UF to close offices, cancel classes Wednesday and Thursday

Due to Hurricane Milton, the University of Florida will close its offices and cancel classes, including online classes, beginning at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 9 and continuing through Thursday, Oct. 10. All academic and student-related activities, including online classes and exams, will also be canceled during that time. The university expects to reopen Friday morning, Oct. 11.

Employees who are considered essential or critical to campus operations should check with their supervisors regarding scheduling. Information about shelter openings on campus will be available no later than Tuesday morning.

UF/IFAS and other UF personnel outside of Alachua County should adhere to their county government closures and consult their supervisors. Other UF units throughout the state will have similar closings in keeping with their county government guidelines.

UF Health hospitals and clinical practices are continuing normal operations in Alachua County. However, the operating hours of units throughout the state will vary. For up-to-date information about UF Health closures, visit UFHealth.org.

Any additional scheduling changes will be announced through official UF channels such as the UF home page and the UF Alert Emergency Notification System.

Online students who live in the path of the storm beyond the Gainesville campus should immediately contact their instructors to discuss whether special accommodations can be made.

There are no plans to evacuate student residents of the Gainesville campus. Those who live in residence halls on campus should plan to shelter in place. Florida Fresh Dining will serve the campus community during the storm. Specific dining information can be found on its website. Students who live off campus should follow local and state guidance for preparing for a tropical storm or hurricane.

Also, P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School and Baby Gator will follow the same operations schedule as UF and will close on Wednesday and Thursday. Employees affected by childcare and K-12 school closures should contact their supervisors.

Students who live on campus may keep their cars on campus. Students who live off campus, faculty, and staff should not park their personal vehicles in campus parking garages, including UF Health garages, as those will be needed for UF Health employees and patients.

As always, students and employees in need of immediate help should dial 911. For non-emergencies, students may also contact U Matter, We Care using the self-referral form.

Employees may call the Employee Assistance Program at 352-273-1765 or visit https://eap.ufl.edu/ for support with non-emergency issues during normal business hours.