4.4 Weather / Short Term Emergency Closings

Board Policies
Chapter 4 - Human Resources

Part 1. Authority to Cancel Classes or Other College or University Activities
The authority to cancel classes or other college or university activities due to weather or other short-term emergencies resides with the college or university president or the president's designee. See Board Policy 1A.10 Emergency Management for long-term closures.

Cancellation of classes or other activities does not excuse any employee from work. With supervisor approval, employees of the college or university, including faculty, may take personal leave, vacation leave, or use earned compensatory time when classes or other activities are canceled and they choose to be absent from work.

Part 2. Campus Closing Due to Weather or Other Emergency
A president or designee may close all or a portion of a college or university campus due to a weather or other short-term emergency of six calendar days or less. See Board Policy 1A.10 Long Term Emergency Management for long term closures.

The closure of state agencies by the Commissioner of Minnesota Management and Budget does not apply to Minnesota State colleges and universities. Pursuant to Minn. Stat. Chapter 12. Emergency Management § 12.21 Governor, the Governor of Minnesota has emergency powers to issue an executive order to change the work schedule of executive branch employees in cases of natural disaster or other emergencies.

Subpart A. Weather emergencies
The college or university president shall develop written procedures that will be used to determine when weather conditions constitute a threat to the health and safety of students and college or university employees. The written procedures must identify the following:

Processes for assessment of weather and travel conditions (temperature, wind, precipitation, condition of roads). Pertinent state and local authorities should be referenced as part of an assessment of weather and travel conditions. The following offices are suggested as authorities to reference:

State Highway Patrol District Office

Minnesota Department of Transportation - district offices

County and city law enforcement offices

County and city highway maintenance offices

Local school districts

Positions and employees of the college or university who provide services that are essential to protect life and property during campus closings due to weather conditions. These "weather essential" employees will not be excused from work duty during campus closings.

Methods of notification of campus closings appropriate to students, employees, and the public.

Subpart B. Filing
A copy of the written procedures must be filed with the Chancellor.

Subpart C. Other emergencies
The college or university president shall maintain

emergency operations plans and continuity of operations plans (other than those which are due to weather conditions) that specify processes and procedure when closure would be an appropriate action, and

a list of essential employees that would not be excused from work duty during campus closings due to identified emergency conditions.

Subpart D. Effect of closure
When a campus closing is declared, college and/or university employees may be excused from work with pay if alternative working arrangements are not practical as determined by the president or designee. Employees who are authorized and scheduled to telework, or have the means and are approved to work from home or an alternative site, will continue to work if the short-term emergency does not prevent them from safely performing work at their home or alternative site.

An employee's absence with pay for an individual emergency situation must not exceed the equivalent of two workdays unless the chancellor authorizes a longer period. A campus closure applies to all employees without regard to labor contract. Weather or other emergency essential employees who are not excused from work will be paid at their regular rate of pay.

Subpart E. Timeframe
The declaration of a campus closure must, whenever possible, clearly identify the timeframe when employees are excused from work.

Subpart F. Notice to the Chancellor
Each college or university shall notify the chancellor or designee after the decision is made to close a campus due to weather or other emergency conditions. This notice will be used by the system office to respond to inquiries regarding campus closures.

Part 3. System Office
The Commissioner of Minnesota Management and Budget has authority to excuse employees of the system office with pay due to weather or other emergencies. The chancellor may also excuse employees of the system office due to weather or other emergencies and may pay employees with the approval of the Commissioner of Minnesota Management and Budget for such absence. Decisions by a president to close a campus apply to employees of the system office when assigned to in person work on that campus.

Policy History:

Date of Adoption: 10/16/96
Date of Implementation: 10/16/96
Date of Last Review: 11/15/23

Date & Subject of Amendments:

11/15/23 – Updated Part 1. Heading, clarified the current practices and processes used at the colleges and universities, deleted outdated language, replaced the Commissioner of the Department of Employee Relations with the Commissioner of Minnesota Management and Budget, and applied the writing standards.

11/16/11 - Effective 1/1/12, the Board of Trustees amends all board policies to change the term "Office of the Chancellor" to "system office," and to make necessary related grammatical changes.

7/18/07 - Amends policy to create distinction between short term emergencies and long term emergencies. Amends Part 2, Subpart D to clarify president's sole authority to excuse employees from work with pay only extends up to 2 days, longer paid absences requires approval by the Chancellor. Amends Part 3 to include language consistent with the current statute which provides that the Commissioner of the Department of Employee Relations has authority to release employees of the Office of the Chancellor with pay due to weather or other emergencies. It also clarifies that employees of the Office of the Chancellor who work on a campus will be governed by the decision of the president to close the campus.

Additional HISTORY

4.4 Weather / Short Term Emergency Closings

Related Documents:

Policy History: