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Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:
The University will activate Condition 2 (Suspended Operations) of its adverse weather plan starting at 9 p.m. tonight (Sunday, Jan. 8) until further notice based on current information available from the National Weather Service, local law enforcement and transit officials.
All non-mandatory operations are suspended at 9 p.m.; only mandatory employees must report to or remain at work. Non-faculty (staff) non-mandatory employees must not report, or must leave campus. These employees must use leave time if not working or can use make-up time subject to applicable rules. Alternatively, and only with supervisor approval, non-mandatory employees may work from home or an alternate site.
Low temperatures are expected to prevent significant thawing until Tuesday (Jan. 10) and overnight refreezing remains a concern for campus sidewalks and parking lots, as well as on area roads. People who need to be on campus are urged to use extreme caution.
The University makes weather decisions based on state government policies and a 2016 University of North Carolina system adverse weather policy that limits the decision-making ability of all UNC campuses on weather issues.
Spring semester classes do not resume for students and faculty until Wednesday (Jan. 11). Housing officials previously told residential students with concerns about travel due to weather conditions that they may arrive any time before the start of classes on Wednesday. Students may contact the Department of Housing and Residential Education at (919) 962-5401 or housing@unc.edu for more information.
University grounds crews have worked all weekend to treat campus sidewalks and parking lots as best they could despite sub-freezing temperatures following the winter storm that brought sleet, snow and freezing rain to central North Carolina. Please visit www.facilities.unc.edu and the “Winter Weather Response” link for details on campus routes and locations that have been cleared first.
Multiple University units – including Carolina Dining Services, Campus Health Services, performing arts and cultural venues, the Department of Athletics, and health-care facilities – plan to post updates about the status of their operations and events on their individual websites and social media accounts. Rams Head Dining Hall will be open for dinner at 4:30 p.m. tonight.
The University is committed to announcing any decision about operational changes promptly to provide our community with as much lead time as possible to plan travel to and from campus. University officials will continue to monitor conditions overnight and tomorrow morning and make a decision regarding Tuesday (Jan. 10) operations early tomorrow afternoon.
Adverse Weather Policy and Background
Unless a change in operational status is announced, the University always operates on a regular schedule. UNC-Chapel Hill may activate three adverse weather operating conditions: Condition 1 – Reduced Operations (University is open); Condition 2 – Suspended Operations (University is open only for mandatory operations); and Condition 3 – Closure (classes are cancelled; offices and facilities are closed).
Please visit “Adverse Weather’s Impact on University Operations: A Summary,” posted on the Alert Carolina and Office of Human Resources websites to view an easy-to-read chart describing the three conditions in greater detail along with a summary explaining the key factors in the decision-making process. Staff employees are reminded of the University of North Carolina system adverse weather policy for all UNC campuses that took effect in 2016.
Key factors include projections about weather and travel conditions on area roads and campus sidewalks, as well as the operating plans of Chapel Hill Transit and other regional transit. Safety is the number one priority when making weather decisions about campus operations.
Information Sources
If winter weather changes the University’s operating status, campus communications will include:
An email, website post and, if conditions warrant, a text message from Alert Carolina, http://www.alertcarolina.unc.edu. You must be signed up to receive an Alert Carolina text message.
Posts on the University’s homepage, www.unc.edu, amplified via official social media accounts including @UNC, @Alert_UNCCH (for parents, family, Chapel Hill residents and friends) and @UNC_HR on Twitter.
Adverse Weather and Emergency Phone Line: (919) 843-1234. You may call this number to hear recorded announcements about campus operations.
UNC Transportation and Parking for information including parking lot conditions and the status of Point-to-Point shuttle operations, which may cease at any point when travel becomes hazardous for drivers and passengers. Refer to http://move.unc.edu.
Area news media websites.
Chapel Hill Transit also posts adverse weather news and routes and schedules. Refer to http://www.townofchapelhill.org/government/news-events/emergency/adverse-weather-updates
Complete text from alertcarolina.unc.edu