The Caldwell campus will be closed only by the president of the college or by an administrative designee.
The Watauga campus will be closed by the Executive Director of the Watauga Campus, usually after consulting with the president or designee.
Our primary mission centers around training adults for careers. Our weather calls during winter storms will more closely resemble cancellation decisions made by local business and industry than decisions made by the local school system. As a general rule, we will wait until frozen precipitation hits, begins to stick, and is predicted to sufficiently accumulate before delaying and/or canceling classes. In very few cases (such as 100% probability of heavy accumulation and forecast time beginning well before 8 a.m.), we will make cancellation announcements the evening before a storm hits.
In accordance with numbered memo (CC00-030m Feb. 8, 2000) from NCCCS, CCC&TI is obligated to deliver the instruction for which students pay tuition and fees. Curriculum classes that are missed or not held for any reason, including inclement weather, should be rescheduled whenever possible.
CCC&TI has determined that up to 20% of seated courses missed could be made up by other alternatives including extra assignments, individual conferences, etc. In some instances, but not limited to, the college may choose to add additional minutes to the current class schedule, utilize student breaks as instructional make-up days, or extend the length of the semester in order to meet instructional obligations.
In all circumstances, the college must be able to document how any instructional time that was not rescheduled was made up in order for the class hours to be reported for budget FTE reimbursement. (Approved by the Board of Trustees March 2010)
No announcement means we will operate on a normal schedule.
When the college declares a delayed start due to inclement weather conditions, typically a one- or two-hour delay, employees are expected to report to work at the delayed start time.
If we find it necessary to delay morning classes, we will use 8 a.m. as a reference time for delays. For example, "two-hour delay" will actually mean that classes will begin at 10 a.m. and continue thereafter on a regular schedule. If we find it necessary to delay evening classes, we will use 5 p.m. as a reference time for delays. A "one-hour delay," for example, will mean that all classes that would be in session at 6:00 p.m. would meet and conclude at their normal time.
Announcements on closings and delays by the college will be made before 6:00 a.m. for morning classes and before 4:00 p.m. for evening classes. No announcement means we will operate on a normal schedule.
When the college closes due to inclement weather, employees are not expected to report to work, unless specifically required to by their supervisor for the purpose of assisting with snow removal or other critical functions.
Non-exempt staff employees (i.e., maintenance, etc.) who are required to work and perform snow removal and/or other critical functions during a delayed start, campus closure, or early dismissal will be given compensatory time-off at the rate of one (1) hour for each hour of work performed during that workweek, even though the total hours worked that week may be less than forty (40) hours in that workweek—meaning seven (7) consecutive days beginning Sunday and ending Saturday.
Non-exempt staff employees who are required to work in excess of forty (40) hours during the workweek— meaning seven (7) consecutive days beginning Sunday and ending Saturday, will be granted compensatory time-off at the rate of one and one-half hours for each overtime hour worked.
Any compensatory time-off must be taken within the pay period unless insufficient time remains within the pay period to take the time earned without unduly disrupting college operations. In that event, the time-off should be scheduled in consultation with and with the prior approval of the immediate supervisor within the next pay period.
When the college declares an early dismissal due to inclement weather, an administrative designee will make the announcement over the emergency public address (PA) system. Employees are free to leave work, unless specifically required to stay by the supervisor for the purpose of assisting with snow removal or other critical functions.
Specific inclement weather policies for clinical and other off-campus work experiences have been developed and may be obtained from program directors.
Students and employees may access the most up-to-date weather information on delayed starts, campus closures, or early dismissals in the following manners:
If the college is open, employees are expected to report to work. However, each employee must observe weather conditions in his or her area and determine whether it is unduly hazardous to attempt to drive to work when weather conditions are severe. WE DO NOT EXPECT ANYONE TO TAKE UNREASONABLE RISK WHILE ATTEMPTING TO DRIVE TO WORK.
However, employees will be charged vacation leave when they fail to report as scheduled if classes are held as usual or for a shortened schedule as announced. Accrued compensatory time (comp time) may also be used to cover periods of absence due to inclement weather.
When the college is officially delayed, closed, or dismissed early due to inclement weather, full-time employees will receive their regular rate of pay for their regular scheduled hours not worked. The employee shall not be charged leave for time lost due to the inclement weather, nor will their leave earned be affected. However, certain employees specifically required to work by their supervisor for the purpose of assisting with snow removal or other critical functions will be charged leave for late reporting or failure to report to work when required by their supervisor.
Closings or delays for inclement weather do not affect the status of employees on FMLA, Shared Leave, Educational Leave, Civil Leave, Military Leave or Leave without Pay. Leaves of absence are granted on the assumption that the employee will be unavailable to work regardless of an opening or closure.
Employees who are on previously scheduled annual (vacation) leave or who are experiencing a short-term illness and using sick leave will not be charged leave when the campus is closed due to inclement weather.
Time off due to weather closing or delays cannot be counted as work time on your time sheet for non-exempt employees. For example, if the college is closed for one day (equivalent to 8 hours), those eight (8) hours not working cannot be counted as hours worked, or used as credit toward compensatory time (comp-time). Compensatory time is based on hours worked over forty (40) that week. Campus closures are not counted as work days since the employee was not physically at work performing the job.
Approved By Executive Council, 04.28.14