Administrative Closure

[The following was approved by the Chancellor of Southern Illinois University on May 1, 1989, with ammendments on March 6, 1999 in accordance with SIU Board of Trustees 2Policies C.3.b.4.]

The decision to close any or all parts of the Southern Illinois University campus or to cancel classes may be made by the chancellor or his/her authorized designee in response to a natural emergency, in support of national or state policy, or for reasons of health and safety. In the event of such action, the following procedures will be observed:

1. The chancellor may determine, after due consideration of the gravity of the situation, to cancel classes only or to effect a total or partial university closure. If classes only are cancelled, the chancellor may also decide to issue a university weather advisory to university employees.
2. A statement will be issued from the chancellor's office announcing class cancellation, or the parts of the campus to be closed, and the exact time of closure and planned reopening. Subsequent statements may be issued altering the time of reopening as conditions may warrant. When the university is closed, all but essential services will be discontinued.
3. Classes only cancelled: if classes only are cancelled, administrative and civil service employees will be required to be at their work stations. In order to allow adequate time to disseminate the information to those affected, any decision by the chancellor to cancel classes will normally be made prior to 7:00 A.M. This decision will be communicated through text messages, mass emails, and the University’s home web and Facebook pages.
4. Administrative closure may also be declared by the chancellor for a period of up to 3 working days during the period December 23 through January 2 when such closure can be justified economically.  Days designated for administrative closure and justified by economic circumstances during this period will be considered days of paid leave for affected faculty and staff.
   
   1. As a general rule, the decision to effect a university closure will be made prior to the start of a normal work day, before 7:00 A.M.  This decision will also be communicated through text messages, and mass emails.  In addition, the university’s home web and Facebook pages will include information regarding administrative closures.
   2. Each vice chancellor will be responsible for designating those essential units and staff necessary to maintain operations. Vice chancellors should pre-plan descriptions of essential services and staff in their own areas based on the necessity to provide for the safety and well-being of the campus community.
   3. Personnel regularly scheduled but not required to work during the closure will be paid their regular rate of pay. Non-exempt⁽¹⁾ personnel required to work during the closure period may elect additional pay at their regular rate or compensatory time off. Exempt personnel required to work will receive compensatory time off.
   4. Student workers, who are scheduled to work but are not required to report during the closure, will not be paid; however, supervisors should rearrange work schedules when possible so that the affected student workers will be able to make up the work time lost. Student workers who are scheduled and required to work when the university is closed will be paid at their regular rate for the actual number of hours worked.
   5. Upon hire, designated essential staff will be informed of the requirement to work during administrative closure.
5. University Weather Advisory: Rather than deciding to close the university or to cancel classes, the chancellor may decide to issue a University Weather Advisory. This action could be taken if hazardous weather conditions develop subsequent to the start of a normal work day. It would authorize employees currently at work to 1) leave work early (after notifying their supervisors and using accrued vacation time, if qualified to use it, or approved leave without pay), or 2) continue to work. Those employees scheduled for shifts starting subsequent to the University Weather Advisory would be authorized to 1) report for work as usual, or 2) not report for work (after first contacting supervisory personnel so that management is aware of their absence, and using accrued vacation time, if qualified to use it, or approved leave without pay).

   A University Weather Advisory will normally last no longer than a 24-hour period, and employees in essential positions may be required to work their regular hours at regular pay during this period.

   When such a decision is made, information related to a University Weather Advisory will be communicated through administrative channels to employees in the following manner:

   1. The chancellor or her/his authorized designee will declare the University Weather Advisory and will notify all vice chancellors of his/her decision.
   2. Each vice chancellor will notify all departments within his/her jurisdiction by phone call of the declaration of the University Weather Advisory. Each department head will then notify employees in the unit in as expeditious yet reasonable a manner as possible.
   3. Supervisors and/or employees may contact Human Resources to receive clarification as the declaration or implementation of the University Weather Advisory.
   4. Employees on other than daytime shift should contact their supervisors or Human Resources during inclement weather to determine whether or not a University Weather Advisory has been issued. In those cases where classes have been cancelled and a University Weather Advisory has been issued for other campus operations, the information will be carried by area radio stations.
6. The chancellor may decide that hazardous weather or other emergency conditions call for classes to be cancelled when students are returning to campus from a vacation period. This may call for either a total university closure or a University Weather Advisory. This decision would normally be made by noon of the day prior to the day classes are scheduled to resume. In addition to disseminating this information through the means described above, the decision to cancel classes under these conditions would also be communicated through state-wide radio stations and other feasible means.

¹ Non-exempt are those employees, as defined by the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act, whose duties and responsibilities are subject to the minimum wage and overtime provisions of the Act.