GUIDANCE FOR INCLEMENT WEATHER AND

EMERGENCY CONDITIONS/COLLEGE OFFICE

CLOSING PROCEDURES

 

1.      Objective: To provide employees pay continuity for absences which result from the closing of College operations due to inclement weather conditions or other emergencies such as fire, utility failure, or other forced evacuations.

 

2.      Closing Decisions: Decisions to close or cancel classes will be made by the College President or his designee.

 

         An “authorized closing “is that period of time college operations are officially suspended and “non-designated” employees are not required to work.  Such "closing" may be authorized for an entire or partial shift.  Absences for these reasons will be recorded appropriately on employee time sheets.

 

3.      All Day Closing:

 

a.      Employees absent due to an authorized closing for an entire shift will be paid for such absence.  To qualify for payment, employees must be in a pay status, either through work or pre-approved leave, both the day before and the day after the authorized closing. Employees who are on pre-approved leave with pay the day of the closing will not be charged leave for that day.  Employees on leave without pay the day before and/or the day after the closing will receive no pay for the closing; however, they may apply accumulated leave as appropriate to provide being in pay status.

b.      Employees identified as being required to work during such authorized closing shall be referred to as "designated employees" with respect to this policy.  "Designated employees" must work their normally scheduled hours during an authorized closing and will be credited with compensatory leave for hours worked during such closing.

c.            "Designated employees" required to work in excess of the hours in their normal shift will be paid overtime for such excess time worked when total hours worked exceed 40 in the workweek, provided they are in a non-exempt classification.

d.      "Designated employees" who do not report to work as scheduled must charge time missed to annual, sick, VSDP or compensatory leave, or leave without pay as applicable and appropriate.  If deemed necessary, corrective action for failure to report may be taken under the Standards of Conduct and Performance Policy. Those who are on pre-approved leave with pay for an authorized closing day will not be charged leave for the day.

e.Employees other than "designated employees" who report to work during periods of authorized closing as a result of not having heard the closing announcement shall not normally be credited with compensatory leave except in extenuating circumstances and upon approval of the College President.

 

4.      Partial Shift Closing:

 

a.      When inclement weather conditions or other emergencies result in authorized changes in the work schedule, such as late opening or early closing, employees will be paid for such authorized absences.  To qualify for such payment, employees must work all or part of the work schedule not affected by the authorized change.  Employees who are on paid leave on a day of a partial shift closing shall have those hours of the shift closing applied to this policy and not to their leave balances.  Employees who are allowed to leave work prior to an early closing must charge the difference between that time and the official closing time to leave balances or leave without pay.

b.   "Designated employees" required to work during such periods of authorized closing will be credited with compensatory leave for hours worked during the normal work schedule.

c.    "Designated employees" required to work additional time will be compensated as provided in 3(c).

 

5.      Closing on Employee Rest Days: Employees whose scheduled "rest day" falls on a day when the college is closed will not be credited with compensatory leave.

 

6.      Transportation Difficulties: When inclement weather conditions create transportation difficulties that result in late arrival of employees to work, such lost time need not be applied to leave balances nor should the employees otherwise experience loss of pay if, in the judgment of the College President, such lost time was justified in view of the conditions.

 

7.      VWCC Office Closing Process and Meaning of Announcements

 

         The decision to close the College or delay opening the College will be made by the President or his designee.  Delayed openings and closing the college have different meanings as they apply to employees reporting for work activities.  The announcement will be communicated through most media outlets in and around Roanoke and will be posted on the college’s telephone information system at 857-VWCC (8922).  When there is any doubt about the status of delayed openings or college closings, employees are encouraged to call the telephone information system.  While Virginia Western is explicit in its announcements to the media, the media in turn may announce information differently.  Therefore, it is important to check the telephone information system for the most accurate announcements.

 

It is important that all college personnel and students be alert to radio and television announcements when any doubt exists concerning college closings or delayed openings:

 

1.      Notice of closing/delayed openings for day classes will normally occur prior to 6:00 a.m.

2.      Notice of closing/delayed openings for evening classes will normally occur between 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.

