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Inclement Weather Policy

Overview

Occasionally, inclement weather impacts the School’s ability to hold regularly scheduled classes. This policy is intended to provide guiding principles for managing course offerings during an inclement weather event. This policy is also intended to provide equity for students regardless of campus as well as allow the School and its students, faculty, and staff to remain fluid and agile during inclement weather events. Ultimately, the safety of students, faculty, and staff is the ruling factor that guides this policy and will always remain the top priority.

Campus closings and delayed/flex starts due to inclement weather are administered on a university level. Students are encouraged to visit their particular campus website to determine if classes have been cancelled or if a delayed/flex start has been enacted. Students are also encouraged to register for their campus-specific alert system to be notified via text or social media.

School based communications regarding inclement weather will typically be sent out via UNC email. Students are responsible for checking their official UNC email consistently as well as course specific Canvas sites. This is where students can find information regarding live streaming and classroom recordings; class specific information from course directors; university announcements, and/or school-based announcements.

Any student who deems it unsafe to travel during inclement weather, even when the campus has re-opened and is operating on a normal schedule, should communicate directly with the course director for the given class via email.

During any inclement weather event, official UNC Chapel Hill updates will be communicated in the following ways:

  • If you are registered for UNC Alert Carolina, you will receive updates via text message and email. If you are not registered for Carolina Alert, please do so now.
  • If you have downloaded the app, you will receive updates via the app.

During any inclement weather event, official UNC Asheville updates will be communicated in the following ways:

  • Official weather notices and updates will be posted to the Bulldog Alert page (bulldogalert.unca.edu). This page contains the most up-to-date information and should be checked first whenever possible.
  • The UNC Asheville homepage (unca.edu) will feature updates prominently in a colored stripe at the top of the page including a link to the Bulldog Alert page.
  • If you are registered for Bulldog Alert you will receive updates via text message and email. If you are not registered for Bulldog Alert, please do so now at: https://www3.unca.edu/bulldogalert/
  • You can hear the latest updates by calling the university inclement weather line at 828-258-7985.
  • During a weather event, regular updates will be emailed to campus from Emergency Management and/or Communication and Marketing.

Information from sources other than those listed above may not be accurate or up to date. When in doubt, please refer to the Bulldog Alert page at bulldogalert.unca.edu For more information on campus Adverse Weather Procedures, please visit the following page: https://em.unca.edu/adverse-weather

The Office of Experiential Programs will communicate cancellation of immersion experiences affected by inclement weather with impacted faculty, preceptors, and student pharmacists.

In the event of an adverse weather event that does not warrant the School cancelling an experience, student pharmacists should contact their preceptor and follow the instructions of their preceptor in accordance with the site’s policies. If a student pharmacist does not feel that it is safe to travel to the site, the preceptor should allow them to make up the time missed. If there is a concern about the preceptor’s instructions, student pharmacists should contact the Associate Director of Experiential Student and Career Services.

The inclement weather policy for students on early or advanced immersions can be found here.

In some weather-related instances outlined in this policy, the School will make its best effort to live stream and/or record particular classes. The school’s ability to live stream or record classes is dependent on the room/location of the course. Live streaming is a “view only” event with no active engagement or participation via the web. Only the following classrooms are equipped with the technology to live stream:

  • Asheville Campus: Karpen 106, 011
  • Chapel Hill Campus: Beard 102, 200, 208, 209; Kerr 1001, 2001; Marsico 4004

In the event of inclement weather that closes either the Asheville or Chapel Hill campus, classes on that campus are cancelled for the given day or specified time period. Campus closings are administered on a university level and take into account travel safety and the ability to navigate around and throughout the campus. In the event of a campus closing, students will not be allowed to attend class or enter buildings. Students will not be penalized for missing class due to the closing if in fact a given course originates from another campus that is open on that day. Course directors will communicate directly with enrolled students to outline the method and timing by which assignments, activities, quizzes, or tests are to be made up. Students are expected to resume the normal class schedule once the campus is re-opened.

