Weather Closing Decisions Procedures

Safety of Students, Faculty and Staff Is Our Highest Priority


Weather may require Eastern Iowa Community Colleges to delay or close the college or individual campuses periodically. We monitor the weather services and all emergency communications regarding the weather, as conditions can change from one minute to the next.

How to Obtain College Delay/Closure Information


Students, staff and faculty are encouraged to use the following resources to obtain delay/closure information.

  • Visit the college website.  Delay/closure information will be posted. 
  • Current credit students and adjunct faculty will receive email notifications to their EICC live email account (name@live.eicc.edu).
  • Full time faculty and staff will receive email notifications to their EICC email account. (Name@eicc.edu)
  • The college’s Rave alert system will text current credit students and employees with a cell phone number on their academic or personnel record. For details on updating your contact information or on opting out of emergency texting, click here. 
  • Check our social media posts on Facebook and Twitter.
  • Consult area television and radio stations or their websites. Keep in mind that EICC may be one of hundreds of schools and businesses to notify these media. We cannot guarantee the timeliness of their reports.


Expectations for Students


In the event of severe weather conditions, students should check Canvas for posted assignments and directions. Reasonable timeframes will be identified for students to complete assignments or exams due to such disruptions, as appropriate. Students will be responsible for missed academic work

Online Classes will continue as scheduled during a weather related campus closure.   

In the event of significant or numerous weather related disruptions that may affect your ability to complete the course, EICC will move to remote instruction. The college and/or your instructor will communicate if this need arises. 

If the college remains open, EICC students are expected to make their own determination about road conditions. We certainly do not expect students to risk their safety to get to class.  Our faculty are generally very flexible with this kind of situation, and will work with students who encounter travel difficulties. 

Expectations for Employees


During a weather day, there is an expectation that we will continue to serve our students, as possible. EICC staff should plan to check for student communication regularly throughout the day and respond to immediate needs, as they are able. If there are more than three weather days in a year, employees should plan for Weather Related Remote Work by taking home needed work and technology. 

EICC faculty should refer to “EICC Faculty Guidelines for Weather-Related Remote Instruction” for guidance on minimizing impact on instruction.  

EICC employees are expected to make their own determination about road conditions. Employees who determine not to report to work when the college remains open are expected to take a vacation or personal day. 

Delay/Closure Information by College 


Weather can vary greatly over EICC’s seven-county region. Decisions to close will be made independently by each of the three colleges, Clinton, Muscatine, Scott and District Administrative Functions.  For most weather closures, all sites associated to the specified college will be closed for classes. Exceptions may be made if only one campus/site is affected by a weather condition. An example might be a power outage that impacts only one site. Communications will state if only one campus or site is affected.

The colleges include the following sites:

  • Clinton Community College:

    • CCC Main Campus-Lincoln Boulevard
    • Career Advancement Center – CCC
    • Career Advancement Center- DeWitt
    • Clinton Technology Center
    • Bickelhaupt Arboretum
    • CCC Maquoketa Center

  • Muscatine Community College:

    • MCC Main Campus
    • MCC McAvoy University Center
    • Career Advancement Center - MCC
    • MCC Ag Learning Center classes
    • Columbus Junction Community Center classes
    • West Liberty Center classes
    • Wilton Community Center classes
    • The Button Factory.
    • For the Ag Learning Center, Columbus Junction, West Liberty, and Wilton Centers, the college cancellation would impact MCC classes, activities or events only. Decisions regarding the overall Center operations or other organizations’ activities or events will be made by those organizations.

  • Scott Community College:
     
    • SCC Main Campus-Belmont Road
    • SCC Urban Campus 
    • Blong Technology Center
    • SCC West Davenport Center


Rationale for Weather Closing Decisions


The Eastern Iowa Community Colleges service area covers hundreds of square miles.  Weather can vary region to region, so decisions are made based on the conditions at individual college location(s). Our goal is to remain open to fulfill our commitment to conduct classes and business unless conditions are deemed to be unsafe.  We will generally close our campuses in these instances:

  • The city or state issues travel restrictions due to blowing or drifting snow on the roadways.
  • Wind chill warning has been issued (a wind chill warning is when temperatures are sustained 35 degrees or more below 0).
  • We cannot keep up with snow removal on campus.


EICC closing decisions are not tied to K-12 school district decisions. Our students and employees are adults and provide their own transportation.  If the roads are passable, we will remain open.  If the college closes for weather, we will be operating remotely with classes and services moving to remote operation when possible. 


Timely Communication 


The college is committed to make closure or delay decisions in a timely manner.  Our goal will be to make decisions and communicate whenever possible by 6 a.m. for full day closure or delayed opening.  For early closure, we will communicate no less than 2 hours prior to the closing to allow students to plan for transportation. If extreme weather allows us to make a decision the night prior to a closure, we will communicate the decision no later than 9 p.m.
 

How to Interpret Early Closing Information


When the decision is made to close one or more campuses earlier than normal (college closing at 4 p.m., for example), the message means:

  • All classes with a start time before 4 p.m. will run until 4 p.m.
  • Classes scheduled to end later than 4 p.m. will end early to comply with the closure.
  • All classes scheduled to begin after 4 p.m. are canceled.
  • Staff should leave when the college closes.


How to Interpret Delayed Opening Information


When the decision is made to delay the opening of a campus, (college 10 a.m. start time, for example) the message means:

  • All classes with a start time before 10 a.m. are canceled.
  • All classes with a start time of 10 a.m. or later will run as scheduled. 
  • Staff with duties related to the delayed opening -- such as Facilities and Campus Safety and Preparedness -- should report to work as assigned. Other staff should report 30 minutes before the college is scheduled to open.