Collegesk, universities delay terms as Y2k precaution

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Colleges, universities delay terms as Y2K precaution

The Associated Press 09/16/99 11:08 PM Eastern

DAYTON, Ohio (AP) -- Fear of the Y2K bug could give some college students in Ohio a few extra days off between fall and winter terms.

Some colleges and universities plan to postpone the start of their winter terms, while others say they will closely monitor events to determine whether they will need to cancel classes in case there are problems with computer systems, the Dayton Daily News reported today.

Ohio State University plans to push back the start of classes from Jan. 3 to Jan. 5 as will the University of Dayton. Cedarville College, east of Dayton, has decided to delay the start of its winter term one day to Jan. 4.

School officials insist their computer systems are, or soon will be, compliant for Y2K. But some out-of-state students and their families told school officials that they didn't want to fly cross-country the day after the turn of the century.

Experts fear that some computers or computer programs will fail on Jan. 1, 2000, because they may recognize the date code 00 as 1900.

Ohio State University officials don't expect any serious Y2K problems on campus, but interim Chief Information Officer James Davis said it's impossible to anticipate all Y2K-related problems or to predict all Y2K-related behaviors with 100 percent certainty.

"While the probability of major problems is now very low, there will continue to be a risk of glitches that will need to be addressed," he said.

"I think we're being extra-cautious, which is fine" for this circumstance, said Tom Westendorf, UD's registrar.

Cedarville College spokesman Roger Overturf said the college's decision to push back winter term one day was made to ease the fears of those who have Y2K concerns, especially those who must travel to return to school.

Some Miami Valley schools -- including Edison Community College, Central State University and Antioch College -- already are scheduled to start later in January. Wright State University, Sinclair Community College and the University of Cincinnati say classes will start as scheduled Jan. 3.

A special Wright State task force examined the potential effect of Y2K, gathering information from hundreds of suppliers and vendors that provide the university's power, transportation, financial and other services, Paul Hernandez, WSU's director of computing and telecommunications services. He said the university was assured there would be no major problems.

If major problems do occur, WSU will follow the same delay and cancellation procedures it would for a weather emergency, Hernandez said.

Sinclair plans to handle the issue the same way.

"Come Jan. 2, if we find the world is caving in around us, we may announce we won't have classes the next day," Sinclair spokesman Gary Honnert said.

) The Associated Press, 1999

http://flash.cleveland.com/cgi-bin/clv_nview.pl?/home1/wire/AP/Stream-Parsed/OHIO_NEWS/o0414_PM_OH--Y2K-Colleges

-- Homer Beanfang (Bats@inbellfry.com), September 17, 1999

Answers

The Ohio State University NEVER closes or postpones classes... To announce at this time a delay in the start of the term is significant. The only time I can remember Ohio State closing was for part of a day when the Blizzard of '78 hit Columbus, Ohio.

-- mmmm (mmmm@aol.com), September 17, 1999.

I must concur: college schedules are usually carved in stone.

-- Dave (aaa@aaa.com), September 17, 1999.

Actually, universities are having some problems. I have heard that University of WI has had significant problems with their new Y2K compliant software, they have been trying to impliment peoplesoft! Also in University of Arkansas is having problems offering financial aide because of their new y2k compliant software. I'm sorry that I can't offer any links but will try to add some. Maybe some of you linkmasters can. The Arkansas story was in the Democrat on Sunday. Kim

-- Kim (fleece@eritter.net), September 17, 1999.

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