Weather Emergency Plan

Authority

Statutory: Minnesota Statute 43A.05, Subdivision 4.

The authority to cancel classes and close college or university campuses when weather or other emergency exists resides with the president or the president’s designee. The closure of state agencies by the Commissioner of Minnesota Management & Budget (MMB) does not apply to Minnesota State colleges and universities. MSU Moorhead will follow any declaration of a State of Emergency declared by the Governor.

Board Authority

4.4 Weather / Short Term Emergency Closings

President’s Designees

President Tim Downs has delegated to the following persons the responsibility for implementing this plan:

Winter Storm Emergencies

If travel is possible in the immediate Moorhead/Fargo/West Fargo area, the University will usually try to avoid calling off classes and/or closing the campus. Each individual must take into account their own circumstances for travel to campus and decide accordingly whether or not travel is safe.

Campus Consultation:

  • Ryan Nelson, Director of Public Safety
  • Kyle Kopacek, Building & Grounds Maintenance Supervisor
  • Brenda Norris, Executive Director of Facilities Management

MSUM’s established protocol for making weather/short term emergency-related decisions:

MSUM participates in regional weather briefings which include both public and private K-12 and higher education institutions throughout the Fargo-Moorhead area.

  • The North Dakota State Climatologist compares three different weather models (North American Nested model, National Weather Service model, and the European model) to prepare the regional weather briefing for the group.
  • The briefing includes weather graphs showing hourly precipitation (snow or rain), temperature, wind speed, and wind chill for the Fargo-Moorhead area.

Communications

When a decision is made, the following notifications will be made:

  • Official listservs (communication templates below)
    • Employee
    • Student
  • Dragon Alert emergency notification system message (communication templates below)
  • Local media will be notified

Essential Staffing Requirements

An essential employee is defined as:

Positions and employees of the University who provide services that are essential to the well-being of students, those service activities available for students living on campus, and those functions deemed essential to personal safety and the protection or preservations of the State’s investments such as property during an emergency.

Alterations to the University’s normal operating schedule may include:

  • Cancellation of Classes: The President or designee may decide to cancel classes. In the event classes are cancelled due to a weather or other short-term emergency event, employees are still required to work from their assigned work location. In alignment with Minnesota’s Earned Sick and Safe Time law, employees may use earned sick and safe time in lieu of personal leave, vacation leave, or compensatory time if they choose not to work.
  • Campus Closure: The President or designee may decide to close the campus.
    • Essential employees who are required to report to work on campus during a campus closure are still expected to report to work.
      • If an essential employee required to report to work on campus is unable or chooses not to report to work, they may use earned sick and safe time rather than personal leave, vacation leave, or earned compensatory time.
      • Certain essential employees may not be required to report to work on campus during a weather event or other short-term emergency, as determined by the President or designee. These employees will be expected to work from home or an approved alternate location if:
        • They have an approved telework plan;
        • They have a university-issued laptop and can complete their work successfully off-campus. If neither of the above options apply, then these essential employees will be excused from work with pay.

Circumstances may change after the campus has been closed. A supervisor may determine the services of essential employees who are on duty at that time are no longer needed and essential employees may be released from work with pay.