Policy Number: I-60
Last Reviewed: July 25, 2024
Responsible Dept.: Vice President of Academic & Workforce Solutions
A signed copy of this policy is available in the President’s Office.
Inclement weather may result in the college opening late or cancelling day and/or night classes.
When you hear an announcement that “Virginia Western Community College is closed” or “Virginia Western Community College classes are cancelled” any activities or operations associated with the college are cancelled and the college is closed.
When you hear an announcement that “Virginia Western Community College will open at 10:00 AM” the college is operating on a delayed schedule listed below. All classes will be held, but on a compressed schedule. Prior to 10:00 AM, the college is closed. No one should arrive on campus prior to 9:45 AM.
Every effort will be made to notify the campus community of a delay and/or closing/cancellation as soon as feasible. Many factors are considered during an inclement weather event which requires internal and external coordination.
Closings and delays are announced through multiple sources listed below.
Day Classes
Day classes are classes that start before 5:00 PM.
Notice of delays or closing/cancellation for day classes will normally occur prior to 6:00 AM.
Night Classes
Night classes are classes that start at 5:00 PM or later.
Notice of closing/cancellation for night classes will normally occur before 4:00 PM.
Synchronous Online Classes
Synchronous online classes that don’t require faculty or students to be on campus, may continue to meet as scheduled on inclement weather days when the college is closed. Faculty will include information on their syllabus and on the LMS regarding class meetings on inclement weather days. These classes will follow the delayed opening schedule when classes are delayed.
Off-Campus Locations
If Virginia Western is closed or operating on a delayed schedule, all off-campus locations including the Franklin Center, the Greenfield Center and the Claude Moore Education Center will also be closed or delayed.
If the conditions at an off-site location vary significantly from the main campus and that site needs to close, a specific announcement about that particular site will be made.
Closings and delays are announced through multiple sources listed below.
Health Profession Programs with Off-Campus Clinical Experiences
Health profession programs may hold off-campus clinicals on days when the College is closed. This applies only to off-campus clinical experiences held at clinical affiliates and does not apply to clinical experiences or simulation experiences held on campus. Students will be notified by their program no later than 6:30 AM for day classes or no later than 4:30 PM for night classes if clinical experiences will be held. If the College is closed and students receive no notification, then clinical experiences will follow the closure along with the rest of the College. More information on attending off-campus clinicals during inclement weather closures will be found in the Handbook for each program. The safety of students is our priority and Virginia Western recognizes variances in weather patterns throughout the Commonwealth do occur so health professions programs will work with students on an individual basis to ensure the safety of students in determining the cancellation of clinical experiences.
Academy Students
High school students enrolled in a Virginia Western Academy class should not attend Virginia Western classes if the college is closed or delayed. In addition, if Virginia Western is open but the high school the student attends is closed, the student is excused from Virginia Western classes.
VW Alert System
Text message alerts are sent through the VW Alert System. Sign up for the VW Alert at https://www.virginiawestern.edu/alert/.
Local TV Stations
Closings and delays are communicated to the following local TV Stations:
Other Announcements
Closings and delays are also announced on local radio stations and the website at https://www.virginiawestern.edu.
Delayed Opening Class Schedule
Delayed Opening Schedule only applies to credit courses. It does not apply to non-credit (workforce) courses. Workforce students should refer to their syllabus for information.
| Regular Class Meeting Schedule | Delayed Class Meeting Schedule |
|---|---|
| 8:00 – 8:50 | 10:00 – 10:40 |
| 8:00 – 9:15 | 10:00 – 11:05 |
| 8:00 – 9:50 | 10:00 – 11:25 |
| 8:00 – 10:45 | 10:00 – 12:10 |
| 8:00 – 11:00 | 10:00 – 12:20 |
| 8:00 – 12:05 | 10:00 – 1:00 |
| 8:00 – 12:30 | 10:00 – 1:30 |
| 8:00 – 2:00 | 10:00 – 2:40 |
| 8:30 – 10:00 | 10:20 – 11:25 |
| 9:00 – 9:50 | 10:45 – 11:25 |
| 9:00 – 10:15 | 10:45 – 11:50 |
