Closings Due To Inclement Weather

(effective 1/1/07)

In general, it is the policy of the University to conduct classes and continue to function except in the most adverse weather emergencies. Circumstances that require the University to close because of weather emergencies are few.

A decision to close the Main, Porter, the Brattle Campus, or Boston campus, or to cancel classes, is made only by the Vice President for Administration in consultation with the President of the University and the Provost. The decision to close is based upon constantly updated weather information and road conditions. Once a decision to close the University has been made, Lesley will post the information on the Lesley University website (www.lesley.edu/closings), and record a message on Lesley's main telephone number (617.868.9600); notify local Boston television stations (Channel 4 (WBZ), Channel 5 (WCVB), and Channel 7 (WHDH); and alert local radio stations 1030 AM, and 90.9FM to broadcast the announcement. In addition, 90.9FM will post all school closings on their website (www.wbur.org). You may also receive storm closing notification via text messaging through Send Word Now (SWN), an Emergency Alert System through Lesley University.

Cancellation of off-campus classes will be based on local conditions and are handled at the site location. National Programs, through the local site coordinators and faculty, will advise students in advance of notification procedures for individual class or site cancellation due to weather emergencies.

In reaching a decision concerning the possibility of a closing during office hours, careful attention will be given to the expected intensity and duration of a storm. If a decision is made during the workday, the Provost and Vice President for Administration will notify faculty and staff through their respective deans and department heads or designees. Each department is expected to have plans for orderly notification and dismissal of employees. Consideration should be given first to dismissing employees with the most difficult commutes (based on distance and storm conditions).

In exceptional circumstances during inclement weather, you may have a compelling need to leave work or to be absent even though the University officially remains open. In such cases, the respective dean, department head or directors may permit you to be absent, but with the understanding that the absence will be charged against your accrued personal or vacation days. If you have no vacation or personal time accrued, and your supervisor approves, you may take the day off without pay. Please note that Lesley's Negative Leave Balance Policy states that should an employee have a negative balance in sick, vacation, and personal time greater than one regularly scheduled week, the employee will be asked to authorize the deduction from his/her pay in the future.

While predicting the weather is inherently uncertain, the decision to close will be made as early as possible in order to ensure that neither our students nor employees find themselves in dangerous traveling conditions.

If there are any questions about the status of the University due to weather, staff and faculty should check the Lesley website (www.lesley.edu/closings) or call the main switchboard at 617.868.9600 for a detailed message. If there is no message to the contrary, the University will be open.

Adjunct faculty should refer to the Adjunct Faculty Handbook. Regular faculty should refer to the Faculty Handbook. For additional questions, contact your immediate supervisor.

Inclement Weather Pay:
If the University closes for a workday, and you were planning to be at work on that day, you will be paid at your regular rate of pay for the whole day.

If you had previously planned to take a paid day off on a day when the University closes for the workday, your time off will be deducted from vacation, personal, or sick time balances, depending on the reason for the day off.

If the University delays opening, or closes early for the day, and you are at work at the time of the decision to close early, you will be paid at your regular rate of pay for the whole day.

If the University remains open, but an employee wants to leave early due to the weather and the commute, s/he must request permission to leave from her/his immediate supervisor. Each situation will be evaluated on its own merits.