Inside Iowa State
December 10, 1999
Sooner or later, it's going to snow
What to do when it does
It doesn't seem possible that Iowa has made it to December with no significant bad weather yet. But sooner or later, that cold white stuff is going to come down. When severe weather does hit, here's what you need to know.
News on cancellations, closings
If classes are canceled or university offices are closed due to severe
winter weather, the news immediately will be posted on the Iowa State Web
site (www.iastate.edu) and relayed to central Iowa media. Radio and TV
stations in Cedar Rapids and Waterloo and the Associated Press, which feeds
news to media throughout Iowa, also will be alerted.
Reporting to work
Even if classes are canceled, the university generally remains open and
faculty and staff are expected to work. If the university is closed, staff
in critical areas (like food service, public safety, power plant, animal
care and snow and ice removal) may be expected to report to work.
Supervisors will work out individual arrangements when appropriate.
Commuting faculty and staff always should put safety first when making
travel decisions, and supervisors are asked to accommodate those who need to
adjust work schedules. All faculty and staff will need to make up time lost
during closings, according to their employment terms or, for those covered
by it, the collective bargaining agreement.
Who makes the call
University administrators, consulting with officials from the weather
services, State Department of Transportation, City of Ames, CyRide, road
maintenance staff and various law enforcement agencies, make the call on
closings and cancellations. The university often remains open when public
elementary and secondary schools are closed because many students live
within walking distance of campus and CyRide routes. In addition, the
university calendar does not have built-in makeup days, and students are
expected to be able to make their own decisions about whether it is safe to
travel. (During severe weather, faculty are asked to accommodate those
unable to attend class.)
Winter storm parking plan
If media announce that ISU's winter storm parking plan is in effect,
faculty and staff are asked to park in these perimeter lots until their
usual lots are cleared: Iowa State Center (A3, A4, B5, B6), north of
Molecular Biology (29 and 30), south of Food Sciences (50B) or north of
General Services (41).
Iowa State homepage
Inside Iowa State, inside@iastate.edu, University
Relations Revised
12/8/99
Copyright © 1999, Iowa State University, all rights reserved
URL: http://www.inside.iastate.edu/1999/1210/snow.html