Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,

Winter has arrived, and with it, snow. While current storms are just flurries, we are ready for the inevitable heavier snow days ahead. UVU’s snow day plan allows professors more flexibility to determine whether courses will be taught online or face-to-face when we experience extreme weather. It also allows employees to work remotely with supervisor approval.

Utah is an interesting place from a meteorological perspective. It includes many microclimates, which means the weather in one area can differ dramatically from another within a few miles. Decisions about snow day protocol are made with data regarding the impact of weather on our campuses and not the surrounding cities.

 

In the event of extreme weather, two plans may be enacted for the safety of our students, faculty, and staff.

Scenario A:

Hazardous conditions make travel challenging within the region and to campus, but the storm has not negatively impacted the campus itself. Crews can safely clear roads, sidewalks, and parking areas, and the campus remains open.

• University administration, in collaboration with emergency management and facilities, will notify students, faculty, and staff that the impacted campus is operating under modified conditions. All campus facilities will remain open.
• Courses will be offered remotely as well as face-to-face. Faculty may choose to teach remotely or in person while providing online learning options for students negatively impacted by the storm.
• Faculty will communicate the change to their students, providing an adequate warning if they will not be present on campus and will be teaching remotely.
• Classes such as labs, dance, emergency services, and so forth that require face-to-face participation may be canceled depending upon the recommendation of faculty supervisors.
• Employees who feel unsafe traveling should communicate with their supervisors about remote work arrangements.
• We will disseminate communication regarding the status of courses and campus conditions until hazardous conditions no longer exist.

 

Scenario B:

Hazardous conditions make travel challenging within the region and to campus. Facilities crews at Utah Valley University cannot safely maintain roads, sidewalks, and parking areas, and power outages caused by the storm have impacted buildings.

• University administration, in collaboration with emergency management and facilities, will notify students, faculty, and staff that the impacted campus is closed due to hazardous conditions.
• All courses will be moved to an online or recorded format.
• Faculty will contact students to inform them how to access the impacted courses.
• Classes such as labs, dance, emergency services, and so forth that require face-to-face participation may be canceled depending upon the recommendation of faculty supervisors.
• Employees will contact their supervisors regarding remote work agreements.
• All classes will be moved to an online format until hazardous conditions no longer exist. We will disseminate communication regarding the status of courses and campus conditions until it is no longer necessary to operate under modified conditions.  

 

How will you know which plan is being enacted?

You will not be notified of every winter storm affecting campus. Some storms produce inches of snow that are not difficult to clear away and do not affect campus operations. Other storms produce several inches to a foot of snow. There may be other circumstances that influence a message, such as wind, temperature, ongoing storms, etc. 

• You will be notified via text message, email, and social media. We will also provide updates via the campus emergency information webpage: uvu.info.

If the storm occurs during the night and may adversely affect the morning commute and morning courses, we will send a message regarding delays and closures by 6 a.m. that day. If there’s enough information to make the determination the night before, you can expect notification by 10 p.m. 

If the storm intensity increases during the day and impacts classes and the ability to commute safely to and from campus, we will send a message as soon as possible.

How does the UVU administration decide to operate a campus under modified conditions?

We rely on the following resources to guide our actions.

• The National Weather Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for a pinpointed forecast of the UVU campuses
• Utah Department of Transportation weather cameras close to the Orem Campus and other off-campus sites (e.g., Wasatch, Thanksgiving Point, Emergency Services, Aviation)
• Local weather forecasts 
• Utah County K-12 school districts
• UVU Police and Facilities for on-campus status updates (i.e., roadways, sidewalks, snow removal)

Your safety is our first priority. We will make every effort to ensure good decisions are made, parking lots and sidewalks are clear of snow and ice, and learning is unimpeded by winter weather — even if closing physical campuses becomes necessary.