With winter weather returning to Iowa City, the university is reminding employees how weather-related decisions are made and communicated.
The university is never fully closed. The residential, health care, research, and operational activities – including those that keep buildings, infrastructure, and campus services safe and functional – must continue at all times, and employees are expected to make every reasonable effort to report for work to perform their job duties.
As long as students and their instructors can safely travel to and from campus, regularly scheduled classes will continue to meet and campus services will remain operational.
Maintaining regularly scheduled classes and campus services ensures that students and employees have access to the academic, technological, and well-being resources they rely on. While the university can and does use virtual instruction in some circumstances, shifting courses online on short notice is not always feasible or appropriate. Some courses – such as labs, clinical rotations, and hands-on experiences – cannot be completed online. Additionally, unlike K-12 schools, universities follow an academic calendar with limited flexibility to make up for missed class time.
Instructors should follow collegiate and departmental guidance and policies regarding any changes to a scheduled class. Whether you plan to adjust your class delivery or continue meeting as scheduled, it is best practice to proactively communicate your expectations and plans with students before extreme weather occurs. Clear communication helps prevent confusion, reduces the need to respond to individual student inquiries, and ensures a smoother, more productive learning experience for both students and instructors. Please consider using these templates to share your expectations with students before extreme weather occurs.
Employees should use good judgement and avoid serious risks when traveling to campus. Employees are encouraged to proactively communicate with their supervisors regarding their specific circumstances and review the university's extreme weather attendance policies.
Operational Decisions
When weather conditions have the potential to significantly affect campus operations, UI leaders make decisions by evaluating relevant information from the National Weather Service, Campus Safety, Facilities Management, Parking and Transportation, UI Health Care, and other campus and community partners.
Every winter storm is different, and university leaders closely monitor and proactively discuss forecasted weather conditions specific to our area – including the severity, timing, and duration of extreme weather – when making operational decisions.
As part of this process, the university’s Department of Emergency Management is in direct communication with the National Weather Service, local emergency management agencies, and multiple campus entities to evaluate forecasts, road and walkway conditions, and the ability to maintain essential services across campus, both in advance and in real-time during each storm. This information is shared directly with the executive vice president and provost, and the Severe Weather Advisory Group, as appropriate.
- Official announcements about delays, cancellations, or reduced operations will be communicated to campus through Hawk Alert, the UI home page, the UI Emergency website, and posts to official university social media accounts.
- If no announcement is made, the university is operating as normal. Be sure to monitor your UI email and other relevant channels for any adjustments to your specific area. Instructors and supervisors should communicate with students and employees as needed.
Staff and department leaders should not make independent decisions to close buildings or change access control due to weather-related concerns without approval. Any request to change facility hours or operations should be made as early as possible to the UI Department of Emergency Management by sending an email to UI-EM@uiowa.edu. Emergency Management will work with the provost and, when appropriate, members of the Severe Weather Advisory Group to review the request and provide a timely response.
Snow and Ice Removal Procedures
The university’s landscape services team works to clear snow and ice from campus roads and walkways as quickly as conditions allow.
To report an area where winter conditions are preventing access to a building, call 319-335-5071 or submit a request via FM@YourService.
For more information on snow and ice removal-related issues, including a snow removal map, see FM’s Snow and Ice Removal page.
Winter Transportation Support
- Consider monitoring the National Weather Service and local media outlets for timely weather updates, and Iowa 511 for road conditions.
- GPS-based, real-time Cambus passenger information is available through the Transit app. You should “favorite” routes you most frequently ride so you can receive notifications of any weather-related detours or delays. This information system can help you determine when a bus from Coralville, Iowa City, or the university transit systems will reach a bus stop near you, so you can plan accordingly.
- UI Parking and Transportation offers free jump-start service for employees, students, and visitors parked on the university’s main campus. Motorist assistance is offered on an as-available basis from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The service is not offered on university holidays. To request service, call 319-335-8312.
- Free, late-night transportation for students and employees is offered from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. via Nite Ride. Review current route and arrival times on the Transit app.