Inclement Weather
Because it is a residential campus with 24/7 operations, the University of
Oregon historically has not closed during inclement weather. In rare circumstances,
however, extremely dangerous weather conditions may force the university to
curtail hours (i.e., open late or close early or close completely). When inclement
weather occurs, the university will follow one of these schedule options:
• Remaining open with the understanding that many faculty, staff and students
may not be able to travel safely to campus and decide to remain home;
• Opening late or closing early, based on weather conditions;
• Closing the institution completely except for essential services.
Essential services: Regardless of the closure decision, employees who perform essential duties will be expected to come to work. Examples include public safety employees, residence hall kitchen workers, and those responsible for snow removal or storm clean-up. Supervisors of employees who perform essential service work are responsible for communicating attendance expectations in advance and discussing anticipated transportation difficulties.
If the university closes, SEIU employees who are notified that they must report for work because they perform essential services, will be paid time and one half for all hours worked during the closure as specified in Article 63, Section 3, of the SEIU collective bargaining agreement.
For all other faculty and staff members and students, it is understood that everyone will not be able to travel to campus during inclement weather if the university remains open or operates on a curtailed schedule. Members of the campus community are expected to use their best judgment in assessing the risk of coming to campus and returning home, based on individual circumstances. Those who believe that the road conditions from home are dangerous are urged and even expected to stay there to prevent injury.
Notification: In the event of inclement weather, the UO website will prominently display information about closure decisions on the main homepage (www.uoregon.edu). Local television and radio media will be notified as well.
Faculty Notification of Class Cancellation: Unless the
university closes, faculty members not able to travel to campus to convene
their classes have the responsibility of attempting to notify students in a
timely way that they will not be holding class. Furthermore, it is incumbent
on faculty to share the communication strategy at the beginning of the term in
the course syllabus, so that students fully understand in advance of inclement
weather how to get this information prior to traveling to campus. Faculty
members should contact their home department with the information as a first
point of contact, and use at least one other method which may come from the
following examples, any of which may be accomplished from off campus:
• Use Blackboard, which has both an announcements function and the
capacity to send email to all enrolled students; or
• Send an email directly to all students; or
• Utilize the university voicemail greeting system on their office phone
to announce the class cancellation.
Again, it is very important that the students know in advance what method(s) each faculty member will use. In addition, all faculty members are asked to exercise flexibility with students who miss class, or are unable to submit coursework as a result of inclement weather.
Managers' and Supervisors' Communication: University managers and supervisors need to prepare for inclement weather in two ways. First, they must notify those employees (if any) who perform essential work of the expectation that they will need to report to work during inclement weather regardless of a university closure and discuss transportation options if that poses difficulties for the employees. Second, they need to prepare for notification by assembling up-to-date home phone lists, assigning calling responsibilities, providing employees with their home phone numbers, and reviewing the process with staff. It is important to respect the confidentiality of employee home phone numbers and to notify student employees as well.
Leave Options: Employees who are unable to report to work because of bad weather or because the university closed will use accrued vacation, compensatory time, exchange time, personal leave or leave without pay to cover the work time missed. Use of accrued sick leave is appropriate only in the case of illness. In cases in which employees do not have sufficient leave to cover the unexpected absence, supervisors are encouraged to allow employees to make up the time, if operational needs permit.
Public School Closures: The university often remains open
while public schools and local child-care centers close due to bad weather.
Supervisors are encouraged to recognize the difficulties this creates for
working parents by responding with as much flexibility as the particular work
environment will allow successfully. Supervisors may permit parents to bring
their children with them to work or to allow them to take work home, if the
specific job duties accommodate it. In addition, the Vivian Olum Child
Development Center provides on-site child care for school-age children
whenever inclement weather closes local public schools, but the university
remains open. For more information please contact the Center, 346-6586.
Pre-registration is required.