Inclement Weather and Other Closing Information
Frequently Asked Questions about Weather and Closings
On snowy or icy mornings when you check the college web page and do not see a notice about a delay or closing, be sure you try refreshing the page to be sure your computer is not showing you an old page from memory. To refresh the page try one of the following:
With Internet Explorer, click the icon at the top with two arrows (when you put your cursor on it the word "Refresh" should appear).
With Netscape, click on the icon labeled "Reload"
With Firefox, click on the icon with two arrows (when you put your cursor on it, it will say "Reload Current Page.")
If the College is closed, a text alert will be sent to cell phones registered on NOVA Alert, a notice will be posted on the College’s home page on its web site and will appear on our cable television station (channel 19, 25, 37, or 59 – check your local listing). Individuals may also call the College Call Center at 703-323-3000, NovaConnect Phone at 703-323-3770, or in Prince William County 703-330-3770. Do not call individual offices.
Quick links to
weather and closing information:
WTOP.com | WUSATV9.com
| NBC4.com |
WJLA.com
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If inclement weather forces the cancellation of classes or requires a delay in the opening of the College, announcements will be made on the following local TV and radio stations.
AM RADIO STATIONS |
FM RADIO STATIONS |
TELEVISION STATIONS |
WAGE 1200 |
WAMU 88.5 |
WRC Channel 4 |
WDCT 1310 |
WETA 90.9 |
WTTG Channel 5 |
WFLS 1350 |
WETH 89.1 |
WJLA Channel 7 |
WMAL 630 |
WFLS 93.3 |
Cable News Channel 8 |
WPGC 1580 |
WHUR 96.3 |
WUSA Channel 9 |
WTOP 820 |
WINC 92.5 |
NVCC-TV Channel 19, |
|
WMMJ 102.3 |
|
|
WPGC 95.5 |
|
|
WRQX 107.3 |
|
|
WTOP 103.5 |
If weather conditions cause the College to close, all NVCC campuses and off-campus locations are closed.
Classes held at area schools are cancelled if the school is closed, even if other NVCC locations remain open. However, NVCC makes its closing decisions independently of the public schools and other colleges and universities.
The decision to close is based on the condition of the campuses’ roads and parking lots, the roads immediately surrounding the campuses and the major highways in the region. The College is likely to be open when these facilities are in reasonably good condition, regardless of the condition of secondary roads around the region.
This is how to interpret closing announcements you hear on the media:
Northern Virginia Community College is closed: The College will be closed until classes begin on the following morning. When this simple announcement is made, it means that no day or evening classes will be held.
Northern Virginia Community College will open at XX:XX AM/PM: All classes that begin at or after the designated time will be held as usual. Any class with at least 45 minutes of class time remaining after the college opens will also be held. College employees should arrive at the designated opening time.
Northern Virginia Community College will close at XX:XX AM/PM: Classes that begin at or after the specified time are cancelled. College offices will close at the specified time.
NVCC makes every effort to get information about closing to the media as soon as possible. If the College will be late opening or closed all day, the announcement will be made before 6:00 a.m.
- When will a decision be made to close the College?
- Why doesn’t the College close when snow is forecast?
- How do I find out that the College is closed?
- How do I know my class will be held? Will my instructor be there?
- If the local schools are closed, why isn’t the College?
- I take an NVCC class at a local school. How do I know when my class is cancelled?
- Why were my classes cancelled when there was practically no snow at all?
- What will happen if I do not attend class because I decide it is too dangerous for me to come?
- If my class starts before the late opening time, but continues afterward, should I come to campus?
- I came to class and right after it started, the College closed. Can you explain this?
- Whom should I call to find out if the College is open?
- May I bring my child with me to campus when the schools are closed?
- Who is a “designated employee?”
- What is “liberal leave?”
- What if I work a special shift at the College?
1. When will a decision be made to close the College?
If snow or ice develops overnight, a decision to close the College will be announced before 6 a.m. If no announcement has been made by then, you can expect the College to open on time.
During the school day, an announcement will be made when decision makers determine that campus roads and parking lots or major highways are or will soon be too dangerous for students and employees to drive on. Decision makers expect drivers to be able to negotiate snowy conditions, but decide to close because accumulations are building or serious icing is taking place on and around the campuses. A decision to close will be announced immediately once it has been made, and will be communicated with as much notice as changing conditions permit.
