U-M Announces Policy for Operation Reductions During Severe Weather

University of Michigan Prepares for Severe Winter Weather with Emergency Policies

As the winter season approaches with its signature cold and snowy weather, the University of Michigan has outlined its protocol for managing campus operations during severe weather conditions. The policy focuses on maintaining safety and ensuring that critical services continue without interruption.

In the event of short-term severe weather, the university may reduce its non-essential operations by declaring an emergency reduction. Faculty and staff who have been identified as critical will be required to work on-site during these periods.

Each school and administrative unit is tasked with determining which operations and employees are critical during reduced operations, such as police and medical staff. Non-critical employees are instructed to refrain from coming to campus during these times.

Remote work will continue as usual for employees who are already working from home. Those typically working on-site but not critical during the emergency should also switch to remote work if possible.

Employees who cannot perform their duties remotely will not face pay cuts during a short-term emergency reduction in operations, provided they are deemed non-critical.

For comprehensive details, refer to the university’s Standard Practice Guide on Emergency Reduction in Operations.

Notifications for a campuswide emergency reduction will be issued via UM Emergency Alerts, the U-M Gateway homepage at umich.edu, and The University Record. It is advisable for faculty, staff, and students to ensure they are registered for these alerts through Wolverine Access.

If severe weather conditions arise during working hours, departmental decisions will guide whether employees can leave earlier than usual.

Separate decisions regarding operational reductions will be made for UM-Dearborn and UM-Flint by their respective campus leaders.

Employees of Michigan Medicine, including those in U-M Health and Michigan Medicine Shared Services, are categorized as critical and are expected to report to work as scheduled. For detailed guidelines, Michigan Medicine faculty and staff should refer to the Emergency Management Operations Winter Storm Guideline.