Cornell offers help to faculty and staff with short- or long-term mobility impairments who may have difficulty getting to or around their work site because of inclement weather. For more information, visit Cornell weather online, call 607-254-7232 or email equalopportunity@cornell.edu.

A complete copy of university policy on inclement weather events can be found online.

With winter quickly approaching, staff and managers are encouraged to review their unit's inclement weather staffing plan, discuss specific concerns and review where to get information about weather-related delays and closings.

"Supervisors and employees should plan, ahead of time, for weather-related impacts to the university's operating status and the impact inclement weather will have on getting work done in their unit," said Mary George Opperman, vice president for human resources and safety services. "Staff should relate concerns about travel or family issues so that advance planning can be implemented."

She added, "Everyone should also have a personal emergency plan for themselves and their families." For help in putting one together, see http://www.ready.gov/make-a-plan.

Cornell's inclement weather policy states that the campus will close when Tompkins County roads are officially closed; campus will reopen when conditions are safe. Generally, Cornell remains open even when "avoid unnecessary travel" advisories are issued. Travel to and from work is considered necessary travel.

According to Kyu Whang, vice president for facilities services, the decision whether to close or delay the opening of the university takes into account such factors as weather forecasts, timing, road closures in Tompkins and surrounding counties, and decisions by local transit providers.

Employees should use their best judgment in deciding whether to travel to campus if conditions in their areas are dangerous despite roads being open, he said. Employees who do not report to work because of weather when the university is open are not required to provide advance notice to use vacation or personal-accrued times, as per the employee's choice. To avoid using such time, employees must make arrangements in advance to work at home or make up the time later in that pay week.

"Working together, we will be able to handle whatever the winter months bring us," Whang said.