| 9:00 – 10:50 | 10:45 – 12:10 |
| 9:00 – 11:00 | 10:45 – 12:20 |
| 9:00 – 11:45 | 10:45 – 12:55 |
| 9:00 – 12:00 | 10:45 – 1:05 |
| 9:00 – 12:30 | 10:45 – 1:25 |
| 9:00 – 1:05 | 10:45 – 1:50 |
| 9:00 – 1:15 | 10:45 – 2:00 |
| 9:30 – 10:45 | 11:10 – 12:15 |
| 9:30 – 11:20 | 11:10 – 12:40 |
| 9:30 – 1:05 | 11:10 – 1:50 |
| 9:30 – 3:30 | 11:10 – 3:50 |
| 10:00 – 10:50 | 11:30 – 12:10 |
| 10:00 – 11:15 | 11:30 – 12:35 |
| 10:00 – 11:50 | 11:30 – 1:00 |
| 10:00 – 12:45 | 11:30 – 1:40 |
| 10:00 – 1:00 | 11:30 – 1:50 |
| 10:00 – 4:00 | 11:30 – 4:05 |
| 10:30 – 12:00 | 11:55 – 1:05 |
| 11:00 – 11:50 | 12:20 – 1:00 |
| 11:00 – 12:15 | 12:20 – 1:25 |
| 11:00 – 12:30 | 12:20 – 1:30 |
| 11:00 – 12:50 | 12:20 – 1:40 |
| 11:00 – 1:45 | 12:20 – 2:30 |
| 11:00 – 2:00 | 12:20 – 2:35 |
| 12:00 – 12:50 | 1:05 – 1:45 |
| 12:00 – 1:50 | 1:05 – 2:30 |
| 12:00 – 3:00 | 1:05 – 3:20 |
| 12:30 – 1:45 | 1:30 – 2:30 |
| 12:30 – 2:20 | 1:30 – 3:00 |
| 12:30 – 4:35 | 1:30 – 4:45 |
| 1:00 – 1:50 | 1:50 – 2:30 |
| 1:00 – 2:15 | 1:50 – 2:50 |
| 1:00 – 2:50 | 1:50 – 3:15 |
| 1:00 – 3:45 | 1:50 – 3:55 |
| 1:00 – 4:00 | 1:50 – 4:05 |
| 1:00 – 4:30 | 1:50 – 4:40 |
| 1:00 – 5:30 | 1:50 – 5:30 |
| 2:00 – 2:50 | 2:35 – 3:15 |
| 2:00 – 3:15 | 2:35 – 3:45 |
| 2:00 – 3:50 | 2:35 – 4:00 |
| 2:00 – 4:45 | 2:35 – 4:55 |
| 2:00 – 5:00 | 2:35 – 5:00 |
| 2:20 – 5:20 | 2:50 – 5:20 |
| 2:30 – 3:45 | 2:55 – 3:55 |
| 2:30 – 4:00 | 2:55 – 4:00 |
| 3:00 – 3:50 | 3:20 – 4:00 |
| 3:00 – 4:50 | 3:20 – 4:50 |
| 3:30 – 4:45 | 3:50 – 4:55 |
| 4:00 – 4:50 | 4:05 – 4:50 |
| 4:00 – 6:45 | 4:05 – 6:45 |
For Delayed Opening of the College (Credit Courses Only)
“Virginia Western will open at [time].” – Activated designated employees report on the regular schedule. Non-designated employees and teaching faculty are to report and be prepared to work by the official delayed opening. Campus is accessible 30 minutes prior to the designated opening time. Classes will be held according to the inclement weather delayed class schedule (above).
For Closing of the College
- “Virginia Western is closed.” – Activated designated employees are to report to work on the normal schedule. Non-designated employees do not report.
- “Virginia Western will close at [time].” – Activated designated employees shall remain on duty, unless released by the immediate supervisor. Non-designated employees shall be released from work as of the official closing time.
- “Virginia Western day classes are canceled.” – Activated designated employees are to report to work on the normal schedule. Non-designated employees do not report unless they are scheduled to work after 5:00 PM.
- “Virginia Western evening classes are canceled.” – Activated designated employees are to report to work on the normal schedule. Non-designated employees do not report unless they are scheduled to work more than 30 minutes prior to the announced cancellation time. (Designated employees may be required to work during times they are not regularly scheduled to work.)
It is very important for employees to use good judgment during times of inclement weather. When the college is open and inclement weather is prevalent, employees must ultimately decide for themselves whether conditions are safe for them to report to work. In instances where individual judgment dictates that you should remain at home rather than travel, you should notify your supervisor and charge your time away from work to accrued leave. For part-time hourly/wage employees, no leave is available to apply to missed time due to inclement weather travel concerns. There will be times when employees must exercise personal responsibility to determine when it is safe to travel.
VWCC and WDS Contract Classes and/or Pre-Arranged Visitations/Appointments on Company Sites: In the event delayed openings occur or the college is closed at the main campus, classes and/or pre-arranged visitations and appointments that are delivered at company sites specifically for a particular client, shall continue as normal unless the company itself chooses to delay or cancel the class or appointment. Instructors of contract classes at company sites shall meet these classes as normal even though the main campus may have a delayed opening or is officially closed. The respective company shall inform the Vice President of Academic & Workforce Solutions, the Coordinator of Workforce Services or the specific Workforce Development Specialist of any adjustment in contract class meetings, appointments and/or visitations as soon as possible when the event occurs.
For a current list of designated employees for inclement weather, refer to the Office Closings and Inclement Weather Policy located on the HR Policies and Procedures page on VW Connect.
