This refers to the operating schedule of the university. In other words, when the university is open, normal schedules and operations apply, whereas, normal operations and schedules are suspended when the university is closed. The university also has a delayed opening (commencement of the day’s normal operating schedule is delayed until a time set by the university) and early closing (the normal operating schedule is suspended at a time set by the university).

The President or designee authorizes any change to the operating status of the university, based on a recommendation from the Incident Leadership Team (Executive Vice President; Vice Presidents for University Relations, Human Resources, Student and Campus Life, and Facilities and Campus Services; Senior Vice Provost; Dean of Faculty; University Counsel; President’s Chief of Staff; Cornell Police Chief; and Associate Vice President Public Safety). The Incident Leadership Team receives information from the weather Incident Management Team.

The university assigns a Designated Weather Watcher (DWW) within the Office of Emergency Management. The DWW consults a variety of weather forecasting and alerting products, including subscription services, National Weather Service forecasts, alerts, and emergency management briefings, other commercial weather service resources, and briefings from faculty in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences to monitor and identify potential severe or inclement weather. The DWW is responsible for engaging key campus personnel in the assessment.

The weather Incident Management Team, composed of representatives from Facilities Management, Grounds Department, Transportation, Cornell Police, University Relations, and the Office of Emergency Management, evaluates expected weather conditions and the ability to maintain campus in a safe and passable condition. Additionally, the Team considers the snowfall rate, existing snow on ground, timing, and availability of snow-related resources.

Yes. Snowfall rates greater than one inch per hour for at least three hours will usually exceed our ability to remove snow and maintain clear walkways, parking lots, and campus roads.

Although we are aware of when local schools close, we do not use this as a determining factor in our decision process. The weather impacts to local school operations are different from those that affect Cornell University operations. For example, public schools consider the impact associated with children standing outside in extreme cold, wind, and snow while waiting for the school bus. Additionally, school districts will build snow days into their calendars, and thus have greater flexibility and lower tolerance for disruptions.

Yes, we are aware when other local universities and colleges delay opening or close. However, there can be vast differences in the capabilities of institutions to maintain a safe campus and minimize operational impacts, and so actions by other institutions are not major factors for consideration.

The Incident Management Team, including Transportation staff, communicate with the area bus services to coordinate the transportation plan when a decision is made to close, and provide an updated status of public transportation during the closure and reopening. You can find information about local and regional bus service at TCAT, Chemung County Transit, or Cortland Public Transit.

Cornell Police regularly communicate with the Tompkins County Sheriff. However, they don’t maintain that same type of communications with other county sheriffs.

When normal university operations are being disrupted because of weather impacts, various units must still provide essential services to sustain critical campus operations and mission functions. Essential services may be an ongoing need or context-specific and thus vary depending on the incident, time of year, or day of the week. Your respective department or unit should determine if they provide essential services, and if applicable, the employees (or employee categories) who may be asked to provide those services. Managers and supervisors should discuss and document responsibilities and expectations with employees, and how essential services are to be provided (e.g., on-campus, remote). Additionally, managers and supervisors should provide each employee with an opportunity to discuss any issues or concerns, and develop contingency plans to deliver essential services with a reduced number of employees. Managers can consult with their college/unit Human Resource representative for assistance in identifying essential services, staffing levels, and the procedures in support of their business continuity plan.

You can find information at emergency.cornell.edu, as well as Cornell’s Twitter and Facebook pages; via CornellALERT emergency notification email, text, and voice messages; on local and regional radio and television stations; and the Inclement Weather Phone at 607-255-3377. Go to the CornellALERT sign up page for information on how to enroll your mobile phone to receive emergency alerts.

In the event of an early closing, delayed opening, or full closing, employees and supervisors at all Cornell work locations, except Weill Cornell Medicine, should consult the Human Resources Inclement Weather Program web page, that includes FAQs and pay guidelines.

Supervisors should be flexible regarding staff members’ needs during periods of inclement weather, especially if a long commute to and from work is involved. Nevertheless, you should consult your unit’s Human Resources staff for specific guidance.

If a county or municipality announces that people should “avoid unnecessary travel” (travel to and from work is considered necessary travel) and there isn’t any accompanying change to the university operating status, employees should make reasonable efforts to report to work as usual. However, employees are advised to avoid undue risks in traveling and may choose to use personal or vacation time. Employees who anticipate arriving late or not at all should notify their immediate supervisor as soon as possible. If a municipality or county announces that motorists are prohibited from driving on all or some of the roads, employees are not expected to violate those rules in order to come to work. Although it is difficult to predict the actions of law enforcement in individual counties, commuting home from work is a legitimate reason for travel. All vehicle travel to and from work regardless of conditions is addressed by the employee’s personal auto insurance. Employees are encouraged to contact their insurance providers if they have questions.

Personnel who arrive on campus before the scheduled opening time, or when the university is closed, should park in the parking garage or at other designated “overnight winter parking areas.

These decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis. Consult with leadership in your unit.

The short answer is no. There is more to consider than just a willingness to trudge through the snow. University and contractor resources work very hard to remove snow in a timely manner, which requires individuals to stay off roads and sidewalks. We don’t want a student struck by a car on campus because they were forced to walk in the road because of an impassable sidewalk, for example. Therefore, holding class when the university is closed is prohibited.

If there is a change in the University’s operating status during the finals period or when a prelim exam is scheduled, then prelim or final exams will be postponed until the operating status returns to normal and will be rescheduled in consultation with the instructors. In the event of a delayed opening for the campus, exams will be held as scheduled for the portion of the day when the campus is open. College/department schedulers, and if needed, the Office of the University Registrar, can assist instructors, with rescheduling the exam or finding a classroom location once the University reopens.

Unfortunately, there are few options. However, we recommend that you contact the Office of the University Registrar to discuss various make-up options and availability of alternative lab spaces and times.

When a university campus (e.g. Ithaca, Geneva, Weill, Cornell Tech) closes, all in-person and online instruction and advising offered on that campus is cancelled as required by Policy 8.2. If the campus delays opening, any in-person or online classes scheduled prior to the late opening are cancelled. For cross-campus academic activities, the cancellation of such activities is determined by closures at the host campus. For example, if the Ithaca campus is closed due to inclement weather but Cornell Tech is not, students in Ithaca enrolled in courses taught at Cornell Tech would be expected to continue to participate remotely.

If there is a change in the university’s operating status during the finals period, then on-campus and online exams will be postponed until the operating status returns to normal and will be rescheduled in consultation with the instructors. In the event of a delayed opening for the campus, exams will be held as scheduled for the portion of the day when the campus is open. The Office of the University Registrar will assist instructors, as needed, with rescheduling the exam or finding a classroom location once the University reopens.

For more information about the university’s inclement weather guidelines, please see Policy 8.2.