Campus Reminders on Inclement Weather in Preparation for Winter

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In preparation for the winter season and the increased likelihood of inclement weather, the U of A would like to remind the campus community of its updated inclement weather policy.

If the university closes or on-campus classes are canceled due to inclement weather, a WxAlert (weather alert) emergency notification will be sent to the campus community via all available channels — email, voicemail and text message (for those who have provided a cell number in UAConnect or Workday).

In most cases, an inclement weather event is forecasted in advance, allowing representatives from various campus units — the University of Arkansas Police Department, Facilities Management, Parking and Transit, Faculty Senate, Staff Senate, Associated Student Government, University Relations, the Division of Agriculture and the Provost's Office — to meet and discuss possible closures or delayed openings/early closings.

When operations are impacted, the university will make every attempt to notify campus of those decisions as soon as possible.

To receive text messages related to emergency alerts, including WxALERTS, students, faculty and staff must provide their cellphone numbers in UAConnect or Workday. Alerts will also be sent to university email addresses, and the messages will be posted on the university homepage.

How might classes be impacted?
In the event of a weather-related closure, on-campus classes will not meet in person. However, instructors may conduct classes virtually using Zoom or other synchronous delivery methods. Instructors will decide whether to continue their classes synchronously or provide lecture or other materials asynchronously and will communicate expectations to their students. Additionally, instructors may not penalize students who miss a virtual class due to a weather-related closure. They must allow students the opportunity to make up work due during the weather-related closure while on-campus courses are cancelled and may not administer examinations during a weather-related closure. Online courses continue without interruption.

More guidelines regarding on-campus class cancellation are available on the campus safety website and the Provost website.

What services will be available?
Since many students reside on campus, certain services will continue to operate or remain open with reduced hours during a campus closure. Those services include: University Recreation, University Dining, the Arkansas Union and Mullins Library. Campus tech support and Blackboard Support will also remain available during their regularly scheduled hours by chat, phone or email during emergency closures. Information regarding these services and reduced hours due to weather will be posted on their respective websites and at safety.uark.edu.

How will staff be impacted?
If the university decides to close, university staff designated as weather essential should report to work as regularly scheduled, unless directed otherwise by their supervisor. 

During a full-day campus closure, all on-campus employees not designated as weather essential are expected to conduct work remotely, if possible, to continue the vital operations of the university. No remote work is expected during an early dismissal or delayed opening.  Employees should check with their supervisors if they are unsure of their work status during an inclement weather day.

For more guidance on weather-related closures and on-campus class cancellation, the full inclement weather policy for the U of A can be found online.

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas' economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.