BOONE, N.C. — When bad weather is in the forecast, students, faculty and staff at Appalachian State University’s Boone and Hickory campuses rely on clear, timely updates for their academic, work and personal schedules.
Behind the scenes, a well-coordinated team is working on their behalf. According to Jason Marshburn, App State’s director of environmental health, safety and emergency management, the process of how decisions are made and communicated is complex and highly orchestrated. Learn more below.
Who makes the decisions?
The Emergency Management Task Force, led by the Office of Environmental Health, Safety and Emergency Management (EHS&EM), oversees the process. The team represents a larger group of staff and administrators who are responsible for ongoing preparation for incidents — from minor weather issues to catastrophic events — that could impact normal campus operations in Boone or Hickory. This team includes representatives from:
- Chancellor’s Office
- Academic Affairs
- Student Affairs
- Human Resources
- Facilities Operations
- App State Police
- University Communications
What decisions and factors are considered?
When a weather event has the potential to impact regular university operations, two key decisions must be made and communicated to campus:
- Whether to cancel in-person class meetings, and if so, for how long.
- Whether to require employees to come to work, and if so, which ones.
A small team of representatives from the Emergency Management Task Force, led by Marshburn, considers:
- Weather forecasts
- Road conditions
- Public transportation schedules
- Campus operations
- Most importantly, the safety of the campus community
Based on these considerations, the team makes a recommendation about campus operational status to the chancellor.
How are decisions communicated?
Once a decision is made, the university communicates the information through multiple channels:
- Email to students, faculty and staff, specifying which campus locations are affected and for how long impacts are expected.
- Web updates:
- Snow Line: Call 828-262-SNOW (7669) for updates.
- Social media: Posts on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).
- Local media outlets: Notifications are distributed to ensure communitywide awareness.
Weather and operational responses are continually monitored and reviewed, and the campus community is advised of any changes to normal campus operations should they change during the day.
When in-person classes are canceled
When on-campus classes cannot be held due to inclement weather, faculty are encouraged to shift to online teaching methods, if possible. Each college or school at App State has a consultant assigned by the university’s Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning for Student Success, who assists faculty in utilizing technology so students’ learning can be continued, even if face-to-face class meetings cannot take place.
Who comes to work when?
When classes are affected, the university must also indicate direction to employees. Faculty are granted discretion in ensuring the continuity of instruction in their classes. Non-faculty employees are subject to operational status conditions under the campus Adverse Weather and Emergency Closing Policy.
Operational status is standardized for all campuses in the University of North Carolina System, and each chancellor has the discretion to determine the operational status appropriate to maintain essential operations and provide for employee safety, based on winter weather conditions. These options include:
- Condition 1 (reduced operations), under which the university remains open, but certain nonmandatory operations may be reduced due to more limited staffing.
- Condition 2 (suspended operations), under which the university remains open on a very limited basis but has formally suspended all but mandatory operations due to minimal staffing levels.
Only under direction of the UNC System president or by executive order of the governor can a UNC System campus close (Condition 3) — an option that is reserved for extreme or sustained weather events or other emergencies.
When weather events lead to classes not meeting in person, key designated personnel must report to work or remain at work in order to keep essential operations running smoothly. Certain departments and roles are classified as “mandatory” to ensure critical operations continue, including:
- App State Police
- Campus Dining
- Telecommunications
- Facilities Operations (responsible for clearing roads, sidewalks and parking areas)
- University Housing
- Student Health Service
Other areas, such as University Libraries, University Recreation and Plemmons Student Union, also have mandatory personnel during adverse weather.
Under special conditions such as adverse weather, mandatory employees are focused on performing their critical functions and duties so that students have the resources they need and the university can resume normal operations as soon as possible.
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The system provides students, faculty and staff with real-time updates during campus emergencies. Register separately for venue-specific safety alerts for large campus events.
About AppState-ALERT
AppState-ALERT is the Appalachian State University 24/7 emergency messaging system. Using a combination of text messaging, voice messaging, the siren warning system, email and web technologies, AppState-ALERT is designed to provide Appalachian students, faculty and staff with timely information in the event of a campus emergency. Cell phone, text and voice messages will be sent by the university only when an emergency exists that is considered an "imminent threat." An imminent threat is defined as a significant emergency or dangerous situation involving an immediate threat to the life and safety of the campus community. Learn more at https://emergency.appstate.edu/appstate-alert.
About the Office of Environmental Health, Safety and Emergency Management (EHS&EM)
The Office of Environmental Health, Safety and Emergency Management (EHS&EM) at Appalachian State University works in coordination with other university departments to support App State's commitment to campus safety. The office’s primary responsibility is environmental health, safety and emergency management functions across App State’s Boone and Hickory campuses. EHS&EM also coordinates App State’s on-campus emergency medical service (EMS) program, Mountaineer Medics, which provides emergency medical care and support to the App State Community. Learn more at https://ehsem.appstate.edu.
About Appalachian State University
As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, affordable education for all. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.
The system provides students, faculty and staff with real-time updates during campus emergencies. Register separately for venue-specific safety alerts for large campus events.
