Weather Closing Notification

Operational Standard/Purpose

ICC has developed a standard procedure for determining and announcing weather-related closings.

The purpose of this procedure is to provide a consistent framework, whenever possible, for determining and announcing winter weather closures.

Scope/Applicability

While the determination of the closing is restricted, the announcement of closures applies to all employees and students, as well as outside groups that might be using the College. This procedure does not cover guidelines for dismissing staff mid-workday in the event of an afternoon or evening closure where ICC employees already are on site. Unscheduled work stoppage events are covered in a separate standard operational procedure. Cancellation of classes by faculty is covered in the Faculty Handbook.

Procedures

1. The recommendation to close the College or cancel classes resides with the Vice President of Academic Affairs, the Executive Vice President of Administration and Finance, and the Vice President of Marketing and Institutional Advancement. After considering a number of factors, these Cabinet members will reach consensus on closing. The Executive Vice President of Administration and Finance will contact the College President regarding the recommendation no later than three hours before the announcement will be made. The President ultimately makes the decision. Once the decision is reached, the Executive Vice President of Administration and Finance will contact the Vice President of Marketing and Institutional Advancement (or an appropriate designee in the Vice President’s absence) to initiate the announcements.
   
   Factors considered in closures include (but are not limited to):
   These factors often are considered for closures and cancellations, but all may not be relevant in the decision. For example, closure by one outlying school district will not necessarily result in a recommendation to close. The above factors are used as guidelines, and each may carry different weight at different times in generating a recommendation to close or cancel.
   • The degree to which the weather permits the campuses to be accessible to students and staff; for example, whether the rate of snow allows parking lots, sidewalks, etc. to be clear and safe for students and staff to use.
   • Reports from the Illinois Department of Transportation on the condition of roads in the College District.
   • The impact and severity of the weather forecast.
   • The degree to which outlying school districts have closed or cancelled classes.
   • The number of classes impacted by a closure (timing), the time in the semester (for example, during finals week), and the ability to accommodate classroom work through other means or re-scheduling.
   • Emergency road conditions designated by county or city officials of governmental units in District 514.
2. In the event of a closure or cancellation, announcements will be made as follows:
   1. In cases where ICC will close all offices and cancel all classes and activities, the announcement will be made not later than 6 a.m.
   2. In cases where ICC will cancel all afternoon classes beginning at 1 pm and later, and/or evening classes and activities, the announcement will be made by 10 a.m.
   3. In cases where ICC will cancel all evening classes beginning at 6 p.m. or later, as well as all evening activities, the announcement will be made by 3 p.m.
   4. In cases where weekend events will be cancelled, the recommendation will depend on the time of the scheduled events. In general, the timeframes listed above for weekday closures and cancellations should be followed.
3. Cancellation and closure notices will be sent using the following methods from the Marketing and College Communications department:
   1. MyAlert – This is the most efficient way for the College to communicate with employees and students. All employees and students will receive an email, phone message, and text, depending on the preferences identified in their MyAlert accounts.
   2. ICC Website Home Page – Information on weather-related closings and delays will appear on the alert banner on the ICC home page of the website.
   3. Social Media – ICC’s social media outlets will be updated following the same schedule as other closing announcements.
   4. Local Media – ICC will contact local television, radio, and the online version of the Peoria Journal Star newspaper. However, there generally is a delay between the time ICC notifies the local media and the time the information appears.
   5. All-Campus Email – Marketing will also send an all-campus email to all employees. (This generally is accomplished through MyAlert.)
4. This procedure is communicated the first week of November every year.

Additional Provisions/Information

1. The listed schedule may be changed due to unexpected weather concerns. In this case, notification times may change.
2. When the decision is made to close the College, ALL offices and activities (including PAC and Athletics events) will be canceled during the designated timeframe. (Only those employees involved in activities to allow the College to reopen, such as snow removal; or who have designated public safety assignments will be allowed on campus. In the case a bona fide emergency occurs, ICC will follow the Emergency Operations Plan — See the Board of Trustees Administrative Policies, Article XXI.)
3. If the College is open and employees choose not to report for work because of adverse weather conditions, vacation or personal time must be used. Faculty are encouraged to be considerate of students who live in outlying areas who may need extra travel time or may not be able to travel to school.