During the Wisconsin tornado season (generally March until October) and throughout the winter months, abrupt changes in the atmosphere sometimes result in severe weather, such as heavy thunderstorms, tornadoes and snowstorms. In the event of severe weather, Marquette University continually monitors weather conditions as broadcast by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to ensure the safety of our campus community.

In the rare occurrence when classes are canceled for the full day or partial day, in most cases, campus will remain open with limited operational services.

When Classes are Canceled 

The decision to cancel classes due to severe weather applies to all classes regardless of modality – in-person, synchronous and asynchronous online – per the current university policy. Instructors cannot mandate student activities or assignments on a day of closure. 

When classes are canceled for the full day or for a portion of the day, assignments due for affected classes will be delayed. Instructors are expected to communicate with students regarding their expectations for missed or delayed assignments and to clarify any changes in class schedule due to the disruption.

Timing of a Decision and How We Communicate

The university follows the UPP 6-05: Severe Weather policy for making decisions about canceling classes or reducing operations due to severe weather. In all cases, the decision will be made internally no later than 5 a.m. so it can be communicated as a safety alert text message and EagleEye push notification by 5:30 a.m. An email with more details will be sent to Marquette email addresses. Local media will be notified of any closing, and Marquette.edu and the university’s social media channels will also post information.

To ensure you are notified by text, all students, faculty and staff should make sure they are enrolled in safety alert text message system.

All faculty and staff with university-owned cell phones have been automatically enrolled for text messages. Faculty and staff may also register their personal cell phone numbers in the “Personal Information” section of MyJob.

Decision Process and Factors

The on-duty MUPD shift commander will monitor weather and ground conditions in the Marquette area. The timing of the decision to close the university is influenced by the severity, intensity and movement of a storm center. In snow-related closings, the amount of snow is not the only factor. The timing of the snow, the anticipated road conditions based on the information secured, and the safety of the commute for faculty, staff and commuter students are also considerations.

The Chief of Police and Vice President for Student Affairs consult with the Vice President for University Relations, the Vice President for Planning and Facilities Management, Provost and Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer. The Provost and EVP/COO make the final decision.

Expectations for Employees During Severe Weather Disruptions

Specific employees and/or departments may be required to report to campus to work during severe weather or stay on campus for the remainder of their shift, while other university offices can be operational by employees working remotely.

All supervisors are encouraged to:

• Work proactively with their ULC member to set expectations for when severe weather conditions occur.
• Following alignment with the ULC member, share expectations with their teams as soon as possible.

For more information, view the “Operational Disruptions and Emergency Closings” section in the Employee Handbook. Instructors should see the policy for Severe Weather – Instructor Responsibilities when Classes are Canceled for guidance when classes are canceled.

Event protocol when classes are canceled

When classes are canceled due to severe weather, most campus events will be canceled. Exceptions are outlined below. All student-organized events will be canceled.

Events in the AMU

When classes are cancelled due to severe weather, the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) will decide whether to cancel events organized by Marquette faculty or staff to be held in the AMU on a case-by-case basis with input from the VP for Student Affairs and the event-sponsoring ULC member. The VP of Student Affairs will decide whether to cancel events to be held in the AMU that are hosted by outside parties to Marquette.

Events in other campus spaces, clinics

When severe weather is anticipated during a planned event, Marquette event organizers should reach out to their ULC member to discuss the expected impact of the weather and if continuing to host the event is in the participants’ best interest. If so, the ULC member should reach out to their ELT member to request an exception. If the ULC member does not manage the space where the event is to be held, the ULC member who manages the space must also be in agreement before an exception request is made. ELT will decide on exception requests.

For clinics, when classes are canceled due to severe weather, the dean to which a clinic ultimately reports will decide if the clinic will be open.

The cancelation of athletic events due to severe weather will be made by the VP and Director of Athletics, in collaboration with the Big East conference and ELT.

Severe Weather Precautions

In the event of a major snowstorm or extremely low temperatures, the university community is encouraged to take the following precautions:

• Wear wind‐resistant clothing if possible and protect yourself by covering your ears, face and hands.
• Leave extra time to arrive for classes and/or meetings.
• Wear proper footwear and layered clothing, which can prevent frostbite.
• At the first signs of any redness or pain in any skin area, get out of the cold.
• Watch your steps. Walking on ice can be very dangerous, and ice can often blend into the pavement.
• Contact the Medical Clinic at (414) 288-7184 if you have precaution-related questions.