Met-Ed, our electric utility, will shut off power to Main Campus on Saturday, Nov. 14, from about 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. while it replaces power lines and equipment that serve campus and the surrounding area. The Williams Arts Campus and Metzgar Campus will not be affected. We know a daylong outage on a Saturday is disruptive, and we’ve planned to keep the essentials running.
All life safety systems, including fire protection, card access, and Public Safety dispatch, will stay operational throughout the outage. Public Safety will increase patrols throughout the day, with a focus on residence halls and houses without power. Public Safety is available 24/7: emergencies 610-330-4444, non-emergencies 610-330-5330.
The main campus generator will power:
Marquis and Skillman are good places to stay warm and charge devices. Wi-Fi will be available in all buildings on generator power. Local generators will also support vivariums and critical research in designated facilities.
McCartney I and II, McKelvy, 511 College Avenue, 225 Reeder, Hillel House, Hamilton House, off-campus houses, and the Lafayette Inn will be without power during the outage. Emergency lighting will stay on. Residents of these buildings will also hear from Residence Life. Most academic and administrative buildings, including Williams Center for the Arts, will have limited power so residence halls and dining can be prioritized. If you have an activity planned in an affected building on Nov. 14, please contact the Events Office at reserve@lafayette.edu by Wed., Nov. 11 for help finding another space.
When Met-Ed’s work is done, we’ll switch from generator power back to utility power. That will cause an outage of about one hour across Main Campus, including buildings on generator power. Met-Ed sets the timing, so we’ll send a Leopard Alert as soon as we know when it will begin. Following the power outage, Facilities Operations will ensure all building mechanical systems are restored.
Why is this happening on Nov. 14? Met-Ed set the date and notified the College on Oct. 29. The work is time-sensitive and needs to happen this fall.
When will the one-hour outage happen? It depends on when Met-Ed finishes, likely in the afternoon. We’ll be in close contact with Met-Ed throughout the day and will send a Leopard Alert as soon as possible.
Will the fitness center be open? The fitness center will open at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 14.
Will elevators be affected? Yes, elevators in buildings without power will not be available during the outage.
Will athletic events go on? Yes. Metzgar Campus has normal power, and events there will go on as scheduled. No events are scheduled in Fisher Stadium.
Will arts events go on? Yes, the Williams Arts Campus is not affected, and events there will go on as scheduled. No events are scheduled at the Williams Center for the Arts on College Hill that day.
What if I have an event scheduled in an affected building? If you have an activity planned in an affected building on Nov. 14, please contact the Events Office at reserve@lafayette.edu by Wed., Nov. 11 for help finding another space.
If you have questions, contact operations@lafayette.edu or Geoff Labe at 610-330-5535 or labeg@lafayette.edu.
Thank you for your patience while Met-Ed completes this work.