MIDDLETOWN, Pa. — Penn State Harrisburg is sharing guidance for students, faculty and staff in the event that normal operations at the campus are disrupted due to winter weather during the 2025-26 season.
The campus community is reminded that during inclement weather, Maintenance and Operations staff will be working diligently to clear sidewalks, parking lots and roadways as quickly as possible. In the event that normal operations at Penn State Harrisburg are disrupted due to snow or other weather or emergency conditions, individuals are urged to avoid coming to campus, if possible, and those who must visit campus should remain alert and avoid sections of campus that may be covered in snow or ice.
When severe weather strikes, the college community can stay informed of delays and cancellations by using Penn State's PSUAlert system and the Penn State Harrisburg website. Local television and radio stations also inform the public of delays and cancellations.
All employees and students are encouraged to take responsibility for their own safety. Faculty, staff and students should use their own best judgment when considering traveling to campus or the need to leave early during times of inclement weather.
Faculty and staff should review Handling Weather Day Absences (Human Resources Guideline 10) for specific information on how time missed for weather situations is handled. Union-represented employees should reference their collective bargaining agreements. Information on class attendance policies is available at undergrad.psu.edu and in Faculty Senate Policy 42-27 (Class Attendance).
Classes
In the event of a change in normal campus operations due to weather or an emergency, such as during a delay or cancellation, in-person courses cannot, except in extenuating circumstances, be moved to a synchronous remote meeting, per Faculty Senate Policy 45-00, due to the fact that all students, faculty and instructors may not have the same access to facilities and resources (such as Wi-Fi or materials needed for specialized instruction) or they may have other commitments, such as child care.
Based on a course’s mode of delivery, the following actions apply during a change in normal campus operations:
In-person or Remote Synchronous: The instructor can choose to cancel class altogether or offer content asynchronously (such as recording a lecture for students to watch at another time or asking students to complete a reading or other self-directed learning activity). The class may not meet remote synchronously except for when extenuating circumstances exist (see University Faculty Senate policy 45-00).
Hybrid: If the class is scheduled to meet in-person on the day of the change in normal operations, then content can be offered asynchronously or the class can be canceled. Otherwise, asynchronous content can be offered as planned.
Remote Asynchronous: Classes will continue to be offered as planned with no changes.
Employees
Employees who perform “essential” services: Employees who are required to report to campus for work and have been previously identified as performing duties essential to maintaining operations should report to campus as directed. During such events, employees who are required to report to campus for work are eligible for Campus Closure Compensatory Time, subject to guideline provisions. Employees should clarify their status as essential or nonessential with their supervisor before inclement weather strikes.
All other employees should not report to work until the resumption of normal campus operations and are eligible for Campus Closure Pay per University policy. Employees should review the “official closedowns” section of the University’s Handling Weather Day Absences policy (Human Resources Guideline 10) for specific information on how time missed for weather situations is handled.
Employees who have questions about a campus closure should contact Human Resources.
Delays
Following a delay, classes or activities beginning at or after the announced time for the resumption of normal campus operations will be held as originally scheduled, unless a campus provides other, specific guidance. For example, in the case of a two-hour morning delay until 10 a.m. due to snow or ice, classes beginning at 10 a.m. or later will continue on their regular schedule, while classes scheduled to begin prior to 10 a.m. will be subject to the provisions outlined in the “Classes” section above.
Any in-person activities that are scheduled to begin during a delayed campus opening are canceled. Activities beginning at or after the announced time for resuming campus operations will be held as originally scheduled.
Official information source
The campus’ primary source for information on inclement weather is PSUAlert. An active Penn State account is required for users to receive PSUAlerts, which are sent via email by default. Users may opt-in to receive PSUAlerts via text (SMS) message, and they also can add additional email addresses to also receive alerts by visiting psualert.psu.edu/psualert and clicking on the “manage my alerts” button. Although signup for the PSUAlert system is reserved for students, faculty and staff, members of the public are encouraged to follow alerts from Penn State’s campuses via psualert.psu.edu.
Although classes and events may be canceled or delayed due to inclement weather, the campus is still open to provide critical services to the students who live on campus, including housing and food. Police Services and other emergency services also remain operational around the clock, regardless of the weather.