Procedures in the Event the College is Closed

In the event of an overnight snowstorm (or ice storm):

• Facilities Management personnel will assess whether or not they can clear parking lots, campus roads, and sidewalks to a level that would allow students, faculty, and staff to navigate campus safely.
• At 5:30 a.m., members of the Hamilton Emergency Response Team (HERT), will discuss current conditions and determine if the College will open on time, delay opening or close for the day.
• If delayed or closed, the following notification will be sent: 
  • An Everbridge notification will be sent to Sr. Staff alerting them of the delayed opening or closure
  • Followed by notification to the College community (students, faculty, staff, and contractors) via Everbridge and the College’s web page.
  • Human Resources will alert local TV and Radio stations of the College’s status.

Daytime snow/ice storm (this assumes the roads are drivable and faculty/staff are on campus):

• Members of HERT will monitor the weather to anticipate potential changes 
• HERT will maintain contact with local, county, and state police to monitor road conditions
  • If the County declares a Travel Advisory, staff, (after consulting with their supervisor) may elect to go home and/or work from home as agreed upon with their supervisor –
  • The College will close if a Snow Emergency or Travel Ban is declared. The County will typically provide notice that this status is forthcoming; for example, the County may state at 11 a.m. that a snow emergency will be in effect at 1 p.m. - in this case, the College would close at 11 a.m.
  • All notifications and updates will be sent via Everbridge and the College’s website.

When the College is closed or a delay in opening has been determined, some Essential Personnel must report to campus - for example, Campus Safety and Facilities Management employees are considered Essential Personnel and must report to campus. Other departments may have requirements as well. Please check with your supervisor to determine if you are considered Essential Personnel and must report to campus during a weather emergency.  

When the College is closed:  

• All classes and academic activities are canceled 
• All College vehicles are grounded (vehicles may also be grounded during a Travel Advisory) 
• All home athletic events are canceled/postponed 
• All College facilities are closed except for food services - select dining facilities will be open with a modified menu. 

In rare instances, employees may be asked to work from home. Hourly employees required to work their shift during a closure period will be compensated at a rate of two times their base rate for those hours worked during their shift. Overtime or other premium pay will only be paid when due as a result of normal overtime guidelines.

Individuals who have any questions regarding their need to report to work as scheduled when the College is closed should contact their supervisor. Essential personnel who are scheduled to work during a closure period and do not report may be required to use earned time.

If the College is open, but individuals are concerned about safe travel to work, arrive late, or feel the need to leave work early due to inclement weather, earned personal or vacation time or unpaid time should be requested.

In some instances, exempt staff may be required to report to work during a closure period. For exempt staff who are not required to report to work during a closure period, exempt staff should monitor their operation through various means such as email to ensure expectations are being upheld. For exempt staff who are required to report to work, supervisory discretion should be applied when considering the possibility of equivalent time off.

The above policy will apply to time off granted by the College between the Christmas holiday and New Year’s Day. Additional compensation will not be paid for regularly scheduled days off during any closure period or if an employee chooses in advance to use paid time off during any closure period.

Notification Procedures

If the College is closed before the start of a regular workday, the following media organizations will be notified as soon as a decision is made:

Television stations:

• WKTV (Utica, NBC 2)
• WUTR (Utica, ABC)
• WTVH (Syracuse, CBS 5)
• Spectrum Cable News