Weekday football game announcement

Dear Academic Affairs faculty and staff – 

The campus community will soon receive an email from the interim president and fellow senior leaders with information related to an on-campus football game we are hosting on Oct. 10 at 7:30 p.m. This is our first home weekday football game and one of many new characteristics of JMU’s growing national reputation, which includes higher-visibility athletics as well as increased prominence in teaching, research and scholarship. I write to give you advance notice with hopes that learning about this change earlier may assist with any needed adjustments to your class schedule and provide ample time to ask additional questions. 

As always, academics remains our core priority, and we will take this opportunity to support all our students. 

Accommodations for the event are primarily borne by other divisions on campus, and I appreciate the collaborative nature of the university’s planning, which included a committee with Academic Affairs leadership and faculty representation. The game will lead to increased traffic and congestion, so we have developed plans to accommodate faculty and student needs. 

The university will officially close at 3 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, to permit faculty and staff time to close offices and leave campus to minimize traffic and parking issues. All classes ending prior to 3:35 p.m. should meet as usual. 

Instructors holding on-campus classes on Thursday that begin after or extend past 3:35 p.m. may choose an alternative instructional method, such as those listed below, or may choose to continue with class as scheduled. Those teaching in Godwin Hall, Hartman Hall, Lakeview Hall, Showker Hall or Sonner Hall should anticipate increased noise and distractions and should plan accordingly. How class meetings will be held is ultimately the decision of the instructor, and recommendations are provided below to illustrate various options. 

Additionally, any faculty or staff who park in the parking lots adjacent to Godwin Hall, Hartman Hall, Lakeview Hall, Showker Hall or Sonner Hall are encouraged to pay particular attention to the Parking Impact details below. 

Rose Library will remain open to students and faculty as usual, with full Canvas and classroom technology support available. The following services will remain open for their normal weekday hours: JMU Dining, UREC, Rose Library, JMU Counseling Center, University Health Center, Student Success Center Festival and The Union. 

With administrative offices closing at 3 p.m., the university will largely follow our procedures for authorized closings; however, we recognize there will likely be some unique circumstances for immediate supervisors to review and consider. 

Additional planning details are below, with more details to be posted online as they are determined. I will also update you if any additional major modifications are made. 

I appreciate your assistance in working with our campus partners to make this event successful, limiting disruptions to our academic mission and supporting our students. 

Thank you –

Bob

Class meeting options

Instructors holding on-campus classes beginning or ending after 3:35 p.m. may choose to continue with class as scheduled or may consider an alternative option, such as:

• Incorporating the course content missed on that day into other classes throughout the semester.
• Holding class online using Zoom or Teams during the regularly scheduled class time.
• Holding class at a time different to the regularly scheduled class time that is acceptable to all class members, with the location to be arranged by the academic unit.
• Preparing an asynchronous class to take the place of the in-person class.
• Providing students with alternate assignments that can be completed through electronic means.
• Relocating classes scheduled in Godwin Hall, Hartman Hall, Lakeview Hall, Showker Hall or Sonner Hall to alternate places, with the location to be arranged by the academic unit.

Building closings

Godwin Hall, Hartman Hall, Lakeview Hall, Showker Hall and Sonner Hall (and likely others) will be locked by 4 p.m. to restrict public access. The JMU Libraries Express location on South Main St. will be closed after 3 p.m.

Parking impact

• All non-gameday parking lots will be available for faculty, staff and student parking without limitation. These general lots include the Ballard, Grace Street, Mason Street, Cantrell and Warsaw parking decks; D3, Cl2, R4and RS; all designated parking on the Bluestone section of campus; and all designated parking west of South Main Street and Memorial Hall.
• All gameday reserved parking lots must be cleared by 3 p.m.
• Access to all gameday reserved lots by faculty, staff and students will be restricted beginning at 1 p.m.
• To access campus parking after 1 p.m., faculty and staff will be encouraged to park in campus non-gameday general parking lots, as outlined in the first bulleted point.

Bob Kolvoord, Ph.D.
Professor and Interim Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs
James Madison University