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 deciding if inclement weather operations should go into effect.
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 has shifted to inclement weather operations, on-campus classes will not meet in person, but classes may continue virtually using videoconference software like 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 inclement operations, 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 inclement weather operations and may not require assignments or exams to be due during this time. This policy applies to both undergraduate and graduate students.
- In inclement weather situations when classes are not cancelled, 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 inclement weather operations.
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
When the university has shifted to inclement weather operations, please visit the following pages to view specific hours of operation for facilities around campus.
- University Recreation Inclement Weather page
- Dine on Campus Inclement Weather page
- Arkansas Union Inclement Weather page
- Pat Walker Health Center Inclement Weather page
- University Housing Inclement Weather page
Libraries
When the university has shifted to inclement weather operations, Mullins Library is open with reduced hours. Visit libraries.uark.edu for details on hours and operations.