Weather Closing Decisions and Procedures
The safety of students, faculty, and staff is our highest priority. Weather conditions may periodically require EICC to delay or close the college or individual campuses. We continually monitor the weather and all emergency communications, as conditions can change from one minute to the next.
Expectations for Student
In the event of severe weather conditions, the instructor has discretion to determine how course content and assessments will be accommodated.
Face-to-face and Live Online classes may switch to Live (Zoom) sessions held during regularly scheduled class times. Check Canvas for posted assignments and directions. Reasonable timeframes will be identified for students to complete assignments or exams due to such disruptions, as appropriate. Students are responsible for missed academic work.
Online Classes will continue as scheduled during a weather related campus closure.
If the college remains open, EICC students are expected to make their own determination about road conditions. We certainly do not expect students to risk their safety to get to class. Faculty are generally very flexible in this kind of a situation and work with students who encounter travel difficulties.
Delay & Closure FAQs
Students, staff, and faculty are encouraged to:
- Visit the college website. Delay/closure information will be posted.
- Current credit students and adjunct faculty will receive email notifications to their EICC live email account (name@live.eicc.edu).
- Full-time faculty and staff will receive email notifications to their EICC email account (Name@eicc.edu).
- The college’s Rave alert system will text current credit students and employees with a cell phone number on their academic or personnel record. For details on updating your contact information or on opting out of emergency texting, click here.
- Check our social media posts on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).
- Check area television and radio stations and/or their websites. Keep in mind that EICC may be one of hundreds of schools and businesses to notify media. We cannot guarantee the timeliness of their reports.
Weather can vary greatly over EICC’s seven-county region. Decisions to close will be made independently by each of the three colleges: Clinton, Muscatine, and Scott. For most weather closures, all sites associated to the specified college will be closed. Exceptions may be made if only one campus/site is affected by a weather condition. An example might be a power outage that impacts only one site. Communications will state if only one campus or site is affected. The colleges include the following sites:
Clinton Community College:
- CCC Campus-Lincoln Boulevard
- Clinton Career Advancement Center
- Bickelhaupt Arboretum
- CCC Maquoketa Center
Muscatine Community College:
- MCC Campus
- MCC Ag Learning Center
- Columbus Junction Community Center
- West Liberty Center
- Wilton Community Center
- The Button Factory
- For the Ag Learning Center, Columbus Junction, West Liberty, and Wilton Centers, the college cancellation would impact MCC classes, activities, or events only.
Scott Community College:
- SCC Campus-Belmont Road
- SCC Urban Campus
- Blong Technology Center
- SCC West Davenport Center
- Nahant Marsh
EICC's service area covers hundreds of square miles. Weather can vary region to region, so decisions are made based on the conditions at individual college location(s). Our goal is to remain open and conduct classes and business unless conditions are deemed unsafe. We will generally close our campuses in these instances:
- The city or state issues travel restrictions due to blowing or drifting snow.
- A wind chill warning is issued.
- We cannot keep up with snow removal on campus.
If the college closes for weather, we will operate remotely with classes and services when possible.
EICC will make closure or delay decisions in a timely manner.
For full day closures or delayed openings, our goal is to make that announcement by 6 a.m. when it is possible.
For an early closure, we will make that announcement no less than two hours prior to the closing so you can plan for transportation.
When the decision is made to close one or more campuses earlier than normal (college closing at 4 p.m., for example), the message means:
- All classes with a start time before 4 p.m. will run until 4 p.m.
- Classes scheduled to end later than 4 p.m. will end early to comply with the closure.
- All classes scheduled to begin after 4 p.m. are canceled.
- Staff should leave when the college closes.
When the decision is made to delay the opening of a campus, (college 10 a.m. start time, for example) the message means:
- All classes with a start time before 10 a.m. are canceled.
- All classes with a start time of 10 a.m. or later will run as scheduled.
- Staff with duties related to the delayed opening -- such as facilities and campus safety -- should report to work as assigned. Other staff should report 30 minutes before the college is scheduled to open.
Expectations for Employees
During a weather closure or delay, we will continue to serve our students, as possible. EICC staff should check for student communication regularly throughout the day and respond to immediate needs, as they are able.
EICC employees are expected to make their own determination about road conditions. Employees who do not report to work when the college remains open are expected to take a vacation or personal day.
EICC faculty should refer to the following for guidance on minimizing impact on instruction.
EICC Faculty Guidelines for Weather-Related Remote Instruction
In the event of weather related disruptions to our typical face-to-face teaching and learning, EICC will move to remote instruction when possible. Face-to-face classes should revert to Live (Zoom) sessions during regularly scheduled times, as possible. Online classes will continue without change. Concurrent classes held in the high schools will follow the high school schedule.
When Zoom sessions are not possible or appropriate for specific instructional content or hands-on learning, the use of other technologies and means to assist students in accessing instructional content are recommended, as appropriate. Working with your instructional dean, some options include:
- Accommodate missed instructional time within the remaining class times with alternative assignments and simulations.
- Find acceptable time(s) to extend scheduled class(es) for students.
- Use additional hour(s) of synchronous or asynchronous online instruction. Instruction may be recorded and posted, as needed.
- Evenings during the week may be available for make-up time dependent on your college’s schedule. Check with your instructional dean for specifics.
- Record and post instructional content for students who may have no access due to electrical blackouts or other internet issues.
- Create prepared instructional activities in advance that can be used in the event of an unexpected situation.
- Combination of any of the above.
EICC will post a general notice to students in Canvas about remote delivery in the event of weather emergencies. In addition, faculty should give students clear and specific instructions in advance on how to access instruction, course materials, and assignments in the event of weather related disruptions.
For example, add a personalized version of this statement to the syllabus and/or post in Canvas to your students.
In the event of severe weather conditions, face-to-face classes may revert to Live (Zoom) sessions held during regularly scheduled class times. Students will be responsible for missed academic work. Students should check Canvas for posted assignments and directions. Reasonable timeframes will be identified for students to complete assignments or exams due to such disruptions, as appropriate. The instructor has the discretion to determine how course content and assessments will be accommodated due to weather-related disruptions.
Contact the eLearning staff for assistance in utilizing technologies to extend instructional options:
Canvas Help
Use online technologies and other means to assist students in accessing instructional content during weather related campus closings.
Some options include:
- Accommodate missed instructional time within the remaining class times with alternative assignments.
- Working with students and dean’s approval, find acceptable time(s) to extend scheduled class.
- Hybrid classes may use additional hour(s) of synchronous or asynchronous online instruction. Instruction may be recorded and posted, as needed.
- For face-to-face classes and Zoom classes, instructors may record missed lectures and post for students in Canvas along with missed and alternative assignments.
- Pending student access, faculty with Zoom accounts may consider holding classes (at scheduled times) using this technology while off-campus, with dean’s approval. These sessions can be recorded and posted in Canvas for students with limited home access.
- Utilizing evenings during the week may be available for make-up time dependent on your college’s schedule. Check with your instructional dean for specifics.
- Combinations of any of the above.
Post information in Canvas about how students can access the class material when the receiving site is closed and/or when the origination site is closed. When the receiving site is closed, Zoom sessions can be recorded to be viewed later or students with Zoom access may join the class from another location.
In preparation of such occurrences, specific information can be placed in the syllabus to alert students about expectations and to encourage them to monitor college RAVE alerts.
Contact the eLearning staff for assistance in utilizing technologies to extend instructional options: