Guidelines for College Closings or Delayed Starts

With the arrival of winter weather, Penn College's procedures for announcing closings or delays may be put into practice at any time. Please keep these procedures in mind:

1. Decisions on closings/delayed starts are made by the administration as early as possible, generally by 6 a.m.

2. Radio/TV stations are notified of closings/delayed starts immediately. However, the administration has no control over how soon the messages are announced. (See #3 below.) In most cases, these local stations provide timely announcements of closings/delays: WNEP-TV, WBRE-TV, WYOU-TV, WKSB (102.7 FM), WRAK (1200 & 1400 AM), WILQ (105.1 FM), WZXR (99.3 FM), WVRT (97.7 FM), WBYL (95.5 FM and WBZD (93.3 FM).

3. The college Web site (www.pct.edu) and main phone line (570-326-3761) provide immediate closing/delayed start announcements. To be sure, check one of these before you leave for work on bad-weather days. Do not call Penn College Police for this purpose.

4. Announcements refer to Main Campus and all other sites, unless otherwise noted in the message.

5. Announcements that indicate "the college is closed" or "classes are canceled" mean that all classes, activities, office functions, special events and other operations are canceled for the period of closure. Students, faculty and staff are not expected to come to the college in the event of a snow closure – unless you have specific instructions from your supervisor to do so in order to provide crucial services (such as snow removal, security, food service, etc.).

6. The college normally opens at 8 a.m. A "delayed start" means all classes, office operations, and other activities that normally occur before the delayed start time are canceled. Students and staff pick up their normal schedule at the start time, missing whatever activities had been planned prior to the delayed start. For example, if it is announced that the College is on a two-hour delay, staff and students should report beginning at 10 a.m. and follow their normal schedule from 10 a.m. through the remainder of the day.

7. If you cannot report at the regular or announced start time due to a weather-related problem, notify your supervisor or faculty as soon as possible. Employees should communicate early with their supervisors and determine if emergency leave time can be granted for their absence. Employee questions may be raised with the Human Resources Office (ext. 4770). Student questions may be raised with faculty or dean of your school.

8. Always be safe and make sound decisions about traveling in poor weather conditions.

Employees Urged to Allow Time for Plowing