Eastern Illinois University
Inclement Weather Class Cancellation Protocols
February 12, 2004
I.	General Considerations
A.	Due to its residential character, Eastern Illinois University will remain open to serve students in residence in all but the most extraordinary circumstances. From time to time, however, extraordinarily inclement weather may require the cancellation of regularly scheduled classes.
B.	During hazardous weather conditions, students, faculty, and staff are urged to use their discretion in deciding whether they can safely commute to work or classes. 
C.	Any university employee unable to report for work as assigned is required to report off work and may use earned leave time or leave without pay to cover the absence following established procedures and should contact their supervisor, department chair, or appropriate department office as soon as practicable regarding their inability to report for work as assigned. 
D.	Faculty should be encouraged not to penalize students who miss class because of inclement weather conditions. Students should discuss their absence with their professors.
E.	Generally, when classes are cancelled due to inclement weather, all employees are expected to report for work as assigned. The President may designate certain other groups of employees that are not required to report for work on an incident-by-incident basis.
II.	On-campus
A.	Determination
1.	The Watch Commander will assess: 
a.	current weather conditions including icing conditions and the accumulation of four or more inches of snow; and
b.	predicted weather conditions affecting icing conditions and/or snow accumulation; and
c.	IDOT and Illinois State Police weather advisories and road closures (http://www.dot.state.il.us/operations/mo_state.html); 800-452-IDOT (4368); Illinois State Police District 10 weather hotline 217-265-0050; and
d.	contact from utility providers 
2.	The Watch Commander will contact the University President or designee who is authorized to decide whether to cancel classes. Overnight, the President will be contacted no later than 4:00 a.m. or at other times throughout the day whenever conditions warrant, as follows:
a.	hazardous icing conditions or approximately 4 inches of accumulated snow or other weather conditions of imminent hazard to student and employee health and safety.
b.	closure of Illinois Route 16 between Charleston and Mattoon
c.	utility service curtailment notices
B.	Implementation
1.	The Office of Media Relations will be notified of the determination to cancel classes by the Watch Commander and will make the appropriate notifications
a.	the Office of Media Relations will develop and maintain a list of media outlets to be notified of the determination to cancel classes and will make the following notifications:
(1)	media
(a)	list of external broadcast media (Sample list attached)
(b)	other media as determined by the Office of Media Relations
(2)	campus
(a)	staff at the main number 217-581-5000, who will respond to inquiries and effect an announcement to inform callers of class cancellations when that number is not staffed 
(b)	WEIU – (581-6960)
(c)	campus cable systems
(i)	residence halls – Director of Housing, Mark Hudson (581-7711)
(ii)	MLK Student Union – Assistant Director of the University Union, Kathy Cartwright (581-2819)
(iii)	Lumpkin College of Business and Applied Sciences - Sandy Gossett (Lumpkin) at 581-2627 (cssig@eiu.edu) and Michelle Morgan (Klehm) at 581-6076 (csmlm3@eiu.edu).
(d)	e-mail notice distribution to employees and students – User Services
(e)	telephone announcements on the main campus number and major administrative offices e.g. Provost, Vice President for Business Affairs, Vice President for External Relations, and Vice President for Student Affairs
(f)	EIUbits – Office of Media Relations
(g)	EIU homepage inclement weather link (the EIU homepage should have a standing link regarding whether classes are being conducted as scheduled)
b.	the Vice President for External Relations or designee in consultation with the Assistant Vice President for Information Technology Services will develop an EIU homepage class cancellation link and a means by which the Office of Media Relations can update the specific message regarding class cancellation. The default message should be that classes on campus and off campus are being conducted as scheduled.
c.	the Office of Media Relations will update the specific messages regarding class cancellation for both the homepage and the telephone announcement(s).
2.	The Director of Facilities Planning and Management will be notified by the Watch Commander and will make the appropriate determinations for snow removal etc. 
