Now that classes have been canceled for two days, Eastern students and faculty will have to find ways to make up for the lost class time.

It is still early in the semester, so there is time to adjust the topics for the course, said Blair Lord, provost and vice president for academic affairs.

“We just have to trust the faculty to use discretion with their schedules and jiggle the time of presentations and exams,” Lord said.

Assande Adom, an assistant professor in the economics department, came to campus Tuesday morning ready to teach, but upon arriving, he found out classes were canceled.

Because of the missed in-class time, Adom realized he had two options.

“My first option is I could readjust my schedule to accommodate the fact that we lost a day,” he said. “My plan was to cover a certain amount of topics before the midterm.”

Adom said he might shift chapters around for now or reschedule the midterm for his class.

“My second option would be to speed a little bit to make up for the lesson lost until I can recover what ever has been lost today,” Adom said.

After catching up to the original schedule, he said they will resume a normal pace.

“I’m contemplating this right now,” Adom said.

Before coming to Eastern to teach in the economics department, Adom taught in Pennsylvania. While there, a make up day was built into the schedule for professors to use as a day to catch up on lectures that may have been lost because of inclement weather.

“The professor does not have to use this day if he does not think it necessary for his class, but it is still an option,” Adom said.

Lord said if the campus had extensive downtime, the administration would have to readjust the schedule, but that has never happened in the history of Eastern.

David Raybin, a professor in the English department, said he will keep his classes on schedule by e-mailing his students to have the readings completed for Thursday’s class meeting.

“I’m also going to offer to meet with students outside of class if they need to,” Raybin said. “I don’t know how many will take me up on it, but I’ll offer it.”

As for Wednesday classes, Raybin did not have a plan before he heard official word Tuesday afternoon.

“Those are a bit more difficult, because with that class, because it meets once a week, we lose a whole week if it is canceled,” Raybin said.

While professors are left with the task to cover the lost class time, many Eastern students used the day to catch up on homework.

Adam Mobley, a sophomore kinesiology and sports studies major, left Booth Library at 2 p.m. on Tuesday after working on three papers he had completed for this semester.

“This is the first time I have found time to come into the library,” Mobley said.

On his way to the library early on Tuesday, he said he almost fell three times.

“It’s probably better we didn’t have classes today,” Mobley said. “I understand we pay tuition, but at the end of the day, the work still gets done and it’s the same grade on the transcripts.”

Nathan Ulrich, a junior chemistry major, and Tim McGrath, a junior art major with a graphic design option, were in the library working on homework Tuesday afternoon as well.

“As far as classes being canceled, people should know what is going on anyways,” McGrath said.

Ulrich said he did not mind too much for the snow day.

“But, we had a lab today and we probably won’t be able to make that up,” Ulrich said.

Amanda Ahern, a sophomore family and consumer sciences major, walked to the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union Food Court at 2:30 p.m. to find it closed for the day.

She was with four friends including Joslynn Northrop, a freshman elementary education major, and Shelbi Borta, a sophomore art major with a graphic design option.

Each had concerns about art projects and papers they turned in by e-mail instead of asking questions in person.

“Last week I was sick, so for two weeks I haven’t been to my math class,” Northop said. “This is the third day in a row I will have missed this class, even though today everyone else is missing it too.”

While no one can control the weather, impromptu cancellations kind of wreak havoc with a schedule, as well as become an inconvenience, Adom said.

“We don’t like losing a day here and there but I don’t think its anything we can’t handle,” said.

Kayleigh Zyskowski can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected]