Information about inclement weather and campus operations on Thursday, Dec. 17

UPDATE: The College has received the following message from the New York State Governor’s Office of Employee Relations:

“Due to the winter storm, state offices in Albany, Schenectady, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Washington, Tioga, Broome, Chenango, Otsego, Schoharie, Delaware, Ulster, Greene, Columbia, Dutchess, Orange and Sullivan counties are closed today [Thursday, Dec. 17]. Non-essential employees do not have to report to offices and do not have to charge accruals. Agencies should redeploy staff to telecommuting to the extent possible.”

Essential state employees are expected to report to work. Employees are designated as “essential” during inclement weather if they are employed in positions that must be staffed to preserve the public safety or welfare of the campus community. If you are uncertain about which category of employee you are, contact your supervisor.

This decision by the state supersedes yesterday’s announcement that offices will open at 10:45 a.m.

The following excerpt from the original message remains relevant to our community:


Non-essential employees who can take advantage of the current telecommuting policy and perform their work from home are encouraged to do so and will not need to charge accruals.

As we communicated earlier this week, because we are on winter recess and operating with reduced in-person staffing, snow and ice cleanup will be happening in phases, primarily during daytime working hours. Cleanup will be focused in areas where essential employees are working and our remaining resident students are living. Given the magnitude of the forecasted storm, employees should be aware that campus roadways and walkways may not be fully clear until the weekend.

Please also keep in mind that the forecasted heavy snow and high winds may cause power and internet outages throughout the region. Outages may impact employees’ ability to work and cause unforeseen office closings or reduced availability of campus services on Thursday, Dec. 17, and Friday, Dec. 18. We encourage offices to update their status on the College’s Office Closings web page.

Non-essential employees who plan to use leave credits should notify supervisors of their intentions as soon as possible. Supervisors are encouraged to accommodate leave requests from staff who choose not to travel to campus and/or are unable to perform their work from home.

For more information, please review the full Emergency Cancellations and Delays Policy online.