Campus Closure
When the closing of a physical campus is necessary due to inclement weather or other emergencies:
- All in-person classes will be canceled.
- All classes and work that are being conducted remotely will continue as scheduled.
- Students participating in practicums, internships, student teaching or other experiential learning should follow their participating organization’s closing procedures. If their organization is open, they are expected to report even if the campus is closed.
- Staff currently working on campus who are not considered essential with the short-term closing policies should not report to campus.
- Staff should carry out their responsibilities remotely where possible.
- On-site essential staff will continue to report to campus as usual during inclement weather.
The Ohio State University at Newark strives to remain open to ensure continuity of services to its students and to the public. When campus is open, all students, faculty and staff are expected to make a reasonable effort to attend.
If a Level 3 Snow Emergency is declared in Licking county, Ohio State Newark will close its campus and all in-person classes will be canceled.
If a Level 1 or 2 Snow Emergency is declared Ohio State Newark will make every effort to remain open.
Campus Closure – Delayed Opening
In some instances, Ohio State Newark will delay the opening of campus until a specified time.
If campus opening is delayed, classes that started prior to the delay’s conclusion will be canceled (e.g., if campus is placed on a delay and won’t open until 10 a.m., all in-person classes that would have started prior to 10 a.m. will be canceled).
Staff will report at the specified opening time. If campus opening is delayed, conditions will be reassessed prior to reopening to determine if the campus can be reopened safely, the delay will be extended or campus will be closed.
Individual Classes
Faculty members will notify students by email if an individual class is canceled.
Conditions for Closing
The safety of students, faculty and staff is the university’s top priority. If Ohio State Newark has not issued an official closing or delay, students are expected to exercise their judgment in determining whether to attend classes. Students are accountable for any material and assignments missed during an absence without an official closure or delay. When Ohio State Newark is open, vacation time will be used by employees who choose to stay at home or are unable to travel to their campus work location.
The decision to close campus or cancel classes in the event of severe weather is made using guidelines that are, by design, very flexible. There is no absolute temperature, snowfall amount or other specific hazard that triggers a closure. Many groups provide information and recommendations through the Office of Public Safety to campus leadership. Campus officials also monitor the latest forecasts from the National Weather Service. Some factors taken into consideration in the decision to cancel classes/and or close campus are:
- existence of Level 3 Snow Emergencies
- road conditions within the central Ohio region
- current weather conditions and the forecast for the next 1-12 hours in Newark
- status of the buildings, parking lots, roadways and sidewalks on campus
- presence of extreme ice and/or snow
- excessive wind
- severe cold