Annual inclement weather message

Dear campus community:

As winter approaches, we want to remind you about the University’s inclement weather policy. While we do have a policy and process in place, how we implement it this year will be different than in past years because of the global pandemic.

Specifically:

Since class instruction has been remote and will continue to be remote during the spring semester, we do not anticipate inclement weather closures to impact class schedules. Work that can be performed remotely will also not be impacted. However, as with any severe weather situation, we ask that everyone take all necessary precautions and monitor the weather in your location. Further, students and/or residents who are living on campus should also take all necessary precautions and monitor any announcements from the University which may impact operations.

If employees experience power or internet outages, they should follow established procedures for notifying their supervisors. Similarly, students should inform their faculty or teachers.

Essential employees or their representative teams, are expected to report to work during periods of inclement weather. Essential employees includes public safety, grounds, maintenance, and utilities staff; residence hall staff, Student Health Service staff, and others who have been designated as essential by their administrators. The university will continue to make arrangements for overnight housing for essential staff who come to support our campus operations in the case of inclement weather. This will be done while continuing to maintain all of our existing public health policies and procedures.

As a reminder of the University’s standard procedure for announcing inclement weather closures, late opening, or early release:

1. The Department of Public Safety (DPS) is responsible for monitoring and communicating if severe weather conditions require the University and/or the Clerc Center to close for the day, close early, or be delayed in opening.
2. Announcement will be made simultaneously on:
   1. the Gallaudet home page (www.gallaudet.edu)
   2. via email to all gallaudet.edu accounts
   3. via *Blackboard Connect to personal email accounts and SMS, using user-provided text numbers

*If you do not currently subscribe to Blackboard Connect, please follow these steps to subscribe to Blackboard Connect. NOTE: This is not your Blackboard account.

1. Click here.
2. Follow the directions by clicking on the link “set up your Bb Connect profile.”
3. Create a username and password. (Reminder to use your own username and password for this account, separate from your Gallaudet email account.)
4. Choose how you want to receive announcements (i.e. email, SMS, telephone call, etc.)
   Once an account is created, you can also download the Blackboard Connect smartphone app.

Once an announcement has been sent out via Blackboard Connect, the announcement is then placed on the University’s main website.

Next, local television and radio stations are called and asked to announce the information. This process takes approximately 30 minutes, and there is usually a delay before the information is added to area broadcasts. I should caution you that even when the information is added, it joins information about hundreds of other schools and educational centers in this area, so it can be easily missed in the long list of schools that are shown in television broadcasts. Again, the best way to be informed is to subscribe to Blackboard Connect or check the university website.

The complete text of the University’s Inclement Weather Policy, can be found in the Administration and Operations Manual online.

Ensuring the safety of each member of the campus community is the University’s number one priority. By following this policy and its procedures, we are confident that this goal will be fulfilled.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Dominic N. Lacy
Chief Operating Officer