4.4 Weather/Short-Term Emergency Closing Policy and Procedure

Part 1. Purpose

In accordance with MinnState Board Policy 4.4, the following policy and procedure are followed when it becomes necessary to close the college or cancel academic and/or non-academic activities at the college due to extreme weather or other short-term emergency conditions. A description of working conditions and the compensation status of employees during the time the college is closed is included.

Part 2. Definitions and work responsibility

Subpart A. Campus(es) Closed – Closing the college means to close all operations other than those deemed essential to the protection of life and property. Closing the college results in the cancelation of all classes, student, faculty and staff activities, and meetings. All general offices are closed. The campus closed status can be declared at one or both campuses dependent upon the location and nature of the emergency situation. With regard to such closure, the following additional guidelines will prevail.

All College employees are excused from work with pay. Earn code “MSL” should be used on AFSCME, MMA, and MAPE employee timesheets.
Identified essential employees are not excused from work and will be paid at their regular rate of pay.
Employees who reported to work and were sent home should not be paid for more than their regular scheduled hours.
Employees on approved sick or any other type of approved leave shall not have such leave time restored to their balances nor be paid for the emergency leave time unless they are called back to work.

Subpart 3. Canceled Classes and Activities – Cancelation of classes and activities means to cancel all classes in the absence of officially closing the entire college. Cancelation of non-academic activities refers to cancelation of activities such as athletic events, theatrical productions, concerts, or workshops. Cancelation of classes and/or activities does not excuse any employee for work.

When classes are canceled but the college is not closed, individual faculty shall take personal leave or make appropriate curricular adjustments as approved by their supervisor.
When non-academic activities are canceled, the activities shall be rescheduled as appropriate.
During inclement weather when a campus(es) is not closed, supervisors may grant personal leave or vacation leave to employees who find it necessary to leave work early or who cannot make it into work.

Part 3. Authority

In accordance with MinnState Policy 4.4, the authority to close the college campus, cancel classes and/or activities when weather or other short-term emergencies exist resides with the College President or the President’s designee: Vice President of Administrative Services and Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs. The closure of the state agencies by the Commissioner of the Department of Employee Relations does not supersede the authority of the College President; however, the Governor’s orders in particular situations do supersede the authority of the College President.

Subpart A. Essential Employees

The Vice President of Administrative Services shall identify and maintain a list of essential personnel who must report to work during times of campus closure due to weather or other type of short-term emergency.

The following positions are deemed essential during emergencies situations: Director of Security, Physical Plant Director, Plant Maintenance Engineers, Building Maintenance Lead Worker, General Maintenance Worker (Brainerd campus), General Repair Worker and Groundskeeper.

Part 4. Weather emergency

Weather conditions are assessed with the assistance of the MN Department of Transportation, the National Weather Service, local media, and by consulting with local school district administration. If weather conditions constitute a threat to the health and safety of college employees and students the president or designee will determine if a campus or campuses will be closed or classes and/or non-academic activities will be canceled.

Part 5. Other Short-Term Emergencies

Per MinnState policy 4.4, the college president is required to maintain a list of other possible emergencies that my require campus closure, class cancelation, cancelation of non-academic activities, or campus evacuation. This list contains the following emergencies but is not to be considered inclusive:

Bomb Threat
Chemical spills
Fire
Security Incident
Other unknown emergencies

Part 6. Notification

Subpart A. MinnState Office of Chancellor. The MinnState Public Relations Office will be notified via email or telephone after any decision by a president or designee to cancel classes and/or activities or close campuses.

Subpart B. Students and Employee notification. Weather and other short-term emergencies resulting in campus closure or cancelation of classes and activities will be communicated to students and employees via the following methods and in the order listed:

Blackboard Connect Star Alert – emergency notification via Blackboard Connect to all registered students and employees. Voice mail and email messages will be sent to office and home phones and computers as selected by the student or employee.
Website Announcement – an emergency notice will scroll on the main page of the CLC website.
Student Email Notification – All students will receive emergency notification via their CLC student email account.
Information Desk Phone – A pre-message will be placed on information desk phone lines informing all callers of the college’s emergency status.
Media Announcements – Local, regional and state-wide media sources will announce the college’s emergency status. Media sources include internet, radio and television. Media sources are:

Media Contacts:

INTERNET		KARE 11, WCCO, and KSTP	KARE 11, WCCO, and KSTP, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat
TELEVISION		KARE 11, WCCO 4, and KSTP 5
RADIO		AITKIN	KKIN-AM (930), KKIN-FM (94.3)
	BRAINERD	KLIZ-FM (107.5), KFGI-FM (103.5), KVBR-AM (1340), KBLB-FM (B93.3), and WJJY-AM (106.7)

	LITTLE FALLS	KFML-FM (94.1),KLTF-AM (960), and WYRQ-FM (92.1)
	MINNEAPOLIS	WCCO-AM (830)

	ST. CLOUD	KCLD-FM (104.7), KNSI-AM (1450), KCML-FM (99.9), & WILD-FM (98.9)
	STAPLES	KWAD-AM (920), KNSP-AM (1430), and K106-FM
	WADENA	KSKK-FM (94.7), and KVKK – AM (1070)

Subpart C. Timeliness of Communicating Weather Emergencies

Weather emergency occurring during late p.m. or early a.m. A decision to cancel day classes and/or activities or to close a campus(es) will be determined and communicated by 6:00 a.m.
Weather emergency occurs during normal hours of operations, 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Emergency situation occurring or predicted during normal hours of operation will be monitored and a decision to cancel classes and activities or to close a campus(es) will be made as the emergency situation progresses and it is determined that conditions constitute a threat to the health and safety of college employees and students.
Special consideration will be given to students taking evening classes. Whenever possible, a decision to cancel classes or close a campus when it will impact evening classes will be made and communicated by 2:00 p.m. This will prevent students and employees from traveling in unsafe conditions during evening hours.

Part 7. Communication of weather/short-term emergency closing procedures.

Management will inform employees and students of the Weather/Short-Term Emergency policy and procedure by the following methods:

Placing policy and procedure in CLC Policy Manual
Annual fall semester email from college president to all students and employees.
Publication of procedure and media sources in college newspaper, West Bank Journal
Publication of procedure and media sources on college website
A courtesy email reminder about the Weather/Short-Term Emergency Procedure will be sent to students and employees when the National Weather Service is predicting severe winter weather.

Date of implementation/Presidential Approval: 10/24/2011

Date of last review: 1/27/2021