Campus Closings

State offices and other state facilities may be closed only by order of the Governor.  Local governmental officials, police, radio and television stations do not have the authority to close State offices and facilities.  Declarations of a state of emergency/road closures are not equivalent to the closing of state facilities.  Following certain snow emergencies, the Department of Civil Service and the Governor's Office of Employee Relations may excuse the charge to leave credits for full days.  This is usually granted only for severe multiple day closings, however, and is not automatic.

In the rare circumstances when the campus should be closed, by order of the Governor, you will be advised by the System Office of Employee Relations through GOER.  When the announcement is made that only essential service employees are expected to report to work, those people should make every effort to get to the University.  Depending on the nature of the particular emergency, these would typically include power plant, maintenance, security, information technology, animal care, food service, health service, those with responsibility for laboratory experiments and other employees who are essential to maintaining the University's vital or mission-critical services, to providing food for dormitory residents and to cleaning the parking lots and roadways, or other emergency response, relief and recovery.  It is advisable that members of this group be notified at the beginning of each year, so that there is not misunderstanding if and when a snow or other emergency announcement has to be made.  Those employees who work on these days should, of course, be marked present. 

Even when the Governor has not closed facilities, Presidents are authorized to cancel classes and may allow that non-essential employee absent themselves from work, with proper charge to accruals. When weather or other conditions are severe enough to disrupt transportation or endanger the health of employees, the campus may authorize the early departure of employees affected, with proper charge to accruals. Employees who do get to work may need to be notified that they cannot be guaranteed work at their normal work places.  It may be that the building in which the individual normally works is not open.  Provision should be made for alternate campus work locations and alternate work for those who do get to the campus but who cannot go to their regular work places and cannot perform their regular work assignments.

In extraordinary circumstances, campuses may be authorized to direct employees who report for work to leave early.  In such circumstance, employees directed to leave would not be required to charge leave credits.  This applies only to employees who are present at the time the departure is directed (Full day absences must be charged to leave credits or leave without pay).  Before taking such action, the campus must contact the System Administration Employee Relations Office, which has an obligation to discuss the proposed action with GOER.   

2018