No Classes Tuesday, Resources Still Available
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 7, 2016) – Tomorrow, Tuesday, Nov. 8 is Presidential Election Day. Offices at the University of Kentucky are traditionally closed in observance of this important day in the life of the country.
That means classes will not be in session and faculty and staff will not report to work.
As always, an exception to that is UK HealthCare hospitals and clinics, which will be open and operating normal hours. Staff are expected to report for duty as normal.
In addition, UK officials said, several campus resources will be available for students to report any issues or concerns resulting from what has been – and continues to be – a tumultuous election cycle.
“Although it is an academic holiday, UK is committed to maintaining a safe campus where everyone can find a sense of belonging, safety and inclusion,” said Terry Allen, UK’s interim vice president of institutional diversity. “As a result, many campus resources will remain available Tuesday for students and employees to utilize, if necessary.”
Allen said that students and employees who may experience bias, negative interactions or are seeking a safe place of support are encouraged to utilize the following services:
- Bias Incident Support Services (BISS) Bias Incident Support Services are available to any student or employee member who has been impacted by an instance of racism, bias, hate, or identity-based violence due to their actual or perceived identity. BISS can be accessed on Wednesday, Nov. 9 when the VIP Center opens at 8:30 a.m. No appointment is needed to access support. Walk-ins are welcome.
- Bias Incident Response Team The Bias Incident Response Team is the official reporting system for students, staff, and faculty to notify the University of instances of hate, racism, bias, and identity-based violence due to a person or group’s actual or perceived identities. Reports can be made anonymously if necessary. Reports can be made here.
- UK Police Department 859-257-8573
- Counseling Center 106 Frazee Hall, 859-257-8701 (closed Tuesday, will reopen Wednesday, Nov. 9 at 8:30 a.m.)
- Community of Concern Students and employees may file an online report if they have concerns about a current student or employee. File a report here.
“Our expectation is that Tuesday will be a day where all Americans make their voices heard – through the voting process and speaking out on issues of fundamental importance to our country,” Allen said. “There will be disagreements, but we expect our campus community to find common ground around the idea that we all have a voice and we all have an expectation that ours is a community where everyone can and should belong.”