Canceling Classes or Curtailing Other University Operations Procedure

Applies to: All Pittsburg State University employees and students.

Procedure:

Whenever forecasts or weather conditions suggest that travel in the area could become hazardous, the following steps will be taken to decide whether classes or other university operations will be curtailed and to notify administrative personnel, faculty, staff, and students of the decision(s).

1. During the nighttime hours, University Police will closely monitor street and road conditions due to severe weather conditions (snow, ice, and windstorms). If weather conditions appear hazardous or dangerous, the patrol supervisor will contact the Vice President for Business, Finance, and Facilities no later than 4:30 a.m., to consult about current conditions of the city and campus streets and the university parking lots and sidewalks. In preparation for recommendation to the President, the Vice President for Business, Finance, and Facilities shall make an assessment of weather conditions, including snow removal, streets and sidewalks, hazards to employees traveling to and from the campus, and the ability to provide energy.

2. The Vice President for Business, Finance, and Facilities will contact the President before 5:00 a.m. to begin discussions regarding potential closure of the university. The President will seek additional input from the Provost, the Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, and the Vice President for University Advancement.

3. By 5:30 a.m., the President will make the decision to: a) Issue a Declaration of Inclement Weather and close the university, b) Keep the university open but cancel classes, c) Delay the start of classes and/or operations, or d) Keep the university open and classes in session. See Inclement Weather Policy for University Employees.

4. When the decision has been made, the President shall call the Associate Vice President for Creative and Strategic Communications or a designee who will notify university constituents as follows:

• Update the university's website.
• Notify the news media (television and radio stations) in the Pittsburg area.
• Notify the President's Cabinet.
• Notify all sponsors of campus events. Notification will be sent in a timely fashion to all media of changes in the University Calendar.

• Notify students, faculty, and staff by email.
• Notify students, faculty, and staff by the text message process.
• Contact snow/ice removal contractors as necessary.
• Schedule staffing levels needed for clearing sidewalks, buildings steps, etc.
• Record the appropriate inclement weather message on the President's Office and main university telephone numbers.