Inclement Weather

Inclement Weather

University of Arkansas operations may be affected when there is inclement weather, including snow, ice, severe thunderstorm activity, tornadoes or flooding. The university balances the safety of our campus community members with the needs of students, requirements of ongoing research activities and other factors when determining closures.

Please read the policy on inclement weather and the weather emergency procedure, which define how such events impact the campus community.

WxALERT (weather alert) emergency notifications are automatically sent to the campus community via all available channels – email, voicemail and text message. However, students, faculty and staff must provide their cell phone numbers in UAConnect or Workday to receive emergency alerts including WxALERTS via cell phone/text.

On-Campus Class Cancellation Due to Inclement Weather

When campus is closed due to inclement weather, on-campus classes will not meet in person, but classes may continue virtually using videoconference software like Microsoft Teams or Zoom.

  • Instructors will choose if they conduct courses virtually at the regularly scheduled class time or assign additional work to make up for the missed class time at a future point.
  • If an instructor chooses to teach their course virtually during an inclement weather-related closure, they must record the sessions and make them available to all students via Blackboard.
  • Instructors may not penalize a student for not attending a virtual meeting held during a weather-related closure and may not require assignments or exams to be due while campus is closed for inclement weather. This policy applies to both undergraduate and graduate students.
  • In inclement weather situations when the campus remains open, instructors should provide students with a chance to make up work without penalty if weather conditions prevent a student from safely attending class.

Student Support

The Dean of Students Office provides support to students’ health and well-being through the U of A Cares program during inclement weather events.  U of A Cares provides referrals, resources, and other information to students in need, seeking to empower students to take advantage of the offices and services that exist on the University of Arkansas campus and in the local community.

Any student needing support or faculty/staff member with a concern regarding a student during an inclement weather event is encouraged to contact U of A Cares at 479-575-5004 or submit a Cares report through their website.

Operational Information

IT Services

Campus technology services and tech support remain available during emergency closures.

On campus: When the Arkansas Union is open, in-person tech support, printing and computers are available at the Tech Spot in the Connections Lounge area.

Remote Tech Support: For help with Blackboard, Wi-Fi, account access and other issues, remote support is available during regular hours:

Stay Updated: Severe weather can cause power outages and other impacts to Wi-Fi and other campus services.

Student Affairs

University Recreation (UREC) is operating under inclement weather procedures. Please visit the UREC Inclement Weather page for additional information.

University Dining is operating under inclement weather procedures. Please visit Dine on Campus for additional information regarding dining locations and hours of operation

The Arkansas Union is operating under inclement weather procedures. Please visit the Arkansas Union Inclement Weather page for additional information.

Pat Walker Health Center has limited/modified operations during inclement weather.  Please visit the Pat Walker Health Center Inclement Weather page for additional information.

University Housing is operating under inclement weather procedures.  Please visit the University Housing Inclement Weather page for additional information.

Libraries

Mullins Library is open with reduced hours. Visit libraries.uark.edu for details on hours and operations.