Dear NEOMED Community:
As we have all enjoyed some mild seasonal temperatures, we all know that winter will officially arrive soon. One of the roles of operations is to recommend cancellations and closures due to severe weather.
While your safety is our priority, in general the University does not close or cancel classes because of cold weather, winter ice or snow. However, when severe weather conditions exist or are anticipated, we may delay business and class start times, cancel classes or close the entire campus.
When snow or ice threatens or extreme cold prevails, we expect to announce any changes to class or business hours by 5:30 a.m. for morning and all-day cancellations, 10 a.m. for afternoon classes and 3 p.m. for evening classes. In general, our decision will be guided by the condition of major roadways leading to campus, by the condition of campus roadways and sidewalks, and by our ability to plow our parking lots. For extreme cold, we will delay or cancel when the wind chill reaches (or is predicted to reach) -20 degrees Fahrenheit for an extended period.
All efforts will be made to adhere to the cancellation/delay time frames listed. However, dramatic weather changes may warrant notifications beyond the planned times.
As a reminder, there are three ways to learn about delays, class cancellations or campus closings:
- Rave ALERTS [visit neomed.edu/police/rave for more details or to set up access] Note: All NEOMED STUDENTS, FACULTY AND STAFF with a NEOMED email address are automatically enrolled in the RAVEAlert system to receive email notification, however you must register your mobile phone number(s) to receive text and voice alerts.
- Television and radio broadcasts.
- NEOMED website. An announcement will scroll across the home page if there is a cancellation or closing.
Employees and commuting students should always use sound personal judgments regarding the safety of their travel when deciding whether or not to report to work or classes.
When classes and normal business operations are canceled, some University services remain open. For example, campus operations staff members are expected to report to work as usual.
University policy governs the reporting and recording of work absences due to campus closures. Campus closing policies can be found on the NEOMED website for your reference. Employees located at sites other than the Rootstown campus, unless notified of cancellations at that remote site, are expected to report to work.
When the University is closed, students should check in with faculty to identify the necessary make-up details, especially for any mandatory components such as assessments. In addition, no examinations will be administered. The Office of Academic Services staff will communicate examination schedule changes or provide updates to students via NEOMED email or AIMS. If the University remains open, but you are unable to attend classes, students are required to contact the faculty and to complete the absence forms for the missed time at neomed.edu/studentservices/forms/. For clinical experiences, unless the site notifies students directly of cancellations, students are expected to attend. Absence policies are delineated in the COMPASS Student Handbook for your reference.
A closing order from the Governor’s Office applies to state office buildings and other state employees in the field. Colleges and universities do not fall into this category.
Please be safe as you travel this winter.
John T. Langell
President