University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee cancels some in-person finals

MILWAUKEE, Wis. — The University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee has canceled a portion of its in-person finals ahead of a winter storm expected to hit the area this week.

All in-person finals scheduled for after 3 p.m. on Thursday have been canceled, the university announced Wednesday. In a Tweet, UWM said the cancelation is to ensure safe travel for students.

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Online exams will remain as scheduled, according to UWM and instructors will be reaching out to students regarding how their exams will be handled.

"The university understands that this causes disruption for students and instructors, but the safety of our campus community — including students who will travel far distances to get home — comes first," UWM stated.

As students across the UWM campus cram for finals, some say it's hard to ignore growing anxiety about potential travel chaos.

"I have an exam on (the) 22nd, tomorrow, so there is no chance I can leave early," said Merina Tanzin, a graduate student. She's hoping to make it to Pennsylvania by Christmas but already got an email from her airline warning her to expect weather delays and possibly — flight cancellations. "I don't want to think about that, it will be horrible," she added.

But other students are not intimidated by the forecast. "I've driven in blizzards before," said Steffen Kurtz.

All residence halls will remain open during winter break, as usual, but services like campus shuttles and dining halls will operate on limited schedules.

This news comes as southeastern Wisconsin braces for several inches of snow, wind chill temperatures in the -30s and 40s, and wind speeds near 30 and 40 mph.

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