III.	Off-campus
A.	The responsibility for determining and implementing cancellation of classes at off-campus locations is delegated to the Dean of the School of Continuing Education
B.	Determination
1.	The Dean of Continuing Education will assess:
a.	the ability of faculty and students to travel to off-campus sites
b.	the status of the weather and host facilities at off campus sites
c.	The Watch Commander may contact the Dean of Continuing Education overnight if inclement weather conditions warrant or if on-campus classes have been cancelled.
C.	
Implementation
1.	the Dean of Continuing Education, in consultation with the Office of Media Relations, will develop and maintain a list of media outlets to be notified of the determination to cancel classes at off campus sites and, whenever possible, will closely coordinate with the Office of Media Relations the notification of class cancellation due to inclement weather:
a.	media
(1)	list of external broadcast media 
(2)	other media as determined by the Office of Media Relations
b.	campus
(1)	WEIU
(2)	e-mail distribution? (specify distribution list, if any, and who will send the announcement)
(3)	telephone announcement (separate from on-campus hotline but linked to on-campus hotline) 
(4)	SCE homepage inclement weather bug
2.	the Dean of Continuing Education will contact the Office of Media Relations who will contact the media and campus outlets for off-campus class sites.
IV.	Background
A.	The Inclement Weather Class Cancellation Protocol does not address other emergency situations that may require the cancellation of classes, the temporary closure of the University campus, or the evacuation of all or part of the campus. Other emergency situations include, but are not limited to, lack of essential services; external threats to health and safety; internal threats to health and safety, etc. Further consideration should be given to these emergency matters by the Institutional Emergency Committee, the Emergency Management Team, or some other appropriate group. Portions of the Inclement Weather Class Cancellation Protocol may prove helpful in this regard.
B.	The inclement Weather Class Cancellation Protocol also does not address the cancellation of academic and other events and activities that may be affected by weather conditions. In such cases, the employee responsible for organizing the event or activity determines whether the event or activity should be cancelled and is responsible for making appropriate notifications including the Campus Scheduling Office. In such cases, the Office of Media Relations should also be notified and may be able to assist with dissemination of information regarding the cancellation. 
C.	Each person or position referenced in the protocol must have a designated  backup person or position. The list of persons and positions and their backups will be kept and maintained in the Office of the Chief of University Police.
D.	Controlling Regulations and Policies 
1.	Board of Trustees Regulation  II.A.9.e. Employee Benefits – Emergency Leave (http://www.eiu.edu/~auditing/botregs/regulat02.htm - A.9) covers employee absence from work ordered by the President due to inclement weather, riot, etc. This addresses employee pay and related matters in the event of the closure of all or part of the University. It addresses cancellation of classes to the extent that “Employees not excused from work under such circumstances who fail to report for work as scheduled may be denied compensation for such absence.” 
2.	Internal Governing Policy #23, Weather-related Absences (http://www.eiu.edu/~auditing/IGP/policy23.html) provides for the closure of the University due to adverse weather conditions.
3.	Internal Governing Policy #158, Institutional Emergencies (http://www.eiu.edu/~auditing/IGP/policy158.html) provides for an Institutional Emergencies Committee to advise the President related to closing the University due to an emergency situation. The policy also provides for an Emergency Management Team to coordinate the immediate institutional response to an emergency situation. Also included is the authority for determining essential services that must be provided despite adverse weather.
4.	Internal Governing Policy #137, Building Coordinators (http://www.eiu.edu/~auditing/IGP/policy137.html) provides for an official means of communication between support units and occupants of campus buildings.
5.	Environmental Health and Safety Manual, Chapter 10 (http://www.eiu.edu/~environ/safmanl/10man.htm) provides for procedures in response to tornadoes and severe thunderstorms.
6.	Instructions to After Hours provides instructions to grounds when snow accumulates to one inch or intersections are reported as slick relates to keeping the campus accessible but does not specifically address the cancellation of classes.