How Does It Work? -- Making the Decision to Close UMBC Due to Inclement Weather
by Craig Berger and David Hoffman
Behind our everyday experiences at UMBC, there are people and processes at work. When those people and processes are invisible to you, you can feel powerless. This blog is all about building a sense of our collective power to shape our world, so we want to bring UMBC people and processes more fully into view.
To do that, we’re launching a series of “How Does it Work” posts, in which we’ll explore what and who are behind familiar aspects of campus life. We start with a topic especially relevant this time of year: How does UMBC decide whether to close for inclement weather? We asked UMBC’s Vice President for Administration and Finance, Lynne Schaefer, to shed some light on what happens behind the scenes.
Q. Can you give a brief description of the process? What all do you consider when making this decision?
Lynne: The decision-making process regarding campus response to inclement weather is updated and honed over time based on experience, technology, campus input, and more. The safety of the campus community is a primary concern. We also keep in mind that our students have paid for their education, and it is our obligation to provide it, so we try our very best to remain open, or to reopen as soon as we can. Because of the nature of winter conditions, it is usually not possible to clear all surfaces completely of snow and ice in the aftermath of a storm.
Through careful assessment and listening to feedback over time from the campus community, we have established a prioritized process for campus snow removal, which can be found here. Campus community members are encouraged to notify Work Control (410-455-2550 or workorder@umbc.edu) to report any particularly hazardous conditions on campus following a weather event.
Q. I would imagine that following weather forecasts forms a large part of the decision-making process?
Lynne: Yes, that's correct. Weather forecasts are continuously monitored by Facilities Management (FM) and the Police Department (PD) for early identification of approaching inclement weather patterns. The University subscribes to a weather service that is targeted to this specific region. Also monitored are the National Weather Service and the storm blog of UMBC’s Professor Jeff Halverson, Geography and Environmental Studies, also a member of the Capital Weather Gang.
Q. So let's say a decent possibility for some significant winter weather is observed in a weather forecast. What happens then?
Lynne: Well, the process actually extends further ahead of the event than you might think. While every situation is different, this is what the process tends to look like.
Several days in advance of a forecasted snow or ice event:
Lynne: Yes, closure decisions are typically made in the early morning hours. And there are a few reasons why:
Lynne: We hear that question sometimes, and the reality is that K-12 systems are working with children and a very complex bus transportation system that is difficult to keep on schedule during inclement weather.
Q. What if the decision to keep UMBC open comes on a day when other neighborhoods and areas are more adversely impacted than the campus?
Lynne: Weather and related road conditions are not the same in every area where students, faculty and staff live. Consequently, the decision as to whether it is safe to travel must ultimately rest with each individual. Faculty have been encouraged to arrange a system for communicating to their students should it be necessary to cancel class, and to be mindful that not all students will attend class. If the campus is open but individual employees feel that conditions are unacceptably hazardous for them, they should use accrued annual, personal, or compensatory leave to cover lost time.
Q. If UMBC community members either have questions or wish to provide feedback about what they have just read, who should they approach?
Lynne: For more information on these procedures, you can contact Police Chief Mark Sparks (sparks@umbc.edu) or Rusty Postlewate, Assistant Vice President, Facilities Management (rustyp@umbc.edu). To provide further input on Inclement Weather policies and procedures (which is always welcome), you can contact me, Lynne Schaefer, Vice President for Administration and Finance, at lschaefer@umbc.edu.
Q. Thank you for providing this information.
Lynne: Thank you for providing me the opportunity to share it.
Co-Create UMBC is a blog for and about UMBC, written by David Hoffman and Craig Berger from Student Life. Join the Co-Create UMBC group on MyUMBC. Like Co-Create UMBC on Facebook. And follow David and Craig on Twitter.
Behind our everyday experiences at UMBC, there are people and processes at work. When those people and processes are invisible to you, you can feel powerless. This blog is all about building a sense of our collective power to shape our world, so we want to bring UMBC people and processes more fully into view.
To do that, we’re launching a series of “How Does it Work” posts, in which we’ll explore what and who are behind familiar aspects of campus life. We start with a topic especially relevant this time of year: How does UMBC decide whether to close for inclement weather? We asked UMBC’s Vice President for Administration and Finance, Lynne Schaefer, to shed some light on what happens behind the scenes.
Q. Can you give a brief description of the process? What all do you consider when making this decision?
Lynne: The decision-making process regarding campus response to inclement weather is updated and honed over time based on experience, technology, campus input, and more. The safety of the campus community is a primary concern. We also keep in mind that our students have paid for their education, and it is our obligation to provide it, so we try our very best to remain open, or to reopen as soon as we can. Because of the nature of winter conditions, it is usually not possible to clear all surfaces completely of snow and ice in the aftermath of a storm.
