Inclement Weather Procedure

Occasionally, emergency situations require that classes and/or activities to be cancelled. All decisions related to closing University offices and/or canceling classes and activities will be made by the President. The Chief of the Office of Public Safety and the Alfred University Supervisor of Grounds or designee will collaborate and advise the President of the inclement weather situation on and off campus. If the President determines activities need to be cancelled, he will notify the Chief of the Office of Public Safety who will in turn notify the Office of Communications to alert the campus through the means described below.

Supervisors are not authorized to close offices except at the explicit instruction of the President.

Closure Prior to the Start of the Workday

When it is determined that classes and/or activities at the University be cancelled, essential staff of the Office of Public Safety, University Physical Plant will be asked to report. Dining Services will also be classified as essential when classes are in session. Other staff may also need to report based on the time of year and the specific situation. The decision will be conveyed using radio, email, voice mail, and text messages.

Radio announcements will be conveyed to local radio stations. Announcements will normally occur several times between approximately 6:00 and 9:00 a.m.

E-mail messages will be sent to students, faculty and staff.

Voice mail messages will be sent as priority voice mail to all individual voice mailboxes. Voice mail subscribers may hear such messages by dialing 607-871-2888 and following instructions for accessing one's personal mailbox.

Text Messages will be sent to all those enrolled in the emergency alert program (RAVE alert).

Cancellation of Classes/Activities During the Workday

Should the President find it necessary to cancel classes or activities during the workday (with only essential staff being asked to report or stay), he will inform the Director of Communications, who will deliver all priority voice, text, and e-mail messages as described earlier. In addition, the Director of Communications will notify the Office of Human Resources. From there, each office will utilize their internal office contact lists to ensure staff are aware of directives.

General Information

In weather-related emergency closings, Physical Plant Grounds and Heating Plant Staff personnel should report as usual. For all other types of cancellations, Physical Plant staff are asked to contact their supervisor for further instruction.

When students are in residence, other offices may need to remain open and operable during an emergency; please note, not all emergencies are the same, and therefore, reporting to work may or may not be required.

During an official (as implemented by the local Sheriff's Office or State Law Enforcement) weather emergency issued travel ban, employees may not be able to report to work. When buildings are closed during these or other emergency evacuations (weather related storms, chemical exposures or fire drills), no admittance is allowed for any reason unless authorized and/ or accompanied by Public Safety.