College leadership may suspend operations or release staff and students early due to severe weather conditions or other emergencies. Listed below are general procedures regarding emergency closings or early releases. Specific instructions will be issued, college-wide, by the Office of Communications as required at the time of such closings or releases.
Process
During normal business hours, the Site Operation Manager will convene senior leadership to discuss closing procedures. During nights or weekends, the Site Operation Manager will arrange a conference call with senior leadership.
Decision-Making
The Vice President for Finance and Administration (VPFA) is responsible for making a recommendation to the President to change its administrative schedule due to severe weather conditions or other emergencies. This decision takes into consideration developing weather reports and whether local cities and communities in which Cambridge College operates have declared official weather emergencies. The VPFA will confer with the ELC to determine the appropriate course of action. The final decision will be made by the President.
For the Boston campus, the Site Operation Manager is responsible for informing the VPFA of their recommendation. Their decision will take into consideration direct input from the Provost as well as developing weather reports and the weather emergency status of other institutions and communities located in Boston.
The President will make the final decision to alter the administrative schedule or to close locations. In the absence of the President, the Provost and Vice President for Finance and Administration will make the final decision. The Vice President for Finance and Administration will inform the ELT of the decision.
It is the goal to communicate any decisions regarding closings or delayed openings as soon as the decision is made. Under most circumstances, employees and students will be notified no later than 5:30 a.m. of the day of the closing. For early releases during the weekday, an announcement will be made as soon as possible based on the weather conditions.
Communications
The Site Operation Manager (or designee) is responsible for communicating all approved changes to the College’s administrative schedule due to weather conditions and/or emergencies to all faculty, staff, students and Board members.
Communication methods include:
- Sending Alerts through the RAVE Alert System
- Contacting the TV channels 4, 5, 7, 25 and 56
- Sending an email to faculty, staff, students and Board of Trustees
- Updating the College’s web page according to the affected regional location
- Updating MYCC
- Updating social media (Facebook and Twitter)
The Site Operation Manager is also responsible for communicating all approved changes to the College’s administrative operations due to severe weather to the following individuals:
- Security
- Clients using space [events, etc.]
- Vendors
IT is responsible for updating recorded telephone messages for any changes in the College’s administrative schedule on the College’s main telephone line (1-800-877-4723) immediately upon the decision to close or announce an early release.
Date of Last Revision: March 2025