Inclement Weather Communications for 2022-2023

This message was sent to the WPI community:

Dear WPI Community,

We would like to remind you of the university’s communication plan, should it become necessary to delay classes, cancel classes, or close the university early due to inclement weather.

By 10 pm on the day before classes are impacted, a decision to close or delay the opening of the university will be made by the Executive Vice President/CFO, the Dean of Undergraduate Studies, the Director of Talent Strategies, and the Senior Vice President for Student Affairs. Delayed openings will coincide with the start of a class period, e.g., 10 am.

Communication at the time of the decision, and as conditions progress, will be handled as follows (and as circumstances allow):

1. An email will be sent to the WPI Community from the WPI Weather Announcement email alias.

2. The WPI homepage will be updated.  

3. The WPI closing/delay line (508-831-5744) will be activated.

4. The official WPI Facebook page and Twitter account (@WPI) will provide updates. 

5. Local radio and television stations will be notified (see list below).

In Addition:

When the university opens as usual in the morning, but it becomes necessary to close the university at a later point (whether during the day, or for evening classes or programs), a decision will be made by the Executive Vice President/CFO, the Dean of Undergraduate Studies, the Director of Talent Strategies, and the Senior Vice President for Student Affairs as soon as conditions warrant.  

For daytime classes, any mid-day cancellation will coincide with the start of a class period, e.g., 11 am.  For evening classes, a decision to close the university will be made by 3 pm.

Any impact on campus services—including food services, library hours, Sports & Rec hours, etc.—will be communicated accordingly.

Pay Procedures for Employees When the University is Open During Inclement Weather:

In the event of inclement weather, when there is no announced closing of the university, the following pay procedures will be followed for all non-student employees and for non-union employees who do not report to work or are unable to work their regular schedule. As always, employees should notify their managers if they don’t report to work or need to adjust their schedule in any way.

Employees are expected to either work on campus or remotely:

• If traveling to campus, employees should exercise discretion.
  • Employees who report to work on campus for the majority of the day’s schedule (i.e., more than 50% of that day’s work) will be paid for their normal workday. 
  • Employees who report to work on campus, but work less than 50% of the day’s work, may be charged for the missed/lost time as ‘vacation/personal time’, or it may be listed as time off.
• For those positions that allow for remote work, please consult with your manager to determine whether working remotely is a viable option.

If employees or faculty have any questions regarding this announcement or our inclement weather policy, please speak with your supervisor/department head and, if not resolved, do not hesitate to call the Division of Talent and Inclusion at 508-831-5470 or by emailing talent@wpi.edu.  Students should contact the Dean of Students Office at 508-831-5201 or by emailing dean-of-students@wpi.edu.

Best wishes, 

Laura Richards, Director of Talent Strategies, Talent & Inclusion

Arne Gericke, Interim Dean of Undergraduate Studies

Michael Horan, Executive Vice President/CFO

Philip Clay, Senior Vice President for Student Affairs