UCM Offers Reminder About Inclement Weather Procedures

 

As we are in the middle of a season when the weather can change quickly in our region, we want to remind everyone — especially new students on campus — of our procedures designed to help you avoid hazardous conditions.

 

Weather Announcements: We strive to announce any changes to university operations as promptly as possible to help you plan accordingly. However, due to the unpredictability of the weather, we typically wait until we have as much information as possible before modifying university operations.

 

Stay Informed: Any modifications to university operations will be announced through official UCM channels, including the UCM website, email, social media feeds and UCMAlerts. We also notify local/Kansas City area media, but the best source of information is always UCM's official channels.

All UCM students, faculty and staff are automatically enrolled in UCMAlerts, which are notifications sent via email, text message and push notification for those who have downloaded the app. They provide essential information about campus closures, safety alerts, emergencies, severe weather and other significant UCM updates. UCMAlerts uses the Everbridge notification system. To learn more, visit ucmo.edu/ucm-alerts. 

 

Assume Normal Operations Unless Otherwise Announced: If we haven't announced a closure or modification, then the university is operating normally. We typically only announce changes, not confirmations that the university remains open.

 

Use Personal Judgment: We consider a broad range of local and regional information when making weather-related operational decisions. However, we cannot be aware of the specific conditions on every road used by students, faculty and staff, especially given the variety of locations from which our community members commute. You should always use well-considered personal judgment in determining whether it is safe for you to travel to campus. If you cannot make it to class, please contact your instructors. Employees should contact their supervisors per office policy.

 

Check Brightspace: During inclement weather, check your course's Brightspace page for course-specific updates, announcements and assignments. In general, online classes are not affected by weather closures. However, some in-person classes may move to a virtual learning day during weather-related campus closures.

 

Exercise Caution: Please keep in mind that while every effort is made to keep outdoor stairways, sidewalks and parking lots clear during inclement weather, some places may remain slick. Always use caution when moving around campus during bad weather.

We will keep you updated on any changes to university operations due to weather conditions. Thank you for your cooperation.