Update on recent flooding

Friday, July 2, 2021, 10:21 a.m. ET

Members of the campus community,

Once again, I find myself amazed at the resilience and dedication of Wayne State Warriors. Less than a week after Detroit and our campus were hit by what has been characterized as a “500-year” storm, Wayne State remains fully open and most of our campus is again fully operational. There are still a few buildings undergoing remediation and restoration, but teams are actively engaged in the work and we are optimistic regarding the outcome.

Next week, we will resume campus tours and activities, and most of the classes that moved online this week will return to in-person instruction. There are some exceptions, most notably in the College of Nursing. These will continue to be remote for now, as well as a few other isolated classes. Please contact your instructor for information.

This speedy resumption of campus operations is thanks to the dedicated team that has been tirelessly at work on campus since the rains first hit. I am profoundly grateful to them for their efforts, and I'm confident that we can now focus our attention on preparing to welcome students, faculty and staff to a vibrant and restored campus for the fall semester.

Enjoy your holiday weekend.

M. Roy Wilson
President

Tuesday, June 29, 2021, 7:10 a.m. ET

To the School of Medicine Family:

While the recent storms and unusually heavy rains have affected some areas of the Wayne State University campus, be assured that we are still on schedule to welcome our newest class of medical students, as well as faculty and some staff, on July 6.

We have assessed buildings on the School of Medicine campus and developing plans for some issues that must be addressed, but the majority of our buildings and Parking Structure 4 have not been affected by the flooding.

The School of Medicine has set aside some small emergency funding to assist any students affected by the recent storms and flooding. To apply for funding, complete the request form here.

Our plan for a phased return to campus remains intact.

As I said previously, our priority during the campus restart is keeping you safe and healthy. Faculty and staff will need to complete Warrior training and the daily screener for a safe return.

Departments and units that serve students, along with faculty, will be the first to return to campus. Supervisors of those offices and units will devise schedules to ensure that they are staffed at all times from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. so that students are not inconvenienced.

As we monitor developments, I anticipate that all faculty and staff will return to campus by Aug. 23. Employees who require special accommodations should discuss those needs with supervisors and Human Resources.

Please familiarize yourself with the most recent return to campus plans, as well as a guidebook and checklist for supervisors and employees, here.

If you missed last week’s town hall, you can view it here.

I look forward to welcoming you back and meeting our newest students.

Mark E. Schweitzer, M.D.
Vice President, Health Affairs
Dean, Wayne State University School of Medicine

Sunday, June 27, 2021, 3:10 p.m. ET

Members of the campus community,

The recent flooding has caused significant damage to homes and property in and around our community. Many members of our campus community are personally experiencing difficulties from the flooding, even as we brace for more rain.

The same can be said of our campus. As we communicated yesterday, many buildings on campus have sustained significant damage, though thankfully, many continue to be operational. The Wayne State University Police Department, Facilities Planning and Management (FP&M), the Office of Environmental Health and Safety and others have been assessing the damage and beginning the process of mitigation and repair.

Despite some building closures, the university is open and will continue operating, primarily virtually, as it has for the past year. Online classes will continue as scheduled. Classes scheduled to be held in person on campus will move to remote instruction for this week only. Please contact your instructor for details.

With repair and assessment ongoing, potential safety hazards in some buildings, and the threat of continued rain, some campus buildings will remain closed, some important exceptions being housing, the Student Center and the Campus Health Center. In addition, the majority of research facilities appear stable and functional, and can accommodate standard research operations and most laboratory activities. Additional specific guidance for individual research buildings and site-specific research operations will be provided from the Office of the Vice President for Research as needed as we enter the coming week.

We continue to ask those who do not need to be on campus to work remotely rather than come to campus. If it is absolutely necessary to visit campus, please contact Tonya Jones in FP&M, as some buildings may not be accessible due to repair or safety issues. If on campus, please exercise caution and avoid areas that are flooded or appear to be damaged, particularly lower levels of buildings.

Essential workers are expected to report to campus, including WSUPD, building engineers, facilities personnel and housing personnel. Please check with your supervisor if you have questions about whether you should report to campus.

We will continue updating wayne.edu. Thank you for your cooperation as we repair and ready our campus for the fall semester, and please remember those who have been personally affected by these storms.

Regards,

M. Roy Wilson
President

Saturday, June 26, 2021, 11:10 a.m. ET

Due to heavy rains and excessive flooding, the campus is now closed to allow workers to further assess the situation and remediate damage. For now, only essential operations will remain open, including critical research, campus housing, and the Campus Health Center.

Many roads and highways leading to and around campus experienced flooding, and many still have standing water. Unless it is absolutely necessary, or until the roads are completely passable, we strongly advise that you not drive to campus.

With the current damage and additional rain in the forecast, it is likely that this closure will continue through Monday and next week. We will know more as we complete the assessment of all campus buildings, and we will continue to provide updates.

As several cellular providers in the area are also experiencing outages, please check your email for updates, and continue to monitor wayne.edu.

Saturday, June 26, 2021, 8:55 a.m. ET

Multiple campus buildings closed due to flooding. Building engineers are on-site and a full building list will be posted here when available. If possible, please call ahead before heading to campus.

 


Important university contacts

  • 313-577-2222 - University Police
  • 313-577-2424 - General Information
  • 313-577-2116 - Housing
  • 313-577-2273 - Parking
  • 313-577-8852 - Libraries
  • 313-577-4357 - C&IT Help Desk