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Purdue University Policies
 

Facilities and Safety

Adverse Weather Conditions (IV.A.6)

Volume IV: Facilities and Safety
Chapter A: Safety
Responsible Executive: President
Responsible Office: Office of the Executive Vice President for Business and Finance, Treasurer
Date Issued: November 1, 2011
Date Last Revised: November 18, 2011

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Statement of Policy
Reason for This Policy
Individuals and Entities Affected by This Policy
Who Should Know This Policy
Exclusions
Website Address for This Policy
Contacts
Definitions
Responsibilities
Procedures
Related Documents, Forms and Tools
History and Updates
Appendix

STATEMENT OF POLICY

The University takes into consideration local and regional weather conditions, travel conditions and decisions by local school districts when deciding whether to delay, dismiss or cancel classes and/or routine operations for an entire campus due to Adverse Weather Conditions. When conditions warrant, a decision to delay, dismiss, or cancel classes and/or routine operations is coordinated with appropriate local city, county or state officials and communicated to faculty, staff and students of the affected campus. The decision to delay, dismiss or cancel classes and/or routine operations for the West Lafayette campus is made by the President and for each of the Regional Campuses it is made by the Chancellor. The President and the Chancellors will each assign a designee for such purposes to act in his or her absence.

REASON FOR THIS POLICY

The purpose of this policy is to address Adverse Weather Conditions that affect University operations.

INDIVIDUALS AND ENTITIES AFFECTED BY THIS POLICY

All units, students, faculty and staff on all of the University’s campuses.

WHO SHOULD KNOW THIS POLICY

President
Chancellors
Vice Presidents
Vice Chancellors
Vice Provosts
Deans and Directors
Department Heads/Chairs
Faculty
Staff
Students
Visitors

EXCLUSIONS

There are no exclusions from this policy.

WEBSITE ADDRESS FOR THIS POLICY

www.purdue.edu/policies/facilities-safety/iva6.html

CONTACTS

Subject Contact Telephone E-mail/Web Address
Policy Clarification Senior Director, Environmental Health and Public Safety 765-494-7504 ehps@purdue.edu
Campus Specific Questions Calumet: Vice Chancellor, Administrative Services 219-989-2232 unpol@purduecal.edu
Fort Wayne: Vice Chancellor for Financial Affairs 260-481-6804
North Central: Vice Chancellor for Administration 219-785-5400
West Lafayette: Senior Director, Environmental Health and Public Safety 765-494-7504 ehps@purdue.edu

DEFINITIONS

Adverse Weather Conditions
Existing or predicted temperatures and wind conditions; snow, ice or water accumulations; or tornadic or severe thunderstorm activity that pose a severe health threat to students, faculty and staff.

Chancellor
The chancellor of Purdue University Calumet, Purdue University North Central or Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne.

Essential Personnel
Personnel designated by a unit head as employees that are required in order to provide the minimum level of service on a campus (i.e., emergency services, utilities and provision of food and housing) and those needed to prevent irreparable damage to research and mechanical systems. Each affected unit head will designate Essential Personnel in his or her department and notify them of this designation.

Purdue, University, and Purdue University
Any campus, unit, program, association or entity of Purdue University, including but not limited to Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, Purdue University Calumet, Purdue University North Central, Purdue University West Lafayette, Purdue Cooperative Extension Service and Purdue College of Technology Statewide.

President
Purdue's President.

Regional Campus(es)
Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, Purdue University Calumet and Purdue University North Central.

Tornado Warning
An alert issued by the National Weather Service to indicate that a tornado has been sighted and poses a definite threat to a given area.

Tornado Watch
An alert issued by the National Weather Service when atmospheric conditions are favorable for the formation of tornadoes in a given area.

RESPONSIBILITIES

President or Chancellor
Make a decision to delay, dismiss or cancel classes and/or routine operations for his or her campus, as appropriate, and designate someone to make the decision in his or her absence.

Outline specific procedures for his or her campus that provide instruction in the event of Adverse Weather Conditions, or designate responsibility for such.

Students, Faculty and Staff
Take responsibility for situational awareness regarding current and predicted weather, especially with regard to appropriate clothing, walking paths and vehicular travel.

Be familiar with the terminology used on weather bulletins broadcast on radio and television stations.

Follow the procedures for Adverse Weather Conditions established by their campus.

Department or Unit Heads
Designate Essential Personnel in their department/office. Ensure that procedures are in place to protect research, animals and other critical processes in the department, should the decision be made to delay, dismiss or cancel classes and/or routine operations on their campus.

Essential Personnel
Stay on campus for all or part of the duration of the delay, dismissal or cancellation as directed by their supervisor in order to ensure the continuing operation of the University at the minimum necessary level.

Human Resources
Distribute to all units specific pay practices for a delay, dismissal or cancellation due to Adverse Weather Conditions.

Business Offices
Reimburse facilities that provide housing and/or meals to their department’s Essential Personnel during a delay, dismissal or cancellation.

PROCEDURES

  1. Each campus must outline specific procedures appropriate for their location that provide instruction in the event of Adverse Weather Conditions, including Tornado Watches or Tornado Warnings, snow and ice emergencies or windchill emergencies, and share them at least annually with all faculty, staff and students.
  2. As part of these procedures, each unit head must assess the need for and identify Essential Personnel, develop procedures to protect research, animals and other critical processes in the department, and communicate these to all Essential Personnel in his or her department/office.
  3. In the event a delay, dismissal or cancellation is declared for a campus, human resources will distribute a copy of the pay practices to be followed and business offices will coordinate the reimbursement to facilities that provide housing and/or food to Essential Personnel.

RELATED DOCUMENTS, FORMS AND TOOLS

Campus emergency preparedness websites:

HISTORY AND UPDATES

November 18, 2011: Policy number changed to IV.A.6 (formerly I.2.5) and website address updated.

November 1, 2011: This policy supersedes the Policy Relating to Adverse Weather Conditions - West Lafayette Campus (Executive Memorandum No. C-35). It is the first system-wide policy to address this issue.

December 12, 1994: The Policy Relating to Adverse Weather Conditions - West Lafayette Campus (Executive Memorandum No. C-35) superseded Executive Vice President and TreasurerMemorandum No. A-7 and Memorandum No. A-26).

APPENDIX

There are no appendices to this policy.