As we head deeper into the winter months and with the impending snowstorm forecasted for Thursday and Friday, the university offers some reminders regarding our policies and procedures around campus closures in the event of inclement weather.
In the event of severe weather, the university continually monitors weather conditions. In the rare occurrence when the campus is closed and classes are canceled due to extreme weather, limited campus services will remain open with essential personnel, although they may have reduced hours and services.
Per university policy, a decision will be communicated by 5:30 a.m. regarding whether or not to cancel classes and close the campus that day for weather-related reasons.
Updated expectations for employees during severe weather
With the ability for many employees to work remotely, the university is providing guidance on work expectations.
When the Marquette University campus is closed for severe weather or an emergency, please be aware of the following:
- Specific employees and/or departments may be required to report to campus to work during severe weather or other emergencies or may be asked to remain on campus for the remainder of their shift. The requirement to be on campus during a closure should be communicated from an employee’s supervisor or department leader in advance when possible.
- Only those employees required to remain/come to campus during a university closing should be on campus. If an employee is unsure if they are required to be on campus during a university closing, they should contact their supervisor.
- For employees with a university-issued laptop: Employees with a university issued laptop are expected to work from home/remotely during an emergency closing or use a vacation day/floating holiday as a replacement for their regularly scheduled hours. Employees working remotely should continue with any meetings that can be conducted via Microsoft Teams. If there is impending inclement weather, and you have a university issued laptop, remember to take your laptop home with you at the end of the day. If an employee with a university-issued laptop chooses not to work or does not have access to their university laptop outside of campus, the employee will be required to use a vacation day or floating holiday as a replacement for regularly scheduled hours.
- For employees who do not have a university-issued laptop and are not approved to work on campus: Employees who do not have a university issued laptop and are not approved by their supervisor to work on campus, will receive Emergency University Closing pay as a replacement for regularly scheduled hours.
- The payroll department will provide guidance, via email, to supervisors for timesheet entry when there is an emergency closing or operational disruption.
For more information, view the “Emergency Closings and Operational Disruptions” policy on page 61 in the Employee Handbook. Instructors should see the policy for Severe Weather – Instructor Responsibilities when Classes are Canceled for guidance when classes are canceled.
When classes are canceled
For severe weather closings when classes are in session, the decision to cancel classes due to severe weather applies to all classes regardless of modality—in-person, synchronous and asynchronous online. Instructors cannot mandate student activities or assignments on a day of closure. Assignments due during the closure are delayed and instructors are expected to communicate with students regarding their expectations for missed or delayed assignments and to clarify any changes in class schedule due to the closure.
Any students in clinical or community sites or nursing students who take classes at Pleasant Prairie should be alert to any specific guidance from their school or college about their course modality on severe weather days.
How the university communicates severe weather decisions
In the event of a weather-related closing, students, faculty and staff will be notified by e-mail and, for those registered, by text messaging and Twitter. The information will also be posted at Marquette.edu. Local media will be notified of any closing.
To receive the text message, students should enter their cell phone number in the “Personal Information” section of CheckMarq and keep it updated. Instructions are online.
All faculty and staff with university-owned cell phones have been automatically enrolled to receive text alerts. Faculty and staff without university phones can opt in to receiving text alerts from the university by registering their personal phone number in the “Personal Information” section of MyJob.
Remember to take precautions and protect yourself in below zero temperatures. The Marquette University Medical Clinic encourages members of the Marquette community to:
- Wear wind‐resistant clothing if possible and protect yourself by covering your ears, face and hands.
- Wear proper footwear and layered clothing, which can prevent frostbite.
- At the first signs of any redness or pain in any skin area, get out of the cold.
- Watch your step. Walking on ice can be very dangerous, as it can often blend into the pavement.
For more information, consult UPP 6-05: SEVERE WEATHER.
