Emergency Closing

It is the policy of Cuyahoga Community College to remain open for business each working day unless it is clearly impractical to do so. Weather and non-weather conditions may occasionally require that classes be canceled/delayed or overall operations be closed at a particular location or across the entire College in the interest of safety for all students, faculty, staff and community. Ultimately, all students, faculty, staff must assume responsibility for their own health and safety, as well as for their class or work responsibility.

Closing Procedure:

The President of the College has directed that the decision to delay/cancel classes or close shall be made by the Executive Vice President (EVP) of Administration and Finance in consultation with other departments following the decision-making protocols outlined in this document. College Procedure 3354: 1-20-04 covers the institution’s emergency response and closing procedures.

Upon assessing overall site conditions from Campus Police, Plant Operations, and feedback from outside entities, Plant Operations will convey the recommendation to the EVP of Administration and Finance for class delay/cancellation, specific location(s) closure or Collegewide closing.
When practical, a final decision for delaying/canceling classes or closing of the College will be made by 6 a.m. for day classes and 3 p.m. for evening classes.

Closing Protocols:

Weather-related closure: occurs when the College must close due to inclement weather.

• All classes Collegewide (on-ground, online and blended) will be canceled.
• Only essential employees (Public Safety and Plant Operations) should report.
• Non-essential employees should NOT report to work. This includes employees with an approved remote work schedule.

Non-weather related closure: occurs when the College must close one or more specific locations such as a department, building(s) and/or a campus due to a non-weather-related event. These unforeseen circumstances include water outages, pipe bursts, loss of electricity and/or other acts beyond the College’s control.

• On-ground classes only will be cancelled; online, off campus (clinicals, etc.) and blended will continue as scheduled.
• Essential employees (Public Safety and Plant Operations) should report to work.
• Non-bargaining employees should work in accordance with their location closure plan as directed by their supervisor which includes working remotely or at an alternative campus location as available.
• Union employees should follow the protocols outlined in their Collective Bargaining Agreements.

Means of Notification:

Once a decision has been made on a closing, the College will notify all faculty, staff and students using the following communication methodologies:

• Mass Notification System - Closing announcements will be announced as a Tri-C Alert, with a phone call and text message. This message will always come from 1-866-989-ALRT (2578).
  • In order to receive a call, you must have provided an updated Alert number in your personal information on my Tri-C space. Students who have opted out of the Tri-C Alert System will not receive a message.
  • For employees of vendors providing services on a Tri-C campus and/or building who wish to receive an alert can fill out the following form. 
• Interactive Media/Website - Closing announcements are also posted promptly on my Tri-C space, the external website (www.Tri-C.edu) and via the College's social media channels.
• Local media - Closings are shared by local television stations via scrolling announcements and websites.
• Call Center - The Call Center will also relay closing announcements on 1-800-954-TRIC (8742)
• Where appropriate, the Emergency Voice Notification System (EVNS) on campus may also be used to disseminate voice messages to the campus regarding a College closure.