Brrr—it’s cold out there. Take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with the university’s inclement weather policy. Please note the ways that we will notify you in the event of a closure or delay in our normal operating schedule.
This policy appears in the 2013–2014 edition of Hilltopics, and the Campus Safety page, and is reprinted below.
The University of Tennessee will remain open except in the most severe weather conditions. The chancellor (or appointed representative) may officially close or suspend selected activities of the university because of extreme weather conditions. When a decision to close is reached, campus and local radio and TV stations will be notified and the notice will be posted on the front page of utk.edu. Those who signed up for UT Alert will be notified via text message. Learn more about UT Alert.
If the university is officially closed, certain essential activities such as Dining Services, Facilities Services, UT Police, and Information Technology will continue to operate. Some facilities such as Hodges Library and the University Center will, if possible, continue to function as a service to students and faculty.
In the event of a delayed opening, the chancellor (or appointed representative) will determine a specific time of opening and that information will be distributed to the campus community through the local media and via UT Alert and the front page of utk.edu.
Students are expected to report to their regularly scheduled class only if there are thirty or more minutes remaining in the session. For example, if a delayed opening is set for 10:00 a.m., students who have classes from 9:40 a.m. to 10:55 a.m. should report to that class at 10:00 a.m. Students who have classes from 8:15 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. should not report to class. In a delayed opening, all classes scheduled prior to the set time of opening and those that have less than thirty minutes remaining after the set opening time are canceled for the day.
Students will be responsible for any academic work they miss due to absences caused by severe weather conditions. It is the individual student’s responsibility to take the initiative to make up any missed work, and it is the instructor’s responsibility to provide a reasonable opportunity for students to complete assignments or exams missed due to such absences. Faculty members have discretion in determining whether an additional session will be added for the class or if additional work is assigned due to the closure or delayed opening.