What Employees should do in case of Adverse Weather

As adverse weather often creates challenges in arriving to work on time, we are each responsible for making a personal decision about road conditions based on our best judgment.  If weather conditions become hazardous during the work day and you anticipate problems driving home, you should consider coordinating with your supervisor so that you can leave work early.  Those staff members not identified as Critical Personnel may use vacation, bonus, or compensatory leave or they may choose to make up time missed when adverse weather conditions preclude fulfilling their regular work schedule.

An emergency closing is declared during conditions that may be hazardous to life or safety, including:  catastrophic, life-threatening weather (snow, ice, hurricane, tornado, earthquake, flood or other natural disaster), fire, equipment failure, disruption of power and/or water, contamination of hazardous agents, terrorist acts or forced evacuations from the campus.  The UNC Office of the President has delegated the authority to the chancellors of individual campuses to declare an emergency closing.

Campus status announcements are placed on the UNC Asheville Adverse Weather and Emergency Line at (828-259-3050), on the UNC Asheville website, sent via campus emails, and are provided to area media outlets.

For more detailed information about adverse weather and emergency closings, please visit the links provided below.

Authority and Decision-Making for Emergency Status

Notification to the Community

Communication Plan

Responsibilities

Designation of Critical Personnel

Accounting for Time Due to Adverse Weather

Accounting for Time Due to Emergency Closings

Authority and Decision-Making

The decision to delay, cancel, or hold classes is made by the Provost (or designee) on the recommendation of the Associate Vice Chancellor for Campus Operations following an evaluation of campus and local area road conditions and forecasts.  When possible, the decision should be made by 5:30 a.m. to enable notification in time for all to plan for the day appropriately.

When classes are canceled or delayed, staff flex hours are in effect.  When classes are not in session, the decision to delay the arrival or release staff early will be made by the Chancellor (or designee) on the recommendation of the Associate Vice Chancellor for Campus Operations following the evaluation of campus and local area road conditions and forecasts.  When possible, the decision should be made by 5:30 am to enable notification in time for all to plan for the day appropriately.

Emergency closing decisions will be made by the Chancellor (or designee), in consultation with the Associate Vice Chancellor for Campus Operations, and will only be implemented in the most extreme conditions.

Notification to the Community

Notification to the community takes several different forms:

1. UNC Asheville website at http://www.unca.edu/ (look for the snowflake at the top)

2. Adverse Weather and Emergency Line at (828-259-3050)

3. Local news media

4. Emails sent to all employees provide the latest information regarding University Adverse Weather and Emergency Bulletins.

During the academic semester:

1. Provost (or designee) will communicate the decision to cancel day and/or evening classes to the Chancellor’s office and Public Information.  If it is after 8:00 am, Monday through Friday, and classes are in session, the Provost’s office will communicate the decision to employees via email.
    

2. Associate Vice Chancellor for Campus Operations will communicate the decision to Campus Police, Human Resources Director, Facilities Management, Student Affairs (Dean of Students), and Athletics Director.
    

3. Public Information Director (or designee) will communicate the decision to Public Information personnel and area media.  Public Information personnel (or designee) will update the UNC Asheville website home page and Snowline, and will email students and staff regarding the decision.  If it is before 8:00 a.m. or after 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday or the weekend, Public Information personnel (or designee) will also email faculty.
    

Outside academic semester and during breaks, holidays and weekends.

1. Chancellor (or designee) will notify senior staff of decision.
    

2. Associate Vice Chancellor for Campus Operations will communicate decision to Campus Police, Human Resources Director, Facilities Management, Student Affairs (Dean of Students), and Athletics Director.
    

3. Public Information Director (or designee) will communicate the decision to Public Information personnel and area media.  Public Information personnel (or designee) will update the UNC Asheville website home page and Snowline, if relevant.  Public Information personnel (or designee) will also email students, faculty, and staff regarding the decisions if it is likely to affect their travel or return to the campus.

 

Responsibilities

•  The Campus Telecommunications Coordinator will establish a procedure to update the outgoing voice mail message on the University main number from off-campus, and will train additional authorized staff members in this procedure, including passwords.  This should include directions of where to forward the main phone number, when warranted.
   

• The area Vice Chancellors (or designees) will notify, in writing, those employees that are designated as critical personnel during a weather emergency or a closure.  Additional employees may be required to come to work (or work from home) to perform critical tasks, depending on the timing of the closure.
   

• Managers will discuss plans for performing critical tasks during closings with their respective departments, including available options for telecommuting, accessing university telephone lines, changing outgoing voice mail greetings, etc.
   

• Human Resources will provide any necessary training to orient employees concerning Staff Flex Hours and will receive from Vice Chancellors those employees identified as Critical Personnel.  The department will also maintain linkable web pages explaining the different types of cancellations and will maintain a webpage with a PDF-format Emergency Closing Form for staff members with instruction on form completion.  This link is available as an imbedded link from the interior text of the “Snowflake” symbol.
   

• Information Technology Services will maintain the operation of the “Snowflake” link and will assist Human Resources with the development of linkable web pages.  They will assist with emailing students, faculty and staff and may need to designate staff to provide emergency technical support during non-working hours.  The UNC Asheville website homepage will continue to use the “Snowflake” symbol and the terms “Adverse Weather, Check Here for More Information.”
   

• Public Information will be responsible for assuring that the relevant announcements are posted in the media, on the Snowline, and on the UNC Asheville website.  All of these should be completed by about 6:00 a.m. (when a 5:30 a.m. decision is issued).  Area media outlets use computer-based systems for announcing delays and closings.  The following language is recommended:  1) Late Start Schedule, 2) Day Classes Canceled, 3) Evening Classes Canceled, 4) Closed/Critical Personnel Only, 5) Staff Flex Hours.  Public Information will maintain a procedure manual, updated annually or more often if needed, containing the media call list and media procedures, and all media and email passwords.  They will also assure timely updates to the website, Snowline, and by email as appropriate.
   

Designation of the Critical Personnel

Critical Personnel are those employees designated to ensure the continuous operation of UNC Asheville.  These employees most often fall into the categories of law enforcement, facilities management, food service, student support and technical services.  Employees in these roles will be notified in writing of their status and will be notified by their Supervisor of their unique responsibilities.  Office of State Personnel policy states that Critical Personnel who fail to report to work at the designated time may be subject to disciplinary action and/or required to charge missed hours to leave or leave without pay as determined by management.
 

How to account for time due to Adverse Weather

Employees may use vacation, bonus, or earned compensatory leave to pay for the lost hours, or may make up the time within the next 12 months from the occurrence of the absence.  If time is not made up within the 12-month period, vacation leave must be charged or leave without pay taken.
 

How to account for time due to Emergency Closing

When the University declares an Emergency Closing, employees are paid for the hours they were expected to work.  Employees are not required to use earned time to pay for such absence.  Employees classified as Critical Personnel should reflect the actual number of hours worked; all others should reflect “0” for hours taken (even in cases of prior leave approval) on the regular monthly time sheet.

Critical Personnel MUST complete an Emergency Closing Time Accountability Form.