2. Why doesn’t the College close when snow is forecast?
NVCC’s service region sits at a weather transition point at which forecasting is very difficult. Forecasters frequently hedge their bets about the likelihood of bad weather, and when they don’t, they are often wrong. NVCC closes when the weather emergency is at hand, and not before. We believe class time is precious and we should cancel classes only when it is necessary.
3. How do I find out that the College is closed?
Check out our website at www.NVCC.edu/depts/homepage/closing.htm for a list of media and other sources of closing information to look to in case of bad weather. The closing announcement will also be reported right on the home page.
4. How do I know my class will be held? Will my instructor be there?
If an instructor cannot get to campus because of bad weather, he or she must notify the responsible division. The faculty member or the division will try to contact students using their NVCC e-mail, so keep an eye on that.
5. If the local schools are closed, why isn’t the College?
Unlike public schools, NVCC does not operate a school bus system and uses different criteria to decide that it is appropriate to close. NVCC closes only when its own roads, parking lots, the main highways, or the roads immediately around the campuses are too dangerous to negotiate safely. Thus, NVCC will often be open when other local schools are closed.
6. I take an NVCC class at a local school. How do I know when my class is cancelled?
If the College closes, classes at off-campus locations, such as local schools, are also cancelled. If the College remains open but the school is closed, the NVCC class is cancelled for that day. So, students should pay attention to local school closing information if they are taking classes at a local school.
7. Why were my classes cancelled when there was practically no snow at all?
When the weather makes one campus too dangerous to keep open, NVCC closes all six of its campuses, regardless of what the conditions are at the other campuses. We serve a large geographic area, and it can be quite safe to drive in one place, but not in another. Media announcements must be clear and precise. Making individual campus announcements is likely to be confusing. In addition, students and staff often must travel from one side of our service area to another to come to campus, so bad roads in one region can keep people from getting to other campuses safely.
8. What will happen if I do not attend class because I decide it is too dangerous for me to come?
We realize that a general decision for the college cannot account for the individual circumstances of all students. Use your good judgment and be prompt in communicating your situation to your instructor.
9. If my class starts before the late opening time, but continues afterward, should I come to campus?
When the college announces a delayed opening, any class with at least 45 minutes of class time remaining after the college opens will be held (for example, if the College opens at 10:00 a.m., a 9:30-10:45 a.m. class will begin at 10:00). This procedure applies to all credit classes.
10. I came to class and right after it started, the College closed. Can you explain this?
The safety of students and employees is the most important consideration. Sometimes decision makers get information indicating that the College should close at times that do not exactly coincide with the beginning and ending of every class. It is better to cancel the class in this case than to keep the students when conditions are getting dangerous. NVCC’s classes do not all start and stop on a uniform schedule. Any early closing time is likely to interrupt some classes.
11. Whom should I call to find out if the College is open?
Listen to the radio or tune in the TV. The media sources are listed on our web site under “weather and closings.” Look at the scroll bar on the NVCC homepage. If you must call, call the Call Center at 703-323-3000 or call NOVAconnect at 703-323-3770 or 703-330-3770 (Prince William County). Messages will be posted there as soon as a decision to close is made. Do not call College offices to ask about closing.
12. May I bring my child with me to campus when the schools are closed?
No. The College has no facilities to care for children, and children are often disruptive in the classroom or in the work place.
13. Who is a “designated employee?”
In snow emergencies, designated employees are police personnel and members of campus facilities staffs. The fact that they are designated as essential is set forth in their position descriptions and what this means to them is defined by their supervisors.
In other kinds of emergencies, any College employee can be declared “designated” by the College President or any of the vice presidents if the nature of the emergency requires that employee’s expertise.
Liberal leave is a policy that goes into effect at NVCC when bad weather forces the closing of local public school districts in the College’s service region. It means that non-designated employees who determine that it is too dangerous to come to work when the College is open may call their supervisors and take a day of annual leave without advanced permission. It also means that when any employee is late to work because of weather-related road conditions, the tardiness will not be charged to the employee’s leave and there will be no discipline for being late that day. In addition, it means that non-designated employees may take annual leave leaving work early if they face a particularly difficult homeward commute, so long as their absence will not prevent critical functions from being performed.
15. What if I work a special shift at the College?
Supervisors of employees who work special shifts should make clear how closings or delayed openings affect attendance expectations.
Quick links to weather and closing information:
WTOP.com | WUSATV9.com | NBC4.com | WJLA.com
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