Skip Navigation

Inclement Weather Policy

  1. Overview
  2. Definitions
  3. Related Human Resources Policies
  4. Announcement of Curtailed Operations
  5. Announcement of Cancelled Classes During Regular Operations
  6. Student Absences Due to Severe Weather During Regular Operations

Overview

During the academic year, Keene State College maintains regular operations under most weather conditions. Individuals are always asked to make responsible decisions about their personal safety. Faculty members may cancel individual classes; commuting students and staff members may decide not to undertake the commute to campus.

In the event of inclement weather, the President will declare curtailed operations or in extreme situations, will close the campus. Essential personnel may be required to provide necessary services and facilities; these include personnel in Zorn Dining Commons, Student Center, Mason Library, Recreation Center, Network Services, Campus Safety, Physical Plant, and Custodial Services. Categories of essential personnel are determined by Principal Administrators based on the nature of the emergency; supervisors in designated areas will determine which individuals will report to work. Only essential personnel designated by supervisors should report to work.

This policy has been established to allow the College to carry out its academic mission effectively.

Definitions

Regular operations: Classes and events continue as scheduled.

Curtailed operations: The Student Center, Recreation Center, Zorn Dining Commons will open and close at their regular times, unless a change is noted. Mason Library will open at 9 am on a curtailed operations day and 10 am following a two-hour delay. The Mason Library dean will communicate with students regarding when the Library will close, allowing for a real-time decision specific to each weather event and the needs of students. This means that only staff who are essential to the functioning of the campus during a curtailment referred to as “essential personnel” should be on campus. It also means that in-person classes will not be held. Students will be expected to check Canvas course sites and/or follow faculty course-specific guidance for alternate plans. On-line classes will run as scheduled. Scheduled on-campus events will not be held unless otherwise noted in campus closing notices.

Campus closure: In the rare event of a severe storm – one that will clearly create conditions that pose a risk to the safety of all – we will initiate a closure. In the case of a closure, whole facilities will be closed, but there will be limited dining services and on campus Student Student Engagement staff who can provide a level of support to students. Campus Safety will remain available.

Essential personnel: As mentioned above, these are employees who are drawn from Administration, Zorn Dining Commons, Student Center, Mason Library, Recreation Center, Network Services, Campus Safety, Physical Plant, and Custodial Services, and are determined by the area Principal Administrator.

Staff absences due to weather concerns during regular operations:

If an employee makes the decision not to come to work during normal operations because of weather related concerns, he or she must use earned time or vacation leave to cover that absence or take the time off without pay. The staff member must communicate the decision to his or her supervisor. If the College moves to curtailed operations later in the day, the benefited staff members will be required only to use earned time or vacation time to cover the period of missed work up to the effective start of curtailed operations, and the remaining “scheduled work hours” will receive regular pay.

Staff Not Required to Work During Curtailed Operations

Benefited staff not required to report to work in a weather emergency will be paid for regularly scheduled hours; however, those hours will not count as actual hours worked for the calculation of overtime.

Adjunct staff will not be paid for curtailed hours but are encouraged to discuss with their supervisor if opportunities are available to allow for make up of missed time.

Staff Required to Work During Curtailed Operations

Essential personnel will receive pay as appropriate for all hours worked, subject to all normal compensation policies, including overtime. In addition, they will receive compensatory time equal to the hours worked during curtailed operations. Staff receiving compensatory time should use it within the next pay period whenever possible. Unused “comp time” must be paid out to the employee no later than June 30 of each year. Supervisors of staff receiving compensatory time are responsible of insuring employees use the “comp time” as soon as possible, for tracking any unused time, and facilitating the cash out of comp time prior to the end of the fiscal year. Staff in 24/7 coverage departments who are unable to utilize compensatory time are allowed to “cash out” the value of the compensatory time and must do so when reporting the time for the pay period in which curtailed operations was announced and the time earned.

Announcement of Curtailed Operations

The College uses the most up to date weather information to guide decisions. In the case of a closure, the campus community will be notified around 8 p.m. the night before the closure. In the case of a curtailment, the community will be notified around 4:30 a.m. the same morning. Efforts will be made to predict if a curtailment or closure will be needed later the same day, and will be communicated in the 4:30 a.m. message whenever possible.

Curtailment and closure notifications will be shared with the campus community the following four ways:

  1. WMUR will report the status of our campus. You can check the status online, or tune into the TV station.
  2. Via text message and phone call through our emergency notification system. If you have not created an account, or have not signed up to specifically receive a text message and/or phone call through this system and would like to do so, visit https://www.keene.edu/campus/safety/emergency-notification/.
  3. Our homepage, https://www.keene.edu, will have a banner posted with updates.
  4. Via recorded message on the College switchboard, which is reached by calling 603-352-1909.

Announcement of Cancelled Classes During Regular Operations

Faculty should consult the Faculty Handbook for procedures for announcing class cancellations during regular operations.

Student Absences Due to Severe Weather During Regular Operations

Students should check their course syllabi for specific instructions about notifying faculty members. The Attendance Policy in the KSC Catalog permits excused absences for adverse weather conditions.

This policy was established in November of 2006 and updated in November 2017 to allow the College to carry out its academic mission effectively.

About this Policy

Inclement Weather Policy
Ownership: Cabinet
Last Modified: Nov 22, 2021 –
For questions regarding this policy, please contact the policy owner.
Download icon Download as PDF