Penn State Scranton is closed Wednesday, January 25 due to the winter storm. Offices are closed and all classes and activities are cancelled. Essential personnel are to report as scheduled.
DUNMORE, Pa. — Penn State Scranton will be closed Wednesday, January 25. All classes, activities and work is canceled. Offices will reopen at 8 a.m. on Thursday, January 26. Essential staff are to report as regularly scheduled.
Classes
Based on a course’s mode of delivery, the following actions apply:
In-person: In-person classes scheduled for Wednesday, January 25 are canceled. Instructors may offer content asynchronously (such as recording a lecture for students to watch at another time or asking students to complete a reading or other self-directed learning activity). The class may not meet remote synchronously except for when extenuating circumstances exist (see University Faculty Senate policy 45-00).
Hybrid: Hybrid classes scheduled to meet in-person on Wednesday, January 25 will not be held, however, content may be offered asynchronously. Instructors should communicate directly with their students regarding their plans for their classes during the impacted period.
Web: Classes will continue to be offered as planned with no changes.
Students should monitor their PSU email and Canvas messages for additional communication from their instructors, should they decide to make any other accommodations.
On-campus, in-person activities
Any in-person activities scheduled for Wednesday, January 25 are canceled. Activities beginning at or after 8 a.m. on Thursday, January 26 will be held as originally scheduled.
Employees
Employees who perform “essential” services: Employees who are required to report to campus for work and have been previously identified as performing duties essential to maintaining operations should report to campus as directed. During such events, employees who are required to report to campus for work are eligible for Campus Closure Compensatory Time, subject to guideline provisions. Employees should clarify their status as essential or nonessential with their supervisor before inclement weather strikes.
All other employees at Penn State Scranton should not report to work until the resumption of normal campus operations and are eligible for Campus Closure Pay per university policy. Employees should review the “official closedowns” section of the University’s Handling Weather Day Absences policy (Human Resources Guideline 10) for specific information on how time missed for weather situations is handled.
The below guidance is from HRG10, Handling Weather Day Absences.
-- Employees in other than essential services, as determined by the supervisor:
-- An employee shall receive pay for the part of the work schedule missed during the official closedown period in the following circumstances:
-- Employee is at work until the closedown officially begins, irrespective of the time of arrival to work.
-- Employee is informed not to report for work during the closedown
The status of an employee on a regularly scheduled day off, layoff, or leave of absence without pay does not change because there is an official closedown. However, an employee who had requested to use vacation, personal holiday, or sick leave time shall not have such time charged for the period of the employee's regular work time encompassed by an official closedown.
Employees in essential services, as determined by the supervisor:
-- An employee who is required by the supervisor to work on essential duties during that employee's regular shift shall be granted equivalent time off only for the hours worked during the official closedown period. Hours worked before and/or after the closedown do not qualify for equivalent time off.
-- Equivalent time off shall be scheduled at another time mutually agreeable to the employee and the supervisor.
-- Equivalent time off shall not be granted for hours of overtime worked during the closedown if the employee is eligible for overtime pay.
-- Employees who have questions about a campus closure should contact their unit’s Human Resources consultant.
Additional weather info, ongoing updates
The decision to close Penn State Scranton was determined to be in the best safety interest of the University community. University officials are continuing to monitor conditions and will provide updates as necessary. The most up-to-date information will be shared via Penn State's PSUAlert system.
All employees and students are encouraged to take responsibility for their own safety. Faculty, staff and students should use their own best judgment when considering traveling to campus or the need to leave early during times of inclement weather. Faculty and staff should review Handling Weather Day Absences (Human Resources Guideline 10) for specific information on how time missed for weather situations is handled. Union-represented employees should reference their collective bargaining agreements. Information on class attendance policies is available at undergrad.psu.edu and in Faculty Senate Policy 42-27 (Class Attendance).
