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Inclement Weather Policy (Didactic)

Occasionally, inclement weather impacts the School’s ability to hold in person regularly scheduled classes on one or both of our campuses. To learn more about the UNC ESOP Inclement Weather Policy, please click here. It is important to note that the professional schools at UNC Chapel Hill with satellite campuses do not necessarily follow the same academic calendar as the undergraduate and graduate programs. Therefore, there will be times when the School will need to make independent decisions regarding inclement weather plans and our top priority will always be the safety of our students, staff, and faculty.

Communication During Inclement Weather Events

All PharmD Didactic Students

Campus closings and delayed starts due to inclement weather are administered on a university level. Students are encouraged to visit their particular campus website to determine if classes have been cancelled or if a delayed start has been enacted. Students are also encouraged to register for their campus-specific alert system to be notified via text or social media.

School-based communications regarding inclement weather will typically be sent via UNC Email. Students are responsible for checking their official UNC email consistently as well as course specific Canvas sites. This is where students can find information regarding live-streaming and classroom recordings; class-specific information from course directors; university announcements, and/or school-based announcements.

Any student who deems it unsafe to travel during inclement weather, even when the campus has reopened and is operating on a normal schedule, should communicate directly with the course director for the given class via email.

Chapel Hill Based

During any inclement weather event, official UNC Chapel Hill updates will be communicated in the following ways:

  • If you are registered for UNC Alert Carolina, you will receive updates via text message and email. If you are not registered for Carolina Alert, please do so now.
  • If you have downloaded the app, you will receive updates via the app.

Asheville Based

During any inclement weather event, official UNC Asheville updates will be communicated in the following ways:

  • Official weather notices and updates will be posted to the Bulldog Alert page (bulldogalert.unca.edu). This page contains the most up-to-date information and should be checked first whenever possible.
  • The UNC Asheville homepage (unca.edu) will feature updates prominently in a colored stripe at the top of the page including a link to the Bulldog Alert page.
  • If you are registered for Bulldog Alert you will receive updates via text message and email. If you are not registered for Bulldog Alert, please do so now at: https://meteor.unca.edu/emergency-management/bulldog-alert
  • You can hear the latest updates by calling the university inclement weather line at 828-258-7985.
  • During a weather event, regular updates will be emailed to campus from Emergency Management and/or Communication and Marketing.

Information from sources other than those listed above may not be accurate or up to date. When in doubt, please refer to the Bulldog Alert page at bulldogalert.unca.edu For more information on campus Adverse Weather Procedures, please visit the following page: https://em.unca.edu/adverse-weather

PharmD Students on Immersion

The Office of Experiential Programs will communicate cancellation of immersion experiences affected by inclement weather with impacted faculty, preceptors, and student pharmacists.

In the event of an adverse weather event that does not warrant the School cancelling an experience, student pharmacists should contact their preceptor and follow the instructions of their preceptor in accordance with the site’s policies. If a student pharmacist does not feel that it is safe to travel to the site, the preceptor should allow them to make up the time missed. If there is a concern about the preceptor’s instructions, student pharmacists should contact the Associate Director of Experiential Student and Career Services.

The inclement weather policy for students on early or advanced immersions can be found here.

 

Zoom and Recording

In some weather-related instances outlined in this policy, a Zoom meeting will shared by your Course Director via Canvas. The course will also be recorded.

 

Campus Closing Due to Inclement Weather

In the event of inclement weather that closes either the Asheville or Chapel Hill campus, classes on that campus are cancelled for the given day or specified time. Campus closings are administered on a university level and consider travel safety and the ability to navigate around and throughout the campus. In the event of a campus closing, students will not be allowed to attend class or enter buildings. Students will not be penalized for missing class due to the closing if in fact a given course originates from another campus that is open on that day. Course directors will communicate directly with enrolled students to outline the method and timing by which assignments, activities, quizzes, or tests are to be made up. Students are expected to resume the normal class schedule once the campus reopens.

If the campus from which a course originates is open while the other campus is closed, the below steps will be followed to provide access to missed classroom lectures and activities:

  1. IET will create Zoom meetings. Zoom meeting information will be communicated by course directors through Canvas.
  2. The courses will also be recorded. Students will be notified of the recording availability via a Canvas message from their Course Director if the recordings are not already set to automatically release.

 

Campus Delayed Due to Inclement Weather

In the event of an inclement weather event that produces a delay on either the Asheville or Chapel Hill Campus, the following policy will apply.

Classes originating from the delayed start campus are cancelled during the delayed period. It is at the discretion of the course director to determine and communicate whether class will be held on a given date if the delayed start cancels a part or portion of the regularly scheduled class. Decisions of this nature should be made no later than 2 hours in advance of the start of class to arrange for the needed technology and support. In this instance, the course director should communicate his/her decision to hold class via Canvas and email to the following parties:

  1. All enrolled students (Canvas)
  2. Tier 1 inclement weather team at sopinclementweather@office.unc.edu. Members of this team include:
    • Director, Office of Student Affairs
    • Assistant & Associate Directors, Office of Student Affairs (both campuses)
    • Senior Director of Information and Educational Technology
    • Asheville-based Lead Campus Technician
    • Associate Dean Professional Education
    • Assistant Dean Professional Education
    • Associate Dean Office of Experiential Programs
    • Technology Operations Manager

If the location from which a course originates is operating on a normal schedule, yet the alternate campus is on a delayed start, students on the delayed start campus should decide for themselves whether it is safe to travel/walk to campus to attend class. The School realizes that students have a variety of living situations – some living within walking or busing distance of school buildings and others living a lengthy commuting distance from the school. This campus delay policy gives each student the right to make an informed personal travel and attendance decision based on his/her safety. Students are urged to consider their travel situation and any travel safety hazards that might exist due to inclement weather and make the best decision accordingly. Students who deem it unsafe to travel to campus during a delayed start (while the location from which the class originates is open) will not be penalized for missing class or any associated assignments or activities. Course directors will communicate directly with enrolled students to outline the method and timing by which assignments, activities, quizzes, or tests are to be made up. Students are expected to resume the normal class schedule once the delayed start time expires.

If the location from which a course originates is operating on a normal schedule while the other campus is on a delay, the below steps will be followed to provide access to missed classroom lectures and activities:

  1. IET will create Zoom meetings. Zoom meeting information will be communicated by course directors through Canvas.
  2. The courses will also be recorded. Students will be notified of the recording availability via a Canvas message from their Course Director if the recordings are not already set to automatically release.

 

Class Specific Inclement Weather Decisions

As always, it is well within the purview of course directors to cancel class given extenuating circumstances even if the campus is operating on a normal schedule. This also includes inclement weather that may preclude the faculty member from safely travelling to a given campus. Students should carefully monitor direct communications from course directors regarding class cancellations that fall outside the provisions of the inclement weather policy. Class cancellation decisions should be made no later than 2 hours before the start of a given class. If a specific class is cancelled, the course director should also email the Tier 1 inclement weather team at sopinclementweather@office.unc.edu.

 

Graduate Students

For graduate courses, students will follow the inclement weather closing and delayed start decisions as outlined by The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The School understands that laboratory activities often require time-sensitive work, effort, and intervention. Graduate student laboratory activities during a university closing or delayed start will mirror the SHRA provisions (condition levels I, II, or III) as outlined in university policy. Graduate students are urged to always consider personal safety and well-being first but are also encouraged to closely communicate and negotiate attendance with faculty and/or their PI during inclement weather situations impacting laboratory activities. Graduate students are encouraged to subscribe to Alert Carolina as well as download the app UNC Carolina Ready.