Students may not go to class as often only to find a closed door and a dark room if a resolution passed by Student Government Association gets attention.

SGA unanimously passed a resolution at Tuesday’s meeting recommending that academic departments notify students of class cancellations an hour and a half before a class meeting.

“It’s more of a suggestion, and we’re not going to try to enforce it,” said Bowling Green sophomore Robert Watkins, one of the authors of the legislation.

Watkins said there could be exceptions for morning classes, but it should be possible for faculty to notify students for afternoon class cancellations.

The resolution states that faculty members have the ability to contact their departments when they will miss class, and Western has the ability to inform students of cancellations via the Internet.

It also states that commuter students shouldn’t have to travel when class isn’t conducted.

The resolution provides an exemption for extreme circumstances.

Agriculture Department Head Jenks Britt said class cancellations haven’t been a common problem in his department.

“Our faculty is very conscientious about letting us know they’re going to be late,” Britt said.

Even if a faculty member cannot make it to class, the department accommodates, he said.

“We usually try to have someone teach the class,” he said.

SGA President John Bradley said many faculty members are good about notifying students about cancellations, but not all faculty members do it.

He said phone calls wouldn’t be possible, but e-mails could help.

“There are people who check their e-mail before they go to bed and when they get up,” he said. “It will make some difference.”

History Department Head Richard Weigel said he doesn’t think there is a need for the resolution.

“I’m surprised that they think there is a problem,” Weigel said.

He said faculty in his department normally notify the class in advance of a cancellation.

Sending e-mails is not very useful, he said.

“I don’t think it’s very practical,” he said. “Nobody checks their e-mail in that kind of a time frame.”

He said the majority of his students didn’t check their e-mail in time when he notified them of the class cancellation due to power outages last week.

Reach Lindsey Reed at [email protected].