Campus Status

Campus is operating under normal conditions.

Weather conditions periodically dictate the need to change Hood College’s operations. In making the decision to close the College or alter the schedule, the safety of students, faculty and staff is always the first priority. It is also understood that it is vital to our students and their families that the College keep regular operations running as smoothly and consistently as possible.

Information on College closings or delays will be made available by the following channels:

Phone: 301-696-3131
The home page of the College website
The College's main accounts on Facebook and Twitter
The College's emergency notification system (Hood Alert) uses voice, email and text messaging.

Timeframe for Announcements

For an overnight weather-related event, the announcement will be made by 6 a.m. An announcement regarding early closure will be made by 3 p.m.; announcements regarding Saturday activities will be made by 7 a.m.

What the Announcement Means

Open – Normal Operations

During an Open - Normal Operations status, all College activities, classes and procedures are expected to proceed as scheduled.

Staff expected to work in-person are required to inform their supervisor if they are unable to report to work and will be required to use paid time away or make arrangements to work from home, as applicable and with supervisor approval.

Faculty unable to convene class as scheduled for any reason should advise their chair and the provost, and must follow one of the following plans of action:

Arrange for a colleague to conduct the class, in consultation with department chair
Provide other approved activities or assignments for students
Offer virtual option to include synchronous or asynchronous engagement

Students are expected to attend class as scheduled, unless otherwise notified by their professor.

Open – Remote Operations

Hood will most often move to an Open - Remote Operations status in the case of an inclement weather event. This status is reserved for situations when weather makes it hazardous to drive to campus and/or facilities needs additional time to clear walkways and parking lots to ensure safer travel while on campus.

Essential Services and Work Expectations
During this status, all essential in-person services remain open and essential staff supporting these services are expected to report to campus. This includes staff members in the following areas:

Dining Services (options may be limited)
Office of Facilities
Office of Campus Safety
Office of Residential Life Live-In Duty Staff

Essential staff in the areas listed above are required to report to their campus office, as normal. Many of these departments alternate the essential staff required to report to campus during each subsequent weather-related emergency. Essential employees should consult with their supervisors if they are unsure of their need to report to campus.

Non-Essential Services and Work Expectations
All non-essential in-person services not listed above will be closed to in-person traffic unless otherwise specified. Any services that can be delivered in a remote format with remote staff should remain open.

The library will be available with swipe access, without staffing required. With on-campus student staff, the fitness center may be open. Communication about fitness center status will be sent to campus.

Staff who are able to complete job functions in a remote format are expected to work remotely. Staff who require special arrangements should contact their supervisor to discuss specific work arrangements or assignments.

Student Employees and Work Expectations
Student employees who work in pre-defined student essential roles may report to work if they are able but are not required to report during this operational status. These roles include:

Dining Services
Resident Assistants (RAs)
Campus Center Information Desk
Student Auxiliary Safety Patrol (SASP)
Library (only if student is residential student)
Fitness Center (only if student is residential student)

All other student employees not listed in the categories above are not permitted to work on campus during this operating status.

Please note that students will not be compensated for missed in-person work shifts; however, student employees whose work is able to be performed remotely may continue to do so with approved permission from their supervisor.

Classes and Events
During Open – Remote Operations status no in-person classes or extracurricular events and programs are permitted.

Faculty are expected to utilize the following options for their scheduled classes, in order of priority:

Synchronous remote delivery during scheduled class time
Asynchronous substitute or out of class assignments, including pre-recorded material

Faculty are expected to communicate class status with their students in a timely manner and consistently utilize Blackboard.

Closed Status

Please note that this status is reserved for only the most extreme of weather events and will be exceedingly rare. An example of a situation in which the College would utilize this status is a weather event that causes widespread power outages, such as an ice storm, that would make remote work impossible.

Dining Services (options may be limited)
Office of Facilities
Office of Campus Safety
Office of Residential Life Live-In Duty Staff

Essential staff in the areas listed above are required to report to campus as normal for their regularly scheduled hours and may be asked to remain on campus beyond normal hours, until the weather emergency concludes. Many of these departments alternate the essential staff required to report to campus during each subsequent weather-related emergency. Essential employees should consult with their supervisors if they are unsure of their need to report to campus.

Non-Essential Services, Student Employees and General Employee Work Expectations
All other employees not listed in the categories outlined above are not to report to campus and should not complete work during a closed operating status. Please note that this also includes all student employees.

Classes and Events
During the Closed operating status all classes and extracurricular activities and events are cancelled.

Delayed Opening/Early Closure

Hood College would most often utilize the Delayed Opening or Early Closure status in a situation where a significant weather event occurs overnight but ends early enough to allow on-campus walkways and parking lots to be cleared and roadways to become less hazardous in time for the College to resume operations at a specific time during the day.

In a Delayed Opening status, the College will begin the day in a Closed or Open – Remote Operation status until a pre-determined time when Open – Normal Operations can be resumed. The timing of such status changes will be communicated with the campus community in a timely manner.

Work Expectations
Non-essential personnel should have a plan in place in case the College needs to delay opening offices in person to allow facilities to treat campus. Those with a long commute may want to discuss with supervisors a work-from-home option. Employees should refer to the information outlined above regarding their individual work status and expectations if the College is to experience a Delayed Opening.

Classes
Given the significant challenges a mid-day change in operating status can impose on course delivery, faculty have discretion as to how to proceed. If the College begins the day in an Open – Remote Operations status, faculty should refer to the options outlined above for their course delivery.

Once Open – Normal Operations status resumes, faculty are encouraged to use their discretion with the following options:

Hold in-person classes as scheduled
Hold classes in synchronous remote format during scheduled class time
Offer asynchronous alternative class assignments and/or activities to replace missed hours of student learning

Faculty must notify students regarding class status in a timely manner.