Inclement Weather Procedures
When the threat of inclement weather exists, the university gathers information from the National Weather Service, state and local authorities, the Assistant Vice President (AVP) of Operations and Regional Management, the Director of Operations, and site personnel (when appropriate). If conditions necessitate it, the AVP will recommend to the Vice President of Enterprises and Partnerships and to the Chancellor that specific buildings temporarily close and onsite operations transition to a remote format.
Upon the decision to move building operations remote, site office managers and/or Regional Directors will coordinate with the appropriate academic unit to notify instructors of affected onsite courses/sessions, and instructors will contact students with requirements for accessing the online class session.
The program head may decide to move a course to an online format even when onsite building operations remain in force. In such cases, the program head will notify the respective office manager/Regional Director and affected instructors of the decision, and instructors will notify their students.
At the discretion of the program head, sessions taking place at an offsite location (e.g., hotel/conference center) may continue to meet in person irrespective of decisions made about IWU-owned/operated facilities.
Information about building closures/course format changes will be announced on the university's Web site at http://www.indwes.edu. Announcements will also be posted on the student portal at http://myIWU.indwes.edu.
The university cannot make decisions based on an individual student's geographical situation and the driving distance to and from an IWU location. Students should be aware, however, that they are expected to use discretion and not to take unreasonable risks. If students choose not to attend class while their class still meets onsite, they should notify their instructor and make appropriate arrangements for make-up work.
Notification Schedule for Weekly Onsite Classes/Sessions
Students who attend onsite sessions on a weekly basis will be notified by the university by the following timelines:
- Decisions for daytime sessions will be made by approximately 6:00 a.m. on the day of.
- Decisions for evening sessions will be made by approximately 3:00 p.m. on the day of.
- Decisions about Saturday sessions will be made the evening before, when possible, but may be made during the early morning hours on the Saturday of class if necessary.
No notification will be made unless onsite sessions are moved to an online format.
Notification Schedule for Extended Class Sessions/Residencies/Institutes
If a building closure is expected due to weather, when possible, students participating in extended class sessions, residencies, or institutes will be notified by the university by the following timelines:
- 12:00 p.m. Monday for sessions starting on Wednesday.
- 12:00 p.m. Tuesday for sessions starting on Thursday.
- 12:00 p.m. Wednesday for sessions starting on Friday.
When advance decisions cannot be made, IWU will continue monitoring weather conditions. Closure decisions will be made by 6:00 a.m. local time whenever possible. In the event of closure, all residency courses will transition to an online format with specific instructions from faculty regarding course participation.
Due to the extended travel often required for International Student Program (ISP) residencies, ISP students are encouraged to enroll in IWU Alert notifications seven (7) days prior to the start of their residency by texting “ISP” to 77295.
