Share:

Weather and other emergency closing procedures

When severe weather requires changes to Miami’s normal schedule, there are three preferred ways to access and/or receive emergency weather closing information:

The official reference is the university website, www.miamioh.edu. The Miami regional campus website is www.regionals.miamioh.edu.

Emergency Text Message icon

You’ll also receive information via your Miami University e-mail account. Confirm your data in the emergency text messaging system. Go to www.miamioh.edu/police and click the Emergency Text Messaging System link to see your account. Check your account annually to make sure it’s current.

Local radio and TV stations receive weather-related campus closing/class cancellation notices from Miami. But, they may edit the notice, so the university cannot ensure the media’s accuracy. If you can’t receive text or check the university email or website, please tune to 88.5 FM, 91.7 FM, 700 AM or 1450 AM on the radio for news of schedule changes.

Three designations for campus schedule changes 

Campuses will be designated as “open,” “open but classes canceled” or “closed.” 

If the campus is closed, only essential staff* will report to work. Do not call 911 or the police department to find out if Miami is closed.

Please check notices for each campus since it is possible one campus is holding classes while another cancels classes.

All university staff 

When the university is open, even when classes are canceled, all employees are expected to report for work. 

If weather prevents an employee from reporting, s/he is expected to follow the normal call-in procedures. Failure to call in is considered a no-call/no-show and the employee could face disciplinary actions.

Calling off due to severe weather 

Employees are required to request vacation, comp time or personal time in advance. Individuals who call off due to weather conditions when the university is not closed must use the appropriate paid time off. For AFSCME employees this will count as an occurrence under the attendance policy.

*Department managers who need staff during a weather emergency should do two things: 

a) Be sure staff know if they are designated as essential staff. Classified employees so designated will receive severe weather pay; and,

b) Be sure staff know they are not to come to work when the campus is closed unless they have been designated as essential staff. The amount of staff required during weather and other emergency closing situations depends on factors such as whether students are in the residence halls, the extent of weather damage, and/or the availability of electricity. Supervisors must inform employees prior to any emergencies whether they are designated as essential staff. Classified employees who report to work when the university is closed and who are not designated as essential staff will not receive severe weather pay.

Upham Hall-icy trees

Essential staff 

Essential staff who are not able to report when the campus is closed are expected to follow the normal call-in procedure.

For classified employees, failure to call in is considered a no-call/no-show. The employee will not be paid for that day, and AFSCME employees will incur an occurrence under the attendance policy in addition to facing disciplinary actions.

Unclassified staff are also required to call in according to normal call-in procedures.

Transitional staff 

Two hours after the university closes and two hours before the university opens is considered transition time.

Selected transitional staff may need to be on site to lock/open the buildings and prepare for business. Transitional staff will be identified by their supervisors prior to any weather emergency.

When the Oxford campus is closed, all facilities are closed. This includes the libraries, Goggin, recreational sports center, etc. There are some special considerations: 

  • If an intercollegiate athletic event is scheduled, the athletic director will confer with the president to determine whether or not the event will be canceled.
  • If a fine arts event is scheduled, the director of the Performing Arts Series will confer with the provost and president to determine whether or not the event will be canceled. 
  • If a weather emergency occurs during finals week, the provost and president will determine whether or not the libraries will remain open.
  • If an event on the Regionals is scheduled, the Regionals dean or her designee will determine if the event will be canceled.