Emergency closure

Sometimes the university needs to close, in whole or in part, because of:

• Emergency situations with significant risk to the campus community.
• Inclement weather (e.g. severe storms, etc.).
• A utilities failure (e.g. power outages, sewer problems, etc.).

Emergency closures are communicated using the following university’s channels:

• Alertus App
• Ontario Tech App (download on the App Store or Google Play Store)
• Social media (Twitter, Facebook and Instagram)
• University-issued email
  • Students (@ontariotechu.net)
  • Faculty and staff (@ontariotechu.ca)
• Ontariotechu.ca – main page
• Digital signs throughout campus buildings

A decision to close the university in an emergency means:

For students:

• All activities, including classes, laboratories, tutorials and other scheduled instructional activities are rescheduled.
• Plans for making up for time missed is announced through the course portal.
• Assignments and other submissions due on the closure date are due at the same time on the next business day upon re-opening.
• Mid-term examinations and tests are postponed and are rescheduled as appropriate.
• Final examinations are postponed and normally rescheduled on the alternative examination date at the end of the examination period.

For faculty and staff:

• In-office meetings and other scheduled events are postponed or cancelled.
• All areas and operations, not defined as essential services, are closed.
• Deadlines for job applications and other requirements are postponed to the same time on the next business day upon re-opening.
• Staff (not including essential service staff) are not expected to be at work during the closure. They are paid for this time, whether at work or not.

If you have any questions related to a campus closure, review the Emergency Closure procedures and speak with your manager.

Helpful internal links:

• The university’s Emergency Closure Policy
• The university’s Emergency Closure Procedures