Dear campus community,
Monday, April 8 will find thousands of people across North America focused skyward to view the that will throw a narrow path of brief, complete mid-day darkness. In Burlington, the sky will begin to darken at 2:14 p.m. as the moon slowly covers the sun; totality will last from 3:26 to 3:29 p.m., with the moon finally exiting the sun’s path at 4:37 p.m. Total eclipses in populated areas are true rarities: the next one in the continental U.S. will occur 20 years from now. The last total solar eclipse visible in Vermont happened in 1932.
This uncommon event is expected to draw thousands of visitors from outside Vermont—perhaps as many as 160,000 by some estimates—and many central and southern Vermonters will travel northward that day into the eclipse’s “path of totality.” Potentially crowded conditions, and the nature of eclipse viewing itself, call for caution and planning to make the experience of this rare event a safe and positive one.
Alternative instruction/student-facing offices and working from home
While most regular instructional activity will not occur, campus will be open and operating regularly to support an Alternative Instruction Day (pdf) for students. Faculty and staff who regularly meet with and support students are encouraged to be present and take part in the array of on-campus activities we have planned for the day. The Eclipse Day team has planned programming for our university community, and we should be prepared to share this exciting experience with our students. (Student-facing offices may be closed during the period of the eclipse itself, beginning at 2:14 p.m.)
Due to anticipated increases in visitation to the area, managers need to think carefully about staffing. It will be appropriate for some employees to work from home on April 8, but the university is not closed and to the extent possible, student-facing offices should be staffed in person. Managers should coordinate with their teams to support flexibility while maintaining appropriate on-campus staffing, and supervisors and employees with questions should contact their next-level supervisor for additional guidance.
Real-time updates
The ̽̽ CATAlert system will, as always, keep users informed of any emergency information. If you are a student, faculty, or staff you are signed up for this system using contact information the university has for you. Anyone not already signed up, or who wishes to receive CATAlerts using an additional phone number or email address, can visit the CATAlert website.
The Vermont Emergency Management division of the state’s Department of Public Safety maintains the to notify state and local responders and the public of emergency situations. . The state has also established a dedicated text notification system for the event to convey weather, traffic, and other information; text VTECLIPSE to 888777 to register.
Both and authorities also have online guides with extensive eclipse information. is available on the Vermont state site, and Burlington offers an to receive regular updates.
In the event of a large-scale campus emergency on eclipse day, an information portal at will be activated to provide information about safety contingencies. Most importantly, this is the location where evolving/emerging information and instructions will be posted if necessary.
Cellular telephone service may be impacted by crowds on eclipse day. To submit tips and information—and to enable two-way chat with the safety operations center—please download the LiveSafe app and use the “Eclipse Safety” tip. This text/chat function enables the submission of information related to event safety, ranging from suspicious activity to a broken piece of event infrastructure, directly to the safety operations center.
Vehicle traffic
Traffic volume is likely to become an issue. It is important to anticipate potentially lengthy delays in travel to, from, and around campus that day and plan accordingly—including having food, water, and other necessities in your vehicle. It is expected that traffic may be particularly congested in the hours immediately following the eclipse.
Major Vermont roads can be monitored in real time at . The City of Burlington has extensive road closures on April 8 .
Due to expected traffic delays, the Given Mailroom and Waterman Mailroom will not be sending shipments to Fed Ex, UPS, and USPS on April 8. In addition, there will not be any pickups from vendors that day. The drivers for Print & Mail will not be delivering to residence halls or campus departments. This may cause a delay in package deliveries across campus.
Safe viewing and photography
Never directly stare at the sun with the naked eye—this can cause severe retinal burning and blindness. The only way to safely have a direct view of the eclipse is with special viewing glasses, which are available on campus (see first part of Q&A on ̽̽’s eclipse information webpage) as well as through .
Looking at the sun with the unaided eye is dangerous but viewing it with binoculars, a telescope, or a camera can be even more harmful to your retinas. Never use these devices to look directly at the sun.
The American Astronomical Society provides . Prolonged direct exposure to the sun by digital cameras, including smartphone cameras, can cause permanent damage to their optical sensors. B&H Photo has an informative article that offers extensive tips on .
Wireless network interruption
The ̽̽ Guest wireless network will be turned off between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on April 8 as a preventative measure in anticipation of a potentially untenable increase in user volume. With the projected number of people anticipated to be on campus, the ability for the existing wireless access points to handle the additional population would likely be compromised and all users—guests as well as ̽̽ community members—would experience difficulties. The normal ̽̽ authenticated wireless will still be available for people with an active NetID.
Additionally, technical support staff will be available for remote support on that date. The ETS Tech Team and help line staff will be available by phone, email, or footprints but the walk-in location will be closed. Contact Us—̽̽ Knowledge Base.
Sincerely,
Patricia Prelock, Provost and Senior Vice President
Michael Schirling, Chief Safety and Compliance Officer