The safety of SUNY Broome Community College students and employees is the utmost priority when making a weather-related closing or delayed opening decision.
NOTE: For complete details please see the full Weather Related Closing and Cancellation Procedure Details
- Closing due to inclement weather. How determinations will be made.
- As long as conditions are safe on college property and on the major roads leading to college facilities, the college will be open– either on a regular or delayed schedule.
- Decisions to alter the college schedule due to current or predicted inclement weather will be made by a designated team of college personnel in consultation with the Broome County Sheriff’s Department, the Department of Transportation (DOT), the New York State Police, and the National Weather Service.
- Students are expected to determine on an individual basis whether conditions are safe for driving. Students who have concerns about the safety of traveling to class should contact their instructors.
- Closing or Cancellation Notifications Notifications will be issued through…
- Rave Alert
- The SUNY Broome website
- The login screen for the MyCollege web portal
- An outgoing message placed on the College’s main switchboard. (at 607-778-5000)
- Local radio and television
– Please Note: Students and college employees should not assume that announcements concerning public school systems apply to SUNY Broome.
- Student Expectations Regarding Missed Coursework
- Students who have concerns about the safety of traveling to class should contact their instructors about their individual situations, and, if necessary, make arrangements with their professors about any missed coursework
Weather Related Closing and Cancellation Procedure Details
As long as conditions are safe on college property and on the major roads leading to college facilities, the college will be open– either on a regular or delayed schedule. Before students, employees, and visitors arrive on campus, college employees work hard to ensure that campus walking and driving areas are safe for pedestrian and motor vehicle traffic.
In making a decision to alter the college schedule due to current or predicted inclement weather, a team of college personnel consult with each other, with the Broome County Sheriff’s Department, and/or the New York State Police regarding road conditions. In addition, information from the National Weather Service and weather-specific web sites are consulted.
If there is inclement weather, college students are expected to individually, or in consultation with family members, make decisions as to whether conditions are safe for driving to a college location to attend classes.
In the event of poor weather conditions, students and college employees living in locations in the college’s service area may experience unsafe weather conditions, even when conditions in and around college facilities may not warrant closing the college. Students who have concerns about the safety of traveling to class should contact their instructors about their individual situations, and, if necessary, make arrangements with their professors about any missed coursework. Faculty members try to be flexible regarding student absences in these circumstances. When the campus remains open during inclement weather, but faculty members are unable to conduct classes, faculty members should follow department/division/college policies and procedures for notifying students.
Day Classes
Decisions concerning the closing or late opening of the college due to inclement weather will be made by college officials prior to 6:00 am, whenever possible. If significantly worsening weather conditions occur after classes have begun for the day, decisions concerning early closing of the college will be made by college officials at least 2 hours in advance of the closing, whenever possible.
As soon as the decision to delay or close the college is reached, a notification will be issued through Rave Alert, a notice will be placed on the SUNY Broome website, and will be listed on the login screen for the MyCollege web portal. An outgoing message will also be placed on the College’s main switchboard. Students, faculty, and staff are urged to check the SUNY Broome website, listen to the radio or television for information concerning class cancellation or campus closure, or to call the main campus at 607-778-5000 for a recorded message. Students and college employees should not assume that announcements concerning public school systems apply to SUNY Broome.
Evening Classes
Decisions concerning the cancellation of evening classes (classes that start after 5:00 pm) will be made before 3:00 pm, whenever possible, and will be announced in the same manner as used for cancellation of day classes.
Off-Site Classes
In general, weather closures that apply to the main campus will also apply to other locations where college classes are held, unless otherwise specified. Weather-related closures or cancellations may not necessarily apply to students in clinical experiences or internships, since these activities take place over a wide and varied geographic area. Students enrolled in clinical experiences or internships should review course and/or departmental guidelines regarding weather-related closures or cancellations. Students who have concerns about the safety of traveling to class at an off-site class location should contact their instructors about their individual situations. If college is closed students should check and make arrangements with their professors about missed coursework. Faculty members try to be flexible regarding student absences in these circumstances.
Weekend Classes, Programs, Activities, or Campus Events
In case of inclement weather that does not warrant cancellation of an activity/program on the weekend, the Academic Department Chair or Director in charge of the activity/program will contact the VPAFA, Assistant to the Director of Campus Operations and Facilities, or Chief of Public Safety to ensure that Maintenance clears appropriate lots. If a decision is made before the end of the workday on Friday to cancel a weekend activity/program, those responsible for handling media, phone, and website announcements must be contacted to communicate the cancellation in their respective areas. If the decision is made on Saturday or Sunday, the Department Chair and/or faculty/staff member in charge should attempt to contact participants individually to announce the cancellation and post building notices if possible. The same college closing procedures that occur during the week apply to the weekend. Weather-related cancellation decisions may not necessarily apply to campus activities such as sporting events, Ice Center events, conferences, and meetings. Participants in such campus activities should be alert for notifications through the organization coordinating the event, particularly during a weather-related State of Emergency.