Dr. Jahnae H. Barnett, President of William Woods University (WWU), announced today that WWU’s main campus in Fulton will be closed to the general public on Monday, August 21. August 21 is the first day of fall semester classes at the university, which will coincide with widespread viewings of the solar eclipse which are expected to bring possibly thousands of visitors to the area.
“Although we prize our standing as a good neighbor and solid member of the Fulton community, our top priority is the safety and convenience of our students, faculty and staff,” said President Barnett. “With hundreds of students on campus for the first day of fall classes, we are unable to safely accommodate the possibility of hundreds of additional individuals coming to WWU to view the eclipse, especially in the areas of traffic, parking and facilities.”
The university will also have a limited number of eye protection glasses that are being reserved for members of the WWU community.
WWU students, faculty, staff and alumni will be welcome to access campus at anytime on the 21st. Members of the general public are asked to attend eclipse watching events elsewhere, including official locations designated by the City of Fulton: http://www.visitfulton.com/eclipse.html
Members of the general public will have the opportunity to experience the eclipse in other ways, courtesy of the university:
- The Mildred M. Cox Gallery is hosting an exhibit called Light and Shadow, with over 50 art pieces honoring the eclipse. The exhibit is on display August 15–25, with an opening reception and awards ceremony on August 18 from 6–8 pm. The event is free and open to the public.
- Assistant professor Joe Kyger from the WWU science department will be using the university’s state-of-the-art telescope to view the eclipse. Look for his video to be posted on WWU social media following the eclipse on Monday afternoon.
