University Weather Notifications/Payroll Procedures

Below are three broad definitions of inclement weather-related actions for which the campus should be familiar.  In all three actions, the President will make the decision on the appropriate action to take, if any.  When inclement weather is present in the region, all faculty are expected to work with students in regards to class attendance and assignments. Supervisors are also expected to work with staff within existing policies and the procedures described in the actions below.

For FY22, it is important to note that any of the below scenarios may be modified to continue campus teaching, learning and operations in a remote manner as opposed to canceling classes and reporting to campus for work. In these situations, only essential employees will be required to report to the campus.  Supervisor approval is required for any work performed during a weather closure.  Faculty, staff, students and Department heads should prepare for these situations and be prepared to conduct their responsibilities remotely/online if weather closures require that.   Providing remote/online teaching and learning for all face-to-face classes will only be requested if the University is closed for more than two sequential days due to weather.

I. University Weather Advisory: Rather than deciding to close the university or to cancel classes, the President may authorize the issuance of University Weather Advisory.  This will be a safety advisory only and will not entail the cancellation of classes or closure of the campus.

• Employees currently at work should continue to work at straight time unless standard overtime is worked.  If an employee feels they should leave work early due to inclement weather, they should notify their supervisor.  An employee leaving work should report all time for their remaining shift as vacation time.  If vacation time is not available, the time should be reported as excused without pay.
• Employees scheduled for shifts starting subsequent to the University Weather Advisory should report to work as usual.  If an employee feels they cannot report to work early due to inclement weather, they should notify their supervisor.  The employee should report all time for their shift as vacation time.  If vacation time is not available, the time should be reported as excused without pay.

II. University Weather Classes Delayed or Cancelled:  The President may authorize the delayed starting time or the cancellation of classes.  This scenario does not include the closure of the campus.  The campus will remain open and all personnel are expected to report to work either on-site or remotely, based on prior arrangements and direct communication with their supervisor.  

Situations could occur when the campus will remain open, but only essential personnel will be expected to report to work on campus per supervisor’s instructions.  This will be clear in the communication and when this occurs, employee time should be reported as described in section III. below.

• Classes
  1. Classes will not be pushed back or rescheduled. Classes will resume at the next scheduled class time.
  2. If the main campus in Murray cancels classes, classes at all regional locations will be cancelled also.
  3. If the main campus in Murray does NOT cancel classes, classes at the regional sites will follow the action announced by the community college in the respective communities.

• Employees currently at work should continue to work at straight time unless standard overtime is worked.  If an employee feels they should leave work early due to inclement weather, they should notify their supervisor.  An employee leaving work should report all time for their remaining shift as vacation time.  If vacation time is not available, the time should be reported as excused without pay.

• Employees scheduled for shifts starting subsequent to the University Weather Advisory should report to work as usual.  If an employee feels they cannot report to work early due to inclement weather, they should notify their supervisor.  The employee should report all time for their shift as vacation time.  If vacation time is not available, the time should be reported as excused without pay.

III. University Campus Closure:  The President may authorize the closure of campus. A closure time will be declared.  All events will be cancelled and facilities, with the exception of residence halls and the Winslow Cafeteria, will be closed.

• Classes
  1. If the main campus in Murray is closed, all regional locations will be closed also.
  2. If the main campus in Murray is NOT closed, regional sites will follow the action announced by the community college in the respective communities.
• Employees currently at work should leave work upon the declaration (after notifying their supervisors and will be paid straight time for the remainder of their scheduled shift that falls after the closure time).
• Employees that have not yet reported to work at the time of closure will receive straight time pay for their regular scheduled shift that falls within the closure period. Employees not scheduled to work on the day, on vacation, or are on leave on the day of closure will not receive closure pay.
• Employees considered essential personnel should remain on the job or report to work per supervisor’s instructions.
  1. Non-Exempt emergency employees will receive pay according to MSU Personnel Policy III D. 6.  Overtime and Exceptional Compensation.
  2. Exempt personnel are paid as usual and if required to report to work, no added “comp” time should be utilized.

When a decision is made regarding any of the above actions, information will be communicated through administrative channels to employees in the following manner:

1. University and community notification procedures will be facilitated by the University Communications Office.

University Weather Advisory communication will be released via the following:

1. All user email 
2. University Facebook account
3. University Twitter account
4. Murray State homepage
5. WKMS-FM

Once items I –IV above are complete, Public Safety will issue a text message to all users.

2. Each VP will notify all department heads within his/her jurisdiction by email and/ or phone call of the declaration. Each department head will then notify employees in the unit in as expeditious manner as possible.
3. The Director of Breathitt Veterinary Center and the Dean of Regional and Academic Outreach will recommend advisory/closure actions for their respective facilities to the Provost, who will integrate the decisions and communication into the general decision-making process of the University. 

Please view the Murray State University Weather Notifications/Payroll Procedure on the right under Files (PDF) for the detailed information and procedures regarding these possible actions. (PDF updated 02-18-2022)

Mobile Alerts/Racer Alerts

If the university campus is closed or classes are cancelled or delayed, mobile alerts will be sent to notify campus personnel. To ensure receipt of emergency notifications (including weather-related emergencies) from the https://murraystate.edu/RacerAlert system, the University encourages all employees and students to update their contact information through their myGate accounts.