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Winter weather ahead: Know UT’s snow policy |
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Staff |
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Dec 3, 2008
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With winter approaching, UT employees and students should familiarize themselves with the University’s inclement weather plans.
In the event of a major snow or ice storm or other inclement weather, the University will announce class cancellations, delay of classes and changes to administrative office hours through the UT Alert text messaging system, e-mail, the UT home page at utoledo.edu, myUT.utoledo.edu, the UT snow line, 419.530.SNOW (7669), and on local radio and television stations.
You can sign up for UT Alert at myUT.utoledo.edu.
The University’s policy is to remain open whenever possible to minimize interruption of teaching and research. It is also the University’s policy that the hospital never closes.
A decision to cancel classes or have a late opening due to weather will be based on the condition of campuses, area road conditions, reports of local weather forecasters and local transit. Cancellation announcements will likely occur in three phases, including a decision to cancel morning classes by 6 a.m., a decision to cancel afternoon classes by 10 a.m. and a decision to cancel evening classes by 3 p.m. This approach is intended to provide flexibility should conditions improve.
Using early information about conditions on campuses gathered from a variety of on-campus and off-campus sources, Bill Logie, vice president for human resources and campus safety, Dr. Rosemary Haggett, Main Campus provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, and Dr. Jeffrey Gold, Health Science Campus provost and executive vice president for health affairs and dean of the College of Medicine, make the decision jointly. The trio then communicates their decision to the University Communications Office, which notifies local radio and television stations, and to President Lloyd Jacobs.
Cancellation of College of Medicine classes will apply only to the basic science teaching programs. All clinical programs — third- and fourth-year clerkships — will be carried on.
Some University operations can never close; these include the UT Medical Center, the lab animal medicine facility on Health Science Campus, Physical Plant Operations, telephone services, Police Department and the Computing Center.
“The UT Medical Center always remains open, regardless of the weather conditions,” said Mark Chastang, executive director. “As a 24-hour, 365-days-a-year operation, UTMC must provide services to patients during even the worst of storms. Hospital employees are expected to report to work.”
Even if Lucas, Wood or Fulton counties declare states of emergency and ask people to stay off the roads, essential UT Medical Center employees should come to work. If essential employees are stopped by the police during a state of emergency, they should show their identification badge and explain that they are on their way to work. The counties recognize that even during a state of emergency, essential employees must get to work.
Even when the University is closed, services must still be provided to students in residence halls; these include food services, policing, electricity, heat, water, snow removal, and emergency repairs and maintenance.
Main Campus employees who are considered “essential” and must report to work during a snow or ice storm have identification cards issued by the Lucas County Sheriff’s Department. It is the responsibility of each essential employee to obtain an identification card and have it in possession when driving to the University. Main Campus employees who provide an essential service and do not have a card should contact Safety and Health at 419.530.3600.
The severe weather policy stipulates that Health Science Campus employees who come to work during storms will be paid for hours worked. Hourly employees who fail to show up for work because of inclement weather will be treated in accordance with policy, according to Connie Rubin, senior director of labor and employee relations in Human Resources.
If the University closes early and there is an athletic contest scheduled, the Athletic Department, after consultation with University Police, will determine if the event can occur.
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