WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) -- Outside of the occasional employee, there wasn't a soul walking on Purdue University's campus Wednesday morning. Officials cancelled classes for just the 12th time since 1977.

President Mitch Daniels said university leaders met Tuesday afternoon and analyzed the data they were given. He said the meeting between officials didn't last long, but ultimately he made the call.

"Here at Purdue we don't do this very often," said Daniels. "It hasn't happened a lot in our whole history. I think it was the right call (Wednesday) with very extreme conditions. We're not going to take a chance with anybody's safety."

Students celebrated late Tuesday afternoon, but many employees were shocked to see the notification: 

Purdue decides to suspend classes Wednesday (1/30); employees to report for normal operations.

PURDUE CANCELLED CLASSES

WE LIVE ANOTHER DAY

— Sawyer Powell (@fewersquares) January 29, 2019

Purdue closes, but guess who still has to report to Starbs at 6:30am in the -40 degree windchill.. I have a half mile walk from where I can park to where I work. If you don’t hear from me tomorrow, y’all know why.

— Melanie Piercy ✧ (@melaniepiercy) January 29, 2019

Can someone warm up our cars for us so we don't have to drive home in negative degree weather? Asking for a friend :)

— Alison Lampley (@Geeklibrariana) January 30, 2019

Please just shut down the entire university. Staff matter just as much as students and faculty —signed, a grad student

— Lindsey Macdonald (@LindsMac89) January 29, 2019

News 18 asked Daniels why if the students were off, the non-essential employees were still expected at work Wednesday?

"The real danger we thought to students was protracted periods moving around outside," Daniels said. "Students can't avoid that. Whereas those of us who are just working stiffs can come in from a parking lot and generally be safe."

Classes will resume as normal Thursday. 

Here's @purduemitch, from a very cold and empty campus, on why he decided to cancel classes Wednesday:

"The real danger we thought to students was protracted periods moving around outside. Whereas those of us who are just working stiffs can come in from a parking lot." @WLFI pic.twitter.com/oGyRLlwdiA

— Trevor Peters (@TrevorPetersTV) January 30, 2019