Dear CFAES Wooster Campus Community,
On April 8, our campus will be in the path of totality for the solar eclipse. Originally, we had plans for a campus-wide open house for our surrounding community. However, as we planned and received more information, it is likely we will have more visitors than expected. Due to safety and security concerns, we are planning for limited activities and public accessibility. While our full operation plan is still developing, we wanted to provide our campus with these important updates for April 8:
- The CFAES Wooster Campus will not be closed, however we strongly encourage everyone to work remotely. Those that are volunteering and those that are required to be on-campus for research, teaching or other duties will be allowed. Please work with your supervisors to understand on-campus expectations. Please also keep in mind that traffic on local roads in Wayne County may be heavier than normal.
- ATI classes are encouraged to be remote learning if possible. Most graduate courses on the Wooster campus are already remote or hybrid, but please reach out to your instructors if there are questions.
- All buildings will be locked and secured except for the Wooster Science Building (first floor only) and the Wooster Campus Conference Center (Fisher Auditorium included).
- OSU faculty, staff and students needing to be on campus will enter via the Secrest Rd. and Gerlaugh Rd. entrance starting at 7AM. This entrance will be staffed, and those with a BuckID or USDA-ARS identification card will be allowed to park anywhere except the public parking lots (see below). OSU personnel may exit at anytime via the same entrance. (See attached map)
- We will have a “Science Day” in the Wooster Science Building and the Conference Center. This will include activities and programs that showcase the research and extension programs on our campus and our college. Please contact our eclipse event committee co-chairs: Dr. Fred Michel (michel.36@osu.edu), Erin Parker (parker.1390@osu.edu) or your departmental leadership if you are interested planning an activity. The “Science Day” will run from 8AM until 12PM.
- Beginning at 8AM, public visitors will be allowed on-campus via the main Madison Avenue entrance with parking available in the Fisher Auditorium north and south lots. This entrance will be staffed, and, once the lots are full, public access will be closed. (See attached map)
- We will encourage any public vehicles to stay on campus until after the eclipse is over (expected time 4:30PM). Public vehicles will exit via Secrest Rd. and Gerlaugh Rd. and will only be allowed to turn eastbound (right). (See attached map).
- All other entrances to campus will be barricaded, including nearby facilities (e.g. Grace Drake Agricultural Lab and Fredericksburg). OSU personnel will be allowed access to these facilities.
- We will need volunteers for the Science Day, parking, and help with logistics the day of the event. Please contact our volunteer committee co-chairs Kelly Kyser (kyser.53@osu.edu) and Camila Perdoncini Carvalho (perdoncinicarvalho.1@osu.eduvolunteer committee co-chairs) if you are interested in helping. All volunteers will receive eclipse glasses.
We will provide further updates as we proceed with our planning. If there are any questions, please reach out to Loren Harper (harper.202@osu.edu) or myself (michel.70@osu.edu).
Andy Michel, Ph.D.
Associate Dean and Director of the CFAES Wooster Campus
Professor, Department of Entomology
College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences
CFAES Wooster Campus
1680 Madison Ave., Wooster, OH 44691
330-263-3730 Office / 330-347-8652 Mobile / 330-263-3686 Fax
email: michel.70@osu.edu