If the campus from which a course originates is open while the other campus is closed, the below steps will be followed in order to provide access to missed classroom lectures and activities:

  1. The School will make a best effort to “live stream” courses and notify students of access to live stream links via Canvas/email. The School’s ability to live stream is dependent on the room/location of the course. Please reference the “Classroom Live Streaming and Recording Capabilities” section of this policy for a list of classrooms.
  2. The School will make a best effort to provide recorded lectures via classroom capture for affected courses and will notify the students of access via Canvas/email. Distribution of the recorded lectures could take up to 24 hours after the class ends due to processing. The School’s ability to capture/record classes is dependent on the room/location of the course. Please reference the “Classroom Live Streaming and Recording Capabilities” section of this policy for a list of classrooms.

In the event of an inclement weather event that produces a delayed or flex start on either the Asheville or Chapel Hill Campus, the following policy will apply.

Classes originating from the delayed/flex start campus are cancelled during the delayed/flex time period. It is at the discretion of the course director to determine and communicate whether or not class will be held on a given date if the delayed/flex start cancels a part or portion of the regularly scheduled class. Decisions of this nature should be made no later than 2 hours in advance of the start of class in order to arrange for the needed technology and support. In this instance, the course director should communicate his/her decision to hold class via Canvas and email to the following parties:

  1. All enrolled students (Canvas)
  2. Tier 1 inclement weather team at sopinclementweather@office.unc.edu. Members of this team include:
    1. Director, Office of Student Affairs
    2. Assistant & Associate Directors, Office of Student Affairs (both campuses)
    3. Senior Director of Information and Educational Technology
    4. Asheville-based Lead Campus Technician
    5. Associate Dean Professional Education
    6. Assistant Dean Professional Education
    7. Associate Dean Office of Experiential Programs
    8. Technology Operations Manager

If the location from which a course originates is operating on a normal schedule, yet the alternate campus is on a delayed/flex start, students on the delayed/flex start campus should decide for themselves whether or not it is safe to travel/walk to campus to attend class. The School realizes that students have a variety of living situations – some living within walking or busing distance of school buildings and others living a lengthy commuting distance from the school. This campus delay/flex policy gives each student the right to make an informed personal travel and attendance decision based on his/her safety. Students are urged to take into account their particular travel situation and any travel safety hazards that might exist due to inclement weather and make the best decision accordingly. Students who deem it unsafe to travel to campus during a delayed or flex start (while the location from which the class originates is open) will not be penalized for missing class or any associated assignments or activities. Course directors will communicate directly with enrolled students to outline the method and timing by which assignments, activities, quizzes, or tests are to be made up. Students are expected to resume the normal class schedule once the delayed/flex start time expires.

If the location from which a course originates is operating on a normal schedule while the other campus is on a delayed/flex start, the below steps will be followed in order to provide access to missed classroom lectures and activities:

  1. The School will make a best effort to “live stream” courses and notify students of access to live stream links via Canvas/email. The School’s ability to live stream is dependent on the room/location of the course. Please reference the “Classroom Live Streaming and Recording Capabilities” section of this policy for a list of classrooms.
  2. The School will make a best effort to provide recorded lectures via classroom capture for affected courses and notify students of access via Canvas/email. Distribution of the recorded lectures could take up to 24 hours after the class ends. The School’s ability to capture/record classes is dependent on the room/location of the course. Please reference the “Classroom Live Streaming and Recording Capabilities” section of this policy for a list of classrooms.

As always, it is well within the purview of course directors to cancel class given extenuating circumstances even if the campus is operating on a normal schedule. This also includes inclement weather that may preclude the faculty member from safely travelling to a given campus. Students should carefully monitor direct communications from course directors regarding class cancellations that fall outside the provisions of the inclement weather policy. Class cancellation decisions should be made no later than 2 hours before the start of a given class. If a specific class is cancelled, the course director should also email the Tier 1 inclement weather team at sopinclementweather@office.unc.edu.

For graduate courses, students will follow the inclement weather closing and delayed start decisions as outlined by The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The School understands that laboratory activities often require time-sensitive work, effort, and intervention. Graduate student laboratory activities during a university closing or delayed start will mirror the SHRA provisions (condition levels I, II, or III) as outlined in university policy. Graduate students are urged to always consider personal safety and well-being first but are also encouraged to closely communicate and negotiate attendance with faculty and/or their PI during inclement weather situations impacting laboratory activities. Graduate students are encouraged to subscribe to Alert Carolina as well as download the app UNC Carolina Ready.