Policy

In the event of severe weather or other emergencies, St. Norbert College monitors conditions to ensure the safety of our community. As a residential campus, it is rare that classes would be canceled and/or the campus closed. However, if the decision is made to close the College due to an emergency or weather event, limited campus services will remain open with essential personnel and limited hours and services.

The decision to close the College is made by the President in conjunction with the Vice President of Student Affairs, the Vice President for Business and Finance, and the Vice President for Academic Affairs. Any decisions related to canceling classes and closing the College will be made by 5:00 a.m., and employees and students will be notified accordingly. The decision due to weather is made based on the amount of snowfall or ice predicted, temperatures considered to be extremely cold, and/or high winds causing blowing and drifting, which may result in hazardous driving conditions.

Notifications

In the event of an emergency or weather-related closing, students, faculty, and staff will be notified through the Alertus emergency notification system, which provides text, email, and phone messages. Information will also be posted on the College’s website. Students and employees should ensure that they are registered with the Alertus system in order to receive messages. You can find information on how to register here: snc.edu/campussafety/alertus.html.

Alternative Work Arrangements (Non-Essential Workers)

If the College officially does not open, opens late, or closes early, alternative arrangements are available for staff who are able to work remotely.  Those unable to work remotely and are full-time employees will need to use Vacation or PTO.  Part-time, pool, and student workers would receive no pay.

Employees who had a previously scheduled vacation or paid time off (PTO) day will still be paid from their accrued vacation time or PTO.

Essential Workers and Services

Some areas are essential to the continued functioning of the College during an emergency or severe weather. Supervisors will inform staff who are required to work on campus. Hourly staff (includes full-time, part-time, pool, and student workers) will be paid time and a half (1.5x) for the times they are required to work when the College is officially closed. While the nature of the emergency will affect departments differently, generally those areas that must be staffed include: the Kress Inn, Dining Services, Campus Safety, Residential Education & Housing, the snow removal crew, conference staff, some facilities positions and any others deemed essential by their supervisor.

Other Considerations

In the case of inclement weather when the College does not close for any part of the day and after checking with their manager, the employee may voluntarily choose not to travel to work or arrive late) because of concerns about the weather.  In such cases, full-time employees will use Vacation or PTO time for time missed.  Part-time, pool, and student workers would receive no pay.

If an employee decides to leave early due to concerns about the weather, the full-time employees will use Vacation or PTO for the entire remainder of the scheduled shift, regardless of declaration of a closure later after the employee has left campus.  Part-time, pool, and student workers would receive no pay.

Full-time employees who were not able to report due to illness or who voluntarily elected to not report to work due to concerns about the weather will need to use vacation or PTO for the entire day regardless of declaration of a weather emergency after their election.  Part-time, pool, and student workers would receive no pay.

Severe or Inclement Weather Precautions

The safety of the College’s faculty, staff, and students is of utmost importance. Please remember to take the following precautions to protect yourself in the event of a major snowstorm or extremely cold temperatures:

• Allow extra time to arrive for classes and/or meetings.
• Wear weather-appropriate clothing and footwear.
• Watch your step. Although the SNC grounds crew does their best to keep sidewalks and parking lots clear, walking on ice can be dangerous.
• Be sure to check the SNC website and Alertus notifications for updates.