Intercom

intercom home  |  advanced search  |  about intercom  |  alerts  |  faq  |  help     Search Intercom

Ithaca College remains open through the rest of Monday, Feb. 2, with all classes and scheduled events taking place unless otherwise announced. As a reminder to the campus community, college officials closely monitor the weather forecast and consult with local law enforcement agencies and other local employers, as needed, to determine whether a delayed opening or complete closing may be necessary. As per the Ithaca College Policy Manual, weather conditions normally will not close the college when classes are in session.

Any changes in the college’s operating status are made via the Emergency Notification System (ENS), posted on the college’s website and on the Emergency Hotline (274-1495), and distributed to local media outlets.

According to the policy manual, employees are expected to work their normal hours unless the college is officially closed. A supervisor may not unilaterally decide to close a department. However, there are times when the college is not officially closed, but when conditions make it appropriate for a supervisor to be flexible in allowing employees to depart from their normal schedules. Employees who miss time because of late arrival, early departure, or absence due to inclement weather or other special condition may choose to make up the time, use personal or vacation time, or have a reduced paycheck if there are no accruals to use.

More information about emergency closing policies and procedures can be found in the Ithaca College Policy Manual.

Ithaca College Remains Open and Under Normal Operating Conditions | 2 Comments |
The following comments are the opinions of the individuals who posted them. They do not necessarily represent the position of Intercom or Ithaca College, and the editors reserve the right to monitor and delete comments that violate College policies.
Ithaca College Remains Open and Under Normal Operating Conditions Comment from jablard on 02/02/15
National Weather Service says: “Significant amounts of snow are forecast that will make travel dangerous. Only travel in an emergency. If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight. Food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency.”
Ithaca College Remains Open and Under Normal Operating Conditions Comment from gseaquist on 02/02/15
Many employees cannot afford to miss work if it means not getting paid and will risk their own safety as a result. This announcement does not give workers a viable option regarding making a decision to travel or not. Furthermore, some employees live greater distances than others, often because housing is cheaper. To lump all employees into one category when road conditions vary so much does not make sense. Some people live downtown which only saw 5" of snow while others lived in the southern regions which saw more than a foot.

Perhaps the college should consider Cornell's announcement on this same day which left the choice up to each employee. They said "If the university remains open in bad weather, all employees are expected to make reasonable efforts to maintain their regular work schedules. Please use your best judgment in deciding whether conditions in your area are safe enough for travel..."

This certainly seems like a more humane way to treat your employees and also lets each worker decide for themselves what is safe and reasonable.