Severe Weather and Closures

Campus Closures

While Niagara College will make every effort to maintain scheduled on-campus services despite severe weather, in the interest of students, college personnel and public safety, we may suspend normal operations at any of our campuses.

When are closures announced?

Decisions to close before the start of the day will be made as early as possible, with an intent to alert the College community by 6:30 a.m. via the Niagara College website and social media. Local media will also be notified in the event of a campus closure.

Where are closures announced?

  • When College operations are interrupted due to inclement weather or other similar circumstances, the homepage, the news page, and social media channels (Facebook, Twitter) will be the main source of closure information.
  • Announcements will be made through Niagara College voicemail for those who call the Switchboard. Closure announcements will also be distributed to local media outlets, including these local radio stations:
  • Students should consult Brightspace for information regarding class-specific situations, off-campus assignments or field-trips scheduled for the date of closure.
  • Visit the Test Centre webpage on make up/missed tests for more information on missed tests and/or exams due to weather, illness, or other extenuating circumstances.
  • Closure information will also be sent out via NC Alert, if you are opted in to receive notifications.
  • Please read the Severe Weather Closures policy for more information.

Please note that in the event of a campus closure due to severe weather, all employees working remotely or delivering online classes will continue to fulfill their regular responsibilities as scheduled.

Information for Employees

All employees who work at a campus where a closure is announced prior to the start of normal working hours do not have to report for duty – unless they are advised by the College that their services are required. If working hours have commenced on campus before a closure is announced, employees may be released by their supervisor (following instructions from the Incident Management Team).

Reminders

  • If you are working remotely, be sure to have any necessary equipment and materials with you at all times.
  • Staff who do not wish to report for work when the College location they normally attend is open may request to take a leave without pay for the day or a vacation day. Full-time support staff members also have the option of using lieu time (as detailed in article 6.6.4. of their collective agreement).
  • Faculty should report for their scheduled classes when the College is open. If you are unable to attend campus for a scheduled class, inform your supervisor prior to cancelling the class on Blackboard and informing students.
  • If the College closes due to severe weather during an approved vacation day, it will be recorded as vacation being taken.
  • Part-time employees will be paid for scheduled shifts that are cancelled due to a campus closure in inclement weather.

NC Alert

NC Alert is a service that allows Niagara College to quickly send important messages via email, SMS text and text-to-voice, and the NC Mobile app.

All students and staff will automatically receive important messages to their Niagara College email address. Students and employees may opt-in to also receive important messages to a personal phone number (SMS or text-to-voice), a personal email address, or through NC Mobile app push notifications.

Learn More About NC Alert
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