3-18 Closing the University or Delaying operations due to weather or Other Adverse Conditions

About CMU's "Closing the University or Delaying Operations Due to Weather or Other Adverse Conditions policy"

This policy establishes procedures for closing the university or delaying operations due to weather or other adverse conditions.

NOTE ABOUT PDF VERSION: The PDF is the official text of the policy. If there are any incongruities between the text of the HTML version and the text within the PDF file, the PDF will be considered accurate and overriding.

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Effective date of this revision: February 9, 2024
Contact for more information: Finance and Administrative Services

BACKGROUND

Under certain conditions, including inclement weather, it may be necessary and prudent to close or delay the opening of the campus for safety reasons. The Board of Trustees has delegated the authority for such decisions to the President, who has, in turn, assigned the Vice President of Finance and Administrative Services this decision-making responsibility.

PURPOSE

This procedure provides clear, concise instructions to help ensure timely communication using the most efficient and effective communication tools available to transmit information regarding any delay in operations or closure of the campus.

PROCEDURE

When deemed necessary in consideration of available information, Central Michigan University may delay opening or may close the university campus in response to inclement weather or other significant conditions. Where conditions warrant such action, one of the following decisions may be made regarding the status of classes and the operation of the university:

Delayed Opening: When CMU announces a “Delayed Opening,” this means CMU Mount Pleasant locations are not prepared to open before 11 a.m. due to current conditions, and most on-campus classes, offices, buildings and events are closed for in person work until 11:00 a.m. In the event of a delay:

• Routine operations/activities/face to face classes occurring on campus are closed for in person work until 11 a.m., unless otherwise noted (for exceptions, see “Events and Services” below).

CMU Campus “Closed”: When CMU announces that “CMU Campus is Closed,” this means CMU Mount Pleasant locations are not prepared to open for the day due to current conditions. This includes evening classes. Offices, buildings, face to face classes and some events are closed or cancelled for the entire calendar day.

In the event of campus closure, most on-campus operations/activities/face-to-face classes are cancelled until the next day, unless otherwise noted (for exceptions, see “Events and Services” below).

Impact of Delay or Closure Announcement:

• General

o Only designated essential or recalled staff personnel are to report to campus.

o Only designated essential contractors are to report to campus.

o Residence and Dining Halls remain open, as scheduled.

o Faculty and staff continue courses, except face to face, and work activities if these functions were previously scheduled for remote instruction/work.

o CMU’s College of Medicine may move face to face classes to remote instruction provided the college: (1) has communicated this potential to students prior to the beginning of a course, including how students will be notified of such transition; and (2) communicates with students in a manner consistent with its prior notice.

o Faculty and staff who have the ability to work remotely during the closure or delayed start may do so as directed by their supervisor. Supervisors should communicate with their employees when directing a temporary switch to remote work during the closure or delayed start.

o Exceptions to Delay or Campus Closure include Residence Halls, Residence Dining Facilities, research facilities, and critical support operations (i.e., police, information technology, and facilities management essential personnel); these employees should check with their supervisor for specific instructions related to working on campus.

o Depending upon the circumstances of each event, other support functions may open earlier and might include Park Libraries, Student Activity Center, University Center, Campus Events and Athletics; these employees should check with their supervisor for specific instructions related to working on campus.

o All other employees are not expected to report to campus, until the campus is reopened.

o A decision to amend the delay to a campus closure will be made by 10:00 a.m. Notification procedures are listed below in this procedure.

• Events and Services

o CMU services, which include University Recreation and Park Libraries, may continue operations or have different hours.

o Campus events are canceled unless communicated otherwise by the organizing department (i.e., CMU Athletics).

o Please refer to departments’ respective web pages for current updates related to special services and events.

• Evening Classes: A “CMU Campus is Closed” announcement means on-campus classes are cancelled for the remainder of the day, including evening classes.

• Campuses outside Mount Pleasant: For CMU locations outside of Mount Pleasant, the following guidelines apply:

o Closure of CMU campuses outside Mount Pleasant will be determined by responsible location managers in consultation with their appropriate directors.

o CMU Innovation and Online military locations and university centers across the nation shall follow host installation directives regarding weather-related events.

• Contractors: As a general rule, unless preauthorized by their contract administrator to work on campus during a delayed opening or a campus closure, contractors and vendors are not authorized to be on campus. If the campus closure occurs after contractors or vendors are already on campus, contractors and vendors are expected to properly secure any job site or work area before leaving campus. Contractors and vendors are encouraged to sign up with CMU’s Central Alert system to receive immediate notifications.

• Personal Responsibility: Many members of the CMU community live off campus, outside of Mount Pleasant and the mid-Michigan region. If, due to inclement weather conditions, an individual believes it unsafe to travel or move about, they can make a personal decision to stay home or in the residence hall. Individuals must timely communicate that decision to their professor(s), supervisor, contract administrator or responsible party, and accept the responsibility associated with that decision, such as making up for missed work, telecommuting, or taking/recording leave time.

• Pay Practices for CMU Employees: Guidance on pay practices for CMU employees impacted by a “delay” or “campus closure” announcement can be found on the CMU Human Resources website, here: https://www.cmich.edu/about/human-resources/employment-services/pay-practices-for-closure-or-delayed-start-of-operations

The Vice President for Finance and Administrative Services will confer with the Chief of Police, and the Associate Vice President of Facilities Management to determine if delay or campus closure is warranted. The Vice President for Finance and Administrative Services will inform the President of the decision to delay or to close the campus and immediately thereafter contact the Executive Director of Communications in University Communications. The Executive Director of Communications will post messages on CMU’s website and social media channels, update the CMU Information Line (774-7500) and contact the media.

If the Vice President for Finance and Administrative Services is not available to make this decision, the Associate Vice President of Facilities Management will act on behalf of the Vice President for Finance and Administrative Services. If the Associate Vice President of Facilities Management is not available, the Chief of Police will make the decision. If all three are unavailable, the decision will be made by the Provost.

If the Executive Director of Communications is not available to post and distribute communications, contact the media and update the CMU Information Line, his or her designee will handle these actions.

The responsibility for contacting the media for off-campus site closures rests with the appropriate responsible off-campus location manager.

Each office responsible for an action listed below should have a primary individual and a backup person designated to carry out the steps outlined.

All individuals involved in this process should keep the necessary information handy, both in their office and at home, to carry out their assigned duty.

Once the University Communications office has been notified, the following actions will be taken:

Action 1: Place message on CMU homepage (cmich.edu).