Hello VCEA All Employees,
Each year, WSU buildings close for the holidays, and our campuses typically experience at least one outage due to weather impacts. The following is a guide on the preparations you may want to make in anticipation of these impacts.
Holidays, Reduced Operations & Restricted Building Access
WSU campus buildings and services will be closed for Veterans Day (Tuesday, November 11, 2025), Thanksgiving and Native American Heritage Holidays (Thursday, November 27, and Friday, November 28, 2025), and will operate on reduced operations beginning Wednesday, December 24, 2025, through Friday, January 2, 2026. Normal business operations will resume on the business day following each holiday and after the period of reduced operations on Monday, January 5, 2026. During these periods, most campus buildings, including VCEA buildings, will be closed. If you anticipate needing access to VCEA buildings during the holidays or reduced operations period, please verify with your School or Department administrator that you have building access via Cougar Card or key.
Building Temperatures
Building heat has been turned on. You may not need supplemental heat for your area, but if you do, please follow WSU’s guidelines for space heaters. Facilities Services in Pullman has maintained the temperature setbacks initially implemented during the COVID pandemic. The targeted setpoints will keep most spaces between 65°F–68°F. Spaces identified in previous years that require higher setpoints, such as laboratories and health care spaces, will not be affected and will remain at their adjusted setpoints. The goal of these temperature adjustments is to help offset higher energy costs and lessen the impact on the central utility budget. These slight adjustments have provided nearly $1 million in annual savings in utility costs.
Laboratories – Please Be Prepared in Event of Power Loss, Service Interruption, or Supply Chain Shortage
Power Failure:
Power failure is one of the most likely emergency situations at WSU and, depending on what you are operating, can quickly create a high-risk situation. Please exercise caution when preparing for a potential power failure. VCEA has no buildings with backup power. During a power outage, power outlets will not function, fume hoods will stop working, air systems will shut down, heat will be off, chilled water will not circulate, and elevators will halt. For PACCAR occupants, toilets will also not flush, as the building’s water reclamation system does not operate during a power outage. The only systems that consistently function during a power failure are emergency lights, fire alarms, and emergency fire sprinklers. WSU does have generators, but they are only used during extended power losses and only certain areas of campus may be brought online. If you have equipment or are undertaking activities that cannot lose power unexpectedly, you may want to connect them to an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) or have backup plans in place in the event of a power disruption.
Slick Areas
The largest cause of injury at WSU is slips, trips, and falls, particularly during inclement weather. If an area is slick with ice or snow, please alert WSU Facilities Operations at 509-335-9000. Be especially cautious when entering or exiting a vehicle parked on ice or snow and when navigating metal grates, street crossings, curbs, and high-traffic areas where snow or ice may become compacted.
Weather Impacts & Travel
High winds, freezing rain, and heavy snow events may cause power outages, create travel delays, and close highways. Please prepare your vehicles, homes, and work areas to ensure your safety while traveling, sheltering in place, or during periods of limited supply.
Contacts in Event of Emergency & During Periods of Reduced Operations:
In the event of a life-threatening emergency, call 911. For security, personal safety, property safety concerns, or if you have been accidentally locked out of a building, contact the WSU Public Safety Office (WSU Campus Police) at 509-335-1380. For campus utility or service issues, such as a water leak or utility outage, contact Facilities Services at 509-335-9000. To report property damage, notify VCEA Facilities at 509-335-3783 or 509-432-1649 for assistance with remediation or repairs. For laboratory hazards, contact Environmental Health & Safety at 509-335-3041 or the Office of Radiation Safety at 509-335-8916. For any VCEA facility or safety concerns, contact VCEA Facilities at 509-335-3783 or 509-432-1649.
Wishing you all good health, safety, and prosperity,
Dar Neunherz