Planning for winter: What happens during a weather-related disruption to classes, operations

Severe weather may lead to operational disruptions at the university that require canceling classes for the full day or part of the day. Marquette prioritizes keeping campus open to serve students in residence and the surrounding community while reducing some operational services during the disruption.

In preparation for the upcoming winter season, a cross-functional team reviewed processes and language involved in weather-related disruptions to class instruction and university operations. Accounting for feedback received from the prior academic year, Human Resources recently updated the Employee Handbook to provide more guidance for staff. See the “Operational Disruptions and Emergency Closings” section for more details.

Specific employees and/or departments may be required to report to campus to work during severe weather or stay on campus for the remainder of their shift, while other university offices can be operational by employees working remotely.

All supervisors are encouraged to:

  • Work proactively with their ULC member to set expectations for when severe weather conditions occur.
  • Following alignment with the ULC member, share expectations with their teams as soon as possible.

Notification by 5:30 a.m.

Marquette continually monitors weather conditions as broadcast by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to ensure the safety of our campus community. The university follows the UPP 6-05: Severe Weather policy for making decisions about canceling classes or reducing operations due to weather. In all cases, the decision will be made internally no later than 5 a.m. so it can be communicated as a safety alert text message or EagleEye push notification by 5:30 a.m. An email with more details will be sent to Marquette email addresses.

To ensure you are notified by text, all students, faculty and staff should make sure they are enrolled in safety alert text message system.

When classes are canceled for the full day or for a portion of the day, assignments due for affected classes will be delayed. Please note that when the university cancels classes, it applies to all modalities – in-person, online and hybrid – per the current university policy. 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 disruption.