 

 

The following announcements, and the meanings, of delayed openings and college closings will govern the status of employees:

 

 FOR DELAYED OPENINGS OF THE COLLEGE:

“Virginia Western will open at (time)  .” (Designated employees report on the regular schedule.  All non-designated employees and teaching faculty are to report to work by the official delayed opening to prepare for classes and other activities.  Classes will be held according to the “Virginia Western Inclement Weather Delayed Schedule” as set forth by the Vice-President of Academic and Student Affairs.)

 

FOR CLOSING OF THE COLLEGE:

 

“Virginia Western is closed.” (Designated employees are to report to work on the normal schedule.  Non-designated employees do not report)

 

“Virginia Western will close at (time)  .” (Designated employees shall remain on duty, unless released by the immediate supervisor.  Non-designated employees shall be released from work as of the official closing time.)

 

OFF-CAMPUS LOCATIONS

 

VWCC off-campus sites at the Roanoke Higher Education Center, Botetourt Center at Greenfield, Franklin County Training Center, and any other remote locations that may be utilized from time-to-time, shall officially close when the main campus is officially closed.  When delays in opening the main campus occur, the same delayed opening provisions shall apply to the off-campus locations.  In the event that conditions are such that a need arises to cancel classes at an off-campus site, where conditions are not the same as the main campus, the Vice President of Workforce Development Services may authorize classes to be cancelled at the affected site or the site may be closed.

 

Workforce Development Contract Classes on Company Sites:  In the event delayed openings occur or the college is closed at the main campus, classes that are delivered at company sites specifically for a particular client, shall continue as normal unless the company itself chooses to delay or cancel the class.  Instructors of contract classes at company sites shall meet these classes as normal even though the main campus may have delayed opening or be officially closed.  The respective company shall inform the Vice President of Workforce Development Services or the specific Workforce Development Specialist of any adjustment in contract class meetings as soon as possible when the event occurs.

 

Fall 2003

 

 


 

Effective January 2003

 

 VIRGINIA WESTERN

INCLEMENT WEATHER DELAYED SCHEDULE

 

 

MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY CLASSES

 

 Regular Schedule  

Delayed Opening Schedule

8:00 ‑ 8:50 a.m.  

10:00 ‑ 10:40 a.m.

9:00 ‑ 9:50 a.m.  

10:45 ‑ 11:25 a.m.

10:00 ‑ 10:50 a.m.  

11:30 ‑ 12:10 p.m.

11:00 ‑ 11:50 a.m.  

12:15 ‑ 12:55 p. m.

12:00 ‑ 12:50 p.m.  

1:00 ‑ 1:40 p.m.

1:00 ‑ 1:50 p.m.  

1:45 ‑ 2:25 p. m.

2:00 ‑ 2:50 p.m.  

2:30 ‑ 3:10 p.m.

3:00 ‑ 4:15 p. m.  

3:15 ‑ 4:15 p. m.

 

  

TUESDAY, THURSDAY CLASSES*

 

 Regular Schedule  

Delayed Opening Schedule

8:00 ‑ 9:15 a.m.  

10:00 ‑ 11:10 a.m.

9:30 ‑ 10:45 a.m.  

11:15 ‑ 12:25 p.m.

11:00 ‑ 12:15 p.m.  

12:30 ‑ 1:40 p.m.

12:30 ‑ 1:45 p.m.  

1:45 ‑ 2:55 p.m.

2:00 ‑ 3:15 p. m.  

3:00 ‑ 4:10 p.m.

3:30 ‑ 4:45 p. m.  

4:15 ‑ 5:25 p.m.

  

*Classes that begin at 8:00, 9:00, 10:00, 11:00 or 12:00 and that normally meet for 50 minutes on Tuesdays and Thursdays (such as ENG 01, ENG 04, MTH 03, MTH 04 and STD 108) will follow the delayed opening schedule for Monday, Wednesday, Friday classes.