Weather Emergency Procedure
Fayetteville Policies and Procedures 211.0
Weather Emergency Procedure
The following is the campus procedure for dealing with inclement weather that threatens impact on the university's operating status:
By midnight, the University of Arkansas Police Department (UAPD) begins to check road conditions.
By 1:45 a.m. UAPD contacts Robert Caudle, office of facilities management grounds shop foreman, if clearing of streets, sidewalks and designated parking lot entrances is needed; if so, crews begin by 3:30 a.m.
By 4:30 a.m. Razorback Transit checks routes and determines whether buses can operate safely, and communicates that determination to UAPD. Immediately following that determination by Razorback Transit, a conference call is placed by Steve Gahagans, UAPD director, to Robert McMath, interim provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, or his alternate, Don Pederson, vice chancellor for finance and administration.
The following staff subsequently are notified:
- Mike Johnson, associate vice chancellor for facilities management, or alternates, Ron Edwards and Bob Beeler;
- Gary Smith, director of transit and parking, or alternate, Don Austin;
- Steve Voorhies, manager of news and media relations, or alternates Gina King and Tysen Kendig;
- Carter Ford, president of the Associated Student Government.
By 5 a.m., a decision on whether to alter, delay or cancel classes and/or suspend non-essential business operations due to inclement weather will be discussed by conference call and will be based on the following four criteria:
- designated university transit bus routes are open to travel;
- major commuter parking lots are accessible;
- Interstate 540 from County Line Road in Springdale to West Fork city limits is open for travel, and;
- conditions appear to be such as to allow students, faculty and staff to reach campus.
By 5:15 a.m., Steve Voorhies calls:
- Gina King to convey decision via internal and external media and obtain help if needed for notification;
- Ken Leverington to convey message to the university switchboard and campus voicemail addresses; alternates are James Ezell or David Martinson.
By 5:45 a.m., Steve Voorhies will arrange to communicate the decision to the public. If the university's operating status is affected, the following means of communication with faculty, staff and students will be used:
- RazALERT, http://emergency.uark.edu/: all students, faculty and staff are automatically enrolled in RazALERT, the university's multi-model emergency communications system, which will issue alerts via web, email and voice mail, and also via SMS text messages to those who provide mobile phone numbers;
- University home page, http://www.uark.edu/: in the event inclement weather affects the university's operating status, a graphic link to detailed information and policies will be placed prominently on the university's home page;
- Telephone hotline: individuals may call 575-7000 for announcements about the university's operating status;
- University switchboard: the switchboard, at 575-2000, provides information about the university's operating status when inclement weather strikes; this number often may be busy due to volume;
- KUAF radio, 91.3 FM: the university's public radio station makes regular announcements if the university's operating status is impacted, and assists in correcting errors in external media announcements;
- UATV: the university's student-run television station manages the RIBTV Information Board in the early morning hours and makes announcements regarding the university's operating status;
- University supervisors: supervisors can arrange to notify employees in their unit, or employees can call supervisors for instruction;
- External media: local radio and television stations will be informed whenever the university's operating status is affected, but should not be relied upon as a primary source of information.
If the university remains operating on a normal schedule but transit buses run on alternate snow routes, an official inclement weather day will be declared. In this situation, employees arriving within two hours of their normal starting time will be given credit for a full day's attendance. Employees arriving later will be charged the full amount of time involved in their tardiness, and employees not coming to work will be charged a full day's absence. The same means of communication used when the university closes because of inclement weather will be used to notify employees of an official inclement weather day.
If the university remains operating on a normal schedule with no disruption of transportation services, no announcement will be made online, via text message or through external media outlets.
November 5, 2008
Revised September 18, 2008
Revised November 30, 2006
Revised February 24, 2006
Revised December, 2003
Revised March 6, 2002
Revised February 19, 2002
Revised December 4, 2000
Revised October, 2000
Revised October, 1998
November, 1996
March 1, 1994