vcc.ca
Unscheduled Campus Closures Procedures
Procedures Number: 143
Procedures Effective Date: April 28, 2022
Approval Body: President
Sponsor: VP Administration
Procedures
- Matters of safety and security must be addressed without delay. It is understood that, while specific College positions are identified below, the persons occupying those positions are responsible for identifying a delegate to act in their absence.
- The decision to close all or part of the College's facilities will be based on information as follows:
- Weather and safety/security issues – monitored by the Director of Safety, Security, Risk and Privacy
- Building and building systems issues – monitored by the Director of Facilities Management
- While the Director of Safety, Security, Risk and Privacy and the Director of Facilities Management have specific responsibilities with regard to this policy, all members of the College community have a responsibility to report any matters which may impact the larger campus community's safety and security to the Director of Safety, Security, Risk and Privacy.
- The decision to close all or part of the College facilities, including decisions related to building system issues, will be based on the recommendation of either the Director of Safety, Security, Risk and Privacy or designate and/or Director of Facilities Management or designate dependent on the nature of the closure. The President or designate will make the final decision.
- In the event that the closure is of an emergency nature, but not if it is weather-related, a notice will be sent to the Board of Governors for their information.
- The timing of closures related to weather conditions will be made with consideration to the timing of potentially threatening weather conditions and the timing of academic activities, both day and evening, so as to minimize disruption to students and their academic progress.
- In the event of an incident where the College's Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) is activated, EOC processes, as outlined in Emergency Management policy and procedures 220, will supersede this Policy.
- When a decision has been made to close all or a portion of the College facilities, the Director of Safety, Security, Risk and Privacy (Director of Facilities Management) will take immediate action to address the situation and notify the Executive Director of Marketing and Communications and the Director of Facilities Management (Director of Safety, Security, Risk and Privacy).
- The Executive Director of Marketing & Communications will implement a Crisis Communication Plan (maintained by the Office of the Executive Director of Marketing & Communications) to alert students, employees, visitors, contractors and the general public about the closure, using both internal and external communications media.
- The Crisis Communication Plan will be updated as required and, in any event, no less frequently than once each year.
- Decisions about the completion of all course requirements affected by the closure will be made by the Vice President Academic & Research.
See related policy 143