Inclement Weather Procedures

Commitment to Safety

Stockton University is committed to preparing for extreme weather on our campuses and at our instructional sites. Weather conditions vary throughout Stockton’s service areas. Decisions to adjust the University’s operating schedule are made after careful review of pertinent conditions.

Forecasting of Weather

Stockton University consults a variety of weather forecasts including the National Weather Service and other alerts and emergency management briefings.

Representatives from the Office of the President, Division of Facilities & Operations, Information Technology Services, Campus Public Safety, University Relations and Marketing, Academic Affairs and Student Affairs evaluate expected weather conditions and the ability to maintain the campuses and instructional sites in safe and passable conditions.

State of Emergency

On occasion, the Governor may declare a State of Emergency due to inclement weather. This may also include a declaration that state agencies and offices will not open or will close early due to inclement weather. Unless there is a state declaration that all roads in the state be clear of traffic, Stockton does not open or close based on this declaration. Instead, the University assesses conditions to make the best decision for the University.

Notification of Closure or Delayed Opening

The University uses a text alert system, website, email and social media to notify students and employees when there is a delay or closure. The expectation should always be that the University is operating on a normal schedule, unless otherwise indicated.

When the University is open during inclement weather, supervisors should exercise managerial discretion if employees arrive within a reasonable time of their start time. Factors the supervisor and employee should consider include, but are not limited to, distance traveled, weather conditions, childcare disruption, child's school opening/closure, and office coverage. Employees who expect to experience delayed arrival should proactively contact their supervisor and update them accordingly. In these situations, communication, courteous goodwill, safety and reasonableness are important considerations.

For severe weather that compromises services or safety while classes are in session, an announcement will be made as soon as possible. For severe weather that occurs overnight, every effort will be made to notify the campus community of closure or delayed opening by 6 a.m. Sign up for text alerts on the Stockton portal.

Campus Closures

Students

When the University closes for the entire day, classes are not held. This includes online, hybrid and in-person classes.

NOTE: The University makes every attempt to be consistent in its operating schedule across all campuses and instructional sites, however, in some instances closures may impact campuses and instructional sites differently.

We thank the University community for understanding the complexity and uncertainty of weather in our region and for being patient during inclement weather.

Employees

When the University closes for the entire day, non-essential employees are not required to report to work, and such employees will be paid for that day. Non-essential employees are not charged leave time when the University is closed. Please see the Inclement weather guidelines for non-essential employees.

Employees designated as “essential employees” by the University and/or state may be required to report to work and remain at work during campus closures, in accordance with the University’s policy on emergency closings.