University at Buffalo - The State University of New York

• Print

• Comments

Published: January 10, 2011

Winter brings the potential for adjusting scheduled campus operations. UB policy requires that scheduled operations continue as long as possible, essential university services are maintained and employees remain on duty where necessary to perform essential services, even under extraordinary circumstances. However, when conditions become so severe that the university cannot operate effectively, the president (or designee) may make a decision to change scheduled operations resulting in class cancellations, an early departure or a closing.

UB is committed to providing timely and accurate information to faculty, staff, students and the Western New York community. Announcements regarding changes in scheduled operations will be made via:

• Email.
• Text alerting to mobile phones (UB Alert).
• 645-NEWS, UB’s information line.
• WBFO-FM 88.7, the official UB information station.
• UB’s home page.
• MyUB, a Web-based personal portal.
• UB Reporter.
• UB Alert,UB’s emergency page.
• UB Alert Twitter.
• Local broadcast media.
• 1620 AM, the campus traffic radio broadcast.
• 645-2345, University Police’s campus condition line.

Services related to the health and safety of students, faculty, staff and guests, as well as facility maintenance and security, are essential and must continue in spite of severe conditions. Supervisors determine, based on the nature of the event, which employees are essential.

Employees who provide essential services should be identified and notified to ensure that they understand who must remain at or report to work in the event of change in operations. Only employees providing essential services should report to work in such an event.

According to state policy, employee absences resulting from a change in scheduled operations, including class cancellations, early departures and closings, must be charged to appropriate leave accruals. Anyone who does not have sufficient leave accruals may borrow from future accruals. Only the governor can officially declare that UB is closed and authorize employees to remain away from work without charge to leave accruals.

Anyone who reports to work will not be deprived of the opportunity to work. If it is determined during the course of a workday that the university cannot operate effectively, employees are not required to leave at that moment; employees may leave then or any time thereafter. Only the time that an employee is absent is charged to leave accruals.

There is no guarantee that those employees who arrive at the campus or those who stay after a change in scheduled operations announcement will be able to work at their usual work places. Adequate supervision may not be available or the building in which the individual usually works may not be open. Provision should be made for alternate campus work locations and alternate work for those who do get to campus but who cannot go to their regular work places or cannot perform their regular work assignments.