Through careful assessment and listening to feedback over time from the campus community, we have established a prioritized process for campus snow removal, which can be found here. Campus community members are encouraged to notify Work Control (410-455-2550 or workorder@umbc.edu) to report any particularly hazardous conditions on campus following a weather event.
Q. I would imagine that following weather forecasts forms a large part of the decision-making process?
Lynne: Yes, that's correct. Weather forecasts are continuously monitored by Facilities Management (FM) and the Police Department (PD) for early identification of approaching inclement weather patterns. The University subscribes to a weather service that is targeted to this specific region. Also monitored are the National Weather Service and the storm blog of UMBC’s Professor Jeff Halverson, Geography and Environmental Studies, also a member of the Capital Weather Gang.
Q. So let's say a decent possibility for some significant winter weather is observed in a weather forecast. What happens then?
Lynne: Well, the process actually extends further ahead of the event than you might think. While every situation is different, this is what the process tends to look like.
Several days in advance of a forecasted snow or ice event:
- Facilities Management and PD initiate discussion about the upcoming event
- Facilities Management will notify the two outside contractors to be ready to respond on the day of the event. These companies are on contract to bring in large equipment and operators for main roadways and large parking lots, and smaller equipment and operators for secondary roadways and walkways
- Facilities Management will contact the two contractors and arrange for a specific time for each of them to be on campus
- Campus grounds staff are also mobilized to assist in the event response
- Facilities Management and PD also begin checking the UMBC calendar for scheduled events, to assess impact weather might have on them
- The PD will coordinate with State Police, Baltimore County Police Dept. and State Highway Administration, regarding off campus roadway conditions
- Various weather services are continually monitored to understand ongoing weather conditions
- Other campuses are consulted to share information about conditions in different areas and to consult about their response to the event
- The team analyzes the anticipated timing of the storm to gauge its impact on commuting to campus, particularly during the morning and evening rush hours
- Facilities Management will evaluate the conditions on campus to determine ability to have the campus ready for opening
- Between 4:30 am and 5:00 am, FM and the PD consider all information available on conditions to formulate a recommendation on campus closure or delayed opening.
- Between 5:00 am and 5:30 am, the Chief of PD shares all information gathered with the VP of Administration and Finance, as well as recommendations regarding closure or delayed opening
- Based on the above coordination, a decision is made on the closure or delayed opening
- If closure or delayed opening is the determination, the PD will send out a “text alert.” Also a campus-wide email and notice to the media take place. The goal is to send the alert out by no later than 6:00 am, and to make every effort to announce a decision by 5:30 am.
- If a delay is revised to a closure, the goal is to provide at least a 2-hour notice.
Lynne: Yes, closure decisions are typically made in the early morning hours. And there are a few reasons why:
- The accuracy of a weather forecast improves the closer the timeframe being considered. With each passing hour, meteorologists are fine tuning their forecasts for location, duration, intensity, and precipitation totals
- The specific timing of a given storm, which affects the progress snow removal crews are able to make throughout the night, is key to a determination for campus opening or closure
- The ability to assess actual conditions in the early morning hours, rather than predicted conditions many hours beforehand, is the most effective means of arriving at the best decision
Lynne: We hear that question sometimes, and the reality is that K-12 systems are working with children and a very complex bus transportation system that is difficult to keep on schedule during inclement weather.
Q. What if the decision to keep UMBC open comes on a day when other neighborhoods and areas are more adversely impacted than the campus?
Lynne: Weather and related road conditions are not the same in every area where students, faculty and staff live. Consequently, the decision as to whether it is safe to travel must ultimately rest with each individual. Faculty have been encouraged to arrange a system for communicating to their students should it be necessary to cancel class, and to be mindful that not all students will attend class. If the campus is open but individual employees feel that conditions are unacceptably hazardous for them, they should use accrued annual, personal, or compensatory leave to cover lost time.
Q. If UMBC community members either have questions or wish to provide feedback about what they have just read, who should they approach?
Lynne: For more information on these procedures, you can contact Police Chief Mark Sparks (sparks@umbc.edu) or Rusty Postlewate, Assistant Vice President, Facilities Management (rustyp@umbc.edu). To provide further input on Inclement Weather policies and procedures (which is always welcome), you can contact me, Lynne Schaefer, Vice President for Administration and Finance, at lschaefer@umbc.edu.
Q. Thank you for providing this information.
Lynne: Thank you for providing me the opportunity to share it.
Co-Create UMBC is a blog for and about UMBC, written by David Hoffman and Craig Berger from Student Life. Join the Co-Create UMBC group on MyUMBC. Like Co-Create UMBC on Facebook. And follow David and Craig on Twitter.
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Posted: February 10, 2015, 8:58 AM