Round up on area colleges: Open or closed?

UPDATE: Eastern University and Delaware County Community College will remain closed throughout the day.

Many colleges and universities throughout the region that shut early on Tuesday as the storm hit remained closed on Wednesday, while others are opening late.

In Philadelphia, the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel, Temple, Holy Family and La Salle universities, Philadelphia University, the University of the Sciences, the University of the Arts, Moore College of Art & Design and the Community College of Philadelphia all are shut, with classes canceled and offices closed.

St. Joseph's University canceled day classes, but will reopen at 4:30 p.m., said spokeswoman Harriet Goodheart. Evening classes will be held, and the men's basketball game against Rhode Island will be played as scheduled.

In the suburbs, Villanova, Immaculata, Lincoln, West Chester, Cheyney and Neumann universities, Rosemont, Chestnut Hill and Cabrini colleges and Bucks and Montgomery County community colleges are closed.

Lincoln noted on its web site: "Refreezing will not allow us to effectively salt university roads and paths."

It's not the first time that colleges have had to shut their doors for more than a day.

"We've had weather-related closings before that have amounted to multiple days," said Jonathan Gust, a spokesman for Villanova. "But we've had some relatively mild winters so we haven't had to do this for a while."

He recalled the winter of 1993-94 when the college was closed for nearly a week after a major storm.

In New Jersey, Rowan University, Camden County College, Burlington County College and Gloucester County College all are closed. Rutgers University will open at noon, according its web site.

Some schools were still debating their schedules for the day. Delaware County Community College canceled day classes and will make a decision later on evening classes. Eastern University also canceled day classes, promising a decision on night classes by 2 p.m.

But the halls of higher learning are not silent everywhere today.

Some colleges and universities that largely serve a residential student population decided to open.

Classes are in session at Ursinus College, where the vast majority of students live on campus, though individual faculty members can decide to cancel classes. Most faculty, however, are there, a college spokeswoman said. A facilities crew cleared the walkways, she said.

The college's residence life office housed eight dining service staff members in a residence hall so that student meals could be served.

Arcadia University also appears to be one of the schools that opened the earliest, beginning classes at 9:45 a.m., according to its web site.

Swarthmore College had a two-hour delay.

Haverford and Bryn Mawr colleges, Widener University and the University of Delaware all are opening at noon, according to their web sites.

Check back later for updates.