Simmons+Snow+Policy

Dear Simmons Community:

As winter approaches, please be reminded that if Simmons College needs to be closed due to hazardous weather conditions, you will be informed about the closing in the following ways:

1) Use of the Emergency Notification System – A message will be sent through our emergency notification system. This message will be sent to all emergency notification phone numbers, e-mail addresses and text message numbers you have provided in AARC. PLEASE BE SURE TO UPDATE YOUR EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION INFORMATION BY LOGGING INTO AARC.

2) WBZ 1030 (AM) Radio and WBZ-TV Channel 4 Television - WBZ News Radio will read the list of school cancellations twice per hour during Storm Center operation and also during the local news updates on the CBS The Early Show Program. Every effort will be made to ensure that a Simmons College closure is made beginning with the 6:35 A.M. newscast. Members of the community who commute from long distances are advised to delay their departure from home until complete cancellation information is available.

3) Simmons Information Line – The main college information line will be updated with closing information. You can call 617-521-3463 and select the menu choice for school closing information.

4) Web Posting – A message will be posted on www.my.simmons.edu. Every effort will be made to keep the College open during a snowstorm including making use of delayed openings. If appropriate, the announcement will specify delayed opening time for classes. Most closings will be for day closings ONLY unless specified otherwise. In the event that evening or weekend classes must be canceled and the decision is not made at the time of the original announcement, a separate announcement will be made by mid-afternoon.

If public transportation is readily accessible from where you live, it is strongly suggested that this option be utilized to get to and from the College during snowy and icy weather.

Please do not call the Department of Public Safety to ask whether or not the College is open. During snow, storm, and other emergencies the Public Safety Dispatcher is extremely busy, and calls of this nature may impede the handling of serious problems.

Judgments for weather related closings are based upon the best information available from the National Weather Service. Clearly, each member of the community should make his or her own decision about whether to travel to campus based on weather conditions in his/her area. For employees, if the College is open and an employee is not present, this absence will be charged either as vacation time or as unpaid time if vacation time is exhausted. Employees should follow regular guidelines for notifying their supervisor. It is the responsibility of individual departments to establish telephone trees or other means of communication if they so desire.

Thank you.

Janet Fishstein

Assistant Vice President for Administration Simmons College email: Janet.Fishstein@simmons.edu phone: 617.521.2284