Penn State is sharing guidance for students, faculty and staff in the event that normal operations at the University’s campuses are disrupted due to winter weather during the 2022-23 season.
The University community is reminded that during inclement weather, the Office of Physical Plant will be working diligently to clear sidewalks, parking lots and roadways as quickly as possible. In the event that normal operations at a Penn State location are disrupted due to snow or other weather or emergency conditions, individuals are urged to avoid coming to campus, if possible, and those who must visit campus should remain alert and avoid sections of campus that may be covered in snow or ice.
When severe weather strikes Penn State's University Park campus, individuals can stay informed of delays and cancellations by using Penn State's PSUAlert system, Twitter account, the Penn State News website, and WPSU TV and radio. Penn Staters at other campuses can stay informed about delays and cancellations via PSUAlert and their campus’ website and social media channels.
All employees and students are encouraged to take responsibility for their own safety. Faculty, staff and students should use their own best judgment when considering traveling to campus or the need to leave early during times of inclement weather. Faculty and staff should review Handling Weather Day Absences (Human Resources Guideline 10) for specific information on how time missed for weather situations is handled. Union-represented employees should reference their collective bargaining agreements. Information on class attendance policies is available at undergrad.psu.edu and in Faculty Senate Policy 42-27 (Class Attendance).
Classes
In the event of a change in normal campus operations due to weather or an emergency, such as during a delay or cancellation, in-person courses cannot, except in extenuating circumstances, be moved to a synchronous remote meeting, per Faculty Senate Policy 45-00, due to the fact that all students, faculty and instructors may not have the same access to University facilities and resources (such as Wi-Fi or materials needed for specialized instruction) or they may have other commitments, such as child care.
Based on a course’s mode of delivery, the following actions apply during a change in normal campus operations:
- In-person: The instructor can choose to cancel class altogether or offer content asynchronously (such as recording a lecture for students to watch at another time or asking students to complete a reading or other self-directed learning activity). The class may not meet remote synchronously except for when extenuating circumstances exist (see University Faculty Senate policy 45-00).
- Hybrid: If the class is scheduled to meet in-person on the day of the change in normal operations, then content can be offered asynchronously or the class can be canceled. Otherwise, asynchronous content can be offered as planned.
- Web: Classes will continue to be offered as planned with no changes.
Employees
Employees who perform “essential” services: Employees who are required to report to campus for work and have been previously identified as performing duties essential to maintaining operations should report to campus as directed. During such events, employees who are required to report to campus for work are eligible for Campus Closure Compensatory Time, subject to guideline provisions. Employees should clarify their status as essential or nonessential with their supervisor before inclement weather strikes.
All other employees, except for those employed at the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL), should not report to work until the resumption of normal campus operations and are eligible for Campus Closure Pay per university policy. Employees should review the “official closedowns” section of the University’s Handling Weather Day Absences policy (Human Resources Guideline 10) for specific information on how time missed for weather situations is handled. ARL will continue to follow ARL internal policies for all weather-related closures.
Employees who have questions about a campus closure should contact their unit’s Human Resources consultant.
Delays
Following a delay, classes or activities beginning at or after the announced time for the resumption of normal campus operations will be held as originally scheduled, unless a campus provides other, specific guidance. For example, in the case of a two-hour morning delay until 10 a.m. due to snow or ice, classes beginning at 10 a.m. or later will continue on their regular schedule, while classes scheduled to begin prior to 10 a.m. will be subject to the provisions outlined in the “Classes” section above. Note that some campuses follow a compressed schedule to accommodate delayed starts. Each campus community should refer to its campus website for the most current information.
Any in-person activities that are scheduled to begin during a delayed campus opening are canceled. Activities beginning at or after the announced time for resuming campus operations will be held as originally scheduled.
Early dismissals
At times, the University may announce an early dismissal for students, faculty and staff who are already on campus as part of their normal, day-to-day business and classes. Some campuses may operate on a compressed schedule and will inform their communities of specific details on their campus websites.
To facilitate an orderly dismissal, the University will announce the dismissal as early as possible via PSUAlert. The following method for dismissal will be used to release students, faculty and staff:
- Students will be the first to be released.
- Faculty and staff members will be released simultaneously 30-45 minutes after the release of students.
Early dismissals will be timed to occur at either the beginning of the hour or 30 minutes past the hour. This two-tiered dismissal is intended to help with the flow of outbound traffic and provide students with an opportunity to exit common areas and buildings before they are closed.
If there is a fast-moving storm that strikes during hours of normal operation, University officials will attempt to communicate weather information, as well as the expected duration of the storm, so that individuals on campus can make reasonable choices. If the storm is of short duration, remaining on campus may be the best option for some. Other individuals may need to leave work for family reasons.
Official information source
The University’s primary source for information on inclement weather is PSUAlert. An active Penn State account is required for users to access PSUAlert and add or change contact settings, such as additional emails and cell numbers for text messages. Although signup for the PSUAlert system is reserved for students, faculty and staff, members of the public are encouraged to follow alerts from Penn State’s campuses via Facebook and Twitter. Specific links for those who wish to follow PSUAlert messages on Facebook and Twitter, as well as answers to frequently asked questions, can be found at psualert.psu.edu.
Although classes and other scheduled activities may be delayed or canceled, Penn State never really closes. There are thousands of students on Penn State campuses who require meals and warm lodging, and there are critical research projects that require constant attention, as well as livestock that must be fed, watered and sheltered. Because of this, it is critical that Penn State effectively maintain services that affect safety and health when extreme cold, heavy snow, or other weather emergency affects the area. University Police and other emergency services remain operational around the clock regardless of the weather.