Van Voorst, Physical Facilities and the police stay in contact to assess problem areas on the roads as the storm progresses, but ultimately he makes the call to cancel classes.

One of the reasons classes are able to take place even during snow storms is that on-campus snow removal often takes place before it happens in the city.

“Most times you’ll see that the roads on campus are better than the roads in the area,” Van Voorst said.

Fennie added that one of the reasons the University cancels classes with much less frequency than neighboring elementary and high schools is because transportation is less of an issue for college students.

“You don’t have the bus routes to worry about like you do with the high schools,” she said. “Although there are commuters you also have significant portions of the student body living on campus.”

Although it’s unlikely that students will miss full days of school due to the weather, some professors may choose to cancel their own classes when snow hits. However, even when classes are cancelled, other campus activities, including sporting events and musical performances, may still be on because administrators lack the authority to close the entire University.

“The only person who can close a state agency is the governor,” Van Voorst said.

Up-to-the-minute updates about cancellations can be found on BU’s weather hotline 777-SNOW, but it’s unlikely that students will be experiencing many traditional snow days during their college careers.

“Bottom line is we don’t close classes unless there is a state of emergency declared by the sheriff’s office,” Van Voorst said.