November 6, 2013 | Mun Choi, Provost, & Richard Gray, CFO

Storm Season at UConn: What You Need to Know

University officials outline the policy and procedures for early releases, delays, or closing due to inclement weather.

Students are overwhelmed with snow as they exit the Field House.

Students are overwhelmed with snow as they exit the Field House.

The following letter was sent today to the University community to explain how decisions are made about UConn operations during inclement weather, and to help address specific questions.

To:     The University community
From: Mun Y. Choi, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
&         Richard D. Gray, Executive Vice President for Administration and Chief Financial Officer
Re:     Storm Season at UConn

With winter storm season upon us, we’d like to refresh your knowledge about UConn operations during inclement weather. The safety of our students, faculty, and staff is paramount. At the same time, the University has important research, teaching, and service missions to carry out, and must maintain effective operations.

We therefore make decisions about cancelling classes or curbing business operations very carefully, with full consideration of all available information about weather predictions and road conditions.

Here’s some helpful information to answer your questions about …

How you’ll know the status of the University:

  • In the rare cases we decide it is necessary to cancel or delay classes, or close business operations at the University, the community will be notified as quickly as possible.
  • When storms occur overnight, we will endeavor to make this notification by 5 a.m. Sometimes conditions change rapidly, however, and we may need to adjust decisions about class schedules and business operations.
  • UConn’s alert webpage (alert.uconn.edu) is the definitive source of information about the University’s operating status and should be your primary source.
  • You can also check the University’s 24-hour emergency closing information number: 860-486-3768.
  • While the University makes every effort to notify the news media about operating changes at UConn’s campuses, we cannot guarantee that details provided by news outlets represent the most current or complete information.

What closes, what stays open:

  • UConn acts accordingly if the governor closes state agencies, releases state employees from work, or restricts road travel due to weather conditions.
  • Certain operations must continue without interruption even in severe weather, including public safety, residential and dining services, health services, animal care, and facility maintenance.
  • Decisions about whether to continue or cancel other services, such as transportation, are made on a case-by-case basis.
  • The Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts, UConn athletics, and other units that sponsor activities decide independently whether to continue or cancel their events and you should contact them directly with questions.

Who reports to campus, and when:

  • Emergency Support Services/Essential Staff are expected to remain at or report to work as directed. Supervisors must make themselves aware of and follow the applicable policies and procedures for their units.
  • If the University has not announced a delay or cancellation of classes, faculty are expected to hold classes as scheduled. Faculty members scheduled to teach who decide it is unsafe for them to travel to campus must notify their students as soon as possible that their class is cancelled.
  • Faculty should respect the decisions of commuting students who decide not to travel to campus, or to leave class early in order to get home safely, and provide options for them to make up missed work.
  • Students should contact their professors as soon as possible if they must miss a class or other activity due to weather conditions.

Keep safety first when traveling:

  • Always consider your safety first. Weather and road conditions may vary considerably across the state, so all members of the University community must evaluate the circumstances they face.
  • Even when the University remains open for business, individuals may appropriately decide not to come to campus or to leave campus early.
  • In these situations, employees may use a vacation day, personal time, or other accrued time without advance approval, but they must notify their supervisors that they are doing so.

The University continues to emphasize the paramount importance of safety. Faculty, staff, and students should evaluate their own circumstances carefully, exercise appropriate judgment, and take responsibility for their safety when making decisions during inclement weather.

We wish you a productive semester.

Sincerely,

Mun Y. Choi
Provost and Executive Vice President

Richard D. Gray
Executive Vice President for Administration and CFO