Emergency Closing Policy

To maintain a safe learning and working environment for all Seneca students, employees, and campus visitors. 

This policy applies to all members of the Seneca community.

None.

1. Under the leadership of Emergency Management Services, Seneca has adopted the universal Incident Management System where all emergency responses are conducted out of an Emergency Operations Centre, led by an Incident Manager and the Incident Management Team.
2. Chief of Staff, President’s Office (or designate):
   • the President’s Chief of Staff is the individual responsible for determining whether Seneca or a particular campus will close due to severe weather conditions or other emergency
   • this decision shall be reached based on information provided by the Incident Management Team.
3. Campus Principal (or designate):
   • each campus Principal will provide campus-specific information to the Incident Management Team to assist in the decision about whether it is necessary to close a particular campus
   • should it appear that severe weather or other emergency is isolated to a particular region, the Campus Principal shall contact the Director, Security and Emergency Management Services to provide campus conditions and recommendations regarding the possible suspension of operations.
4. Director, Security and Emergency Management Services (or designate):
   • the Director, Security and Emergency Management Services is the incident Manager, activating the Emergency Operations Centre and notifying appropriate members of the incident Management Team to assess campus/Seneca-wide conditions
   • the Director, Security and Emergency Management Services will ensure staffing levels are adequate to meet campus community needs in the event of a campus/college closure due to severe weather conditions or other emergency.
5. Associate Vice President, Academic Planning (or designate):
   • in consultation with Deans and, where necessary, Chairs, the Associate Vice-President, Academic Planning will provide information regarding the status of full-time programming and the effect a closure may have on academic activities.
6. Dean, Faculty of Continuing Education (or designate):
   • the Dean, FCE will provide information regarding the status of continuing education programming and the effect a closure may have on academic activities.
7. Executive Director, Facilities and Campus Services (or designate):
   • upon notification of a campus/Seneca-wide closure, the Executive Director, Campus Services will advise contract providers, including food services, Medical Centre, bookstore, parking, shuttle and residences
   • will advise the Incident Management team should there be any circumstance related to building operations that may require a campus, or part of a campus, to close. Examples include building system failures or insufficient staffing to provide a safe environment
   • will ensure staffing levels are adequate to meet campus community needs in the event of a campus/Seneca-wide closure due to severe weather conditions or other emergency
   • will ensure staffing levels are adequate to meet campus community needs in the event of a campus/college closure due to severe weather conditions or other emergencies.
8. Director, Communications (or designate):
   • the Director, Communications will ensure the appropriate communications of any cancellations/closures. This includes external and internal communications and any necessary updates for the duration of the severe weather or other emergency.
9. Security Services:
   • security will monitor weather, road, and campus conditions on an on-going basis and notify the Director, Security and Emergency Management Services/designate of any conditions that could affect operations.
10. Seneca Administrators:
    • administrators will ensure employees in their area(s) of responsibility are aware of this policy and wherever possible will communicate information to assist employees who may require advance notice of closures for individual needs
    • administrators will advise any applicable employees within their area(s) of responsibility of their status as essential. Only employees who are necessary to ensure the health and safety of the campus/Seneca-wide community, preservation and protection of building assets and/or minimization of environmental damage will be declared as essential
    • administrators will ensure that contracts to provide services include appropriate clauses to address the possibility of the cancellation of services in the event of severe weather or other emergency
    • administrators will ensure that where their area has organized or sponsored activities or events involving external guests that those external guests are informed of the closure.
11. Students, Employees & Community Members:
    • in the event of weather advisories and emergencies, individuals have a responsibility to monitor local news forecasts, the Seneca web site, SenecaSAFE, My.Seneca, social media and email for announcements for the status of campus/Seneca-wide closures. 

1. In the event that severe weather conditions or other emergency situations occur overnight, Security Services will contact the Director, Security and Emergency Management Services to advise of campus conditions at 5 a.m. Information provided will include current weather, condition of campus grounds, parking lots and internal roadways, local forecasts from Environment Canada, and information from appropriate agencies (Police, Fire, Transportation) where available. For other emergency situations, severity of the event and relevant information will be provided.
2. If applicable, the Director, Security and Emergency Management Services/designate will obtain updates from the ‘Greater Toronto/Hamilton Area University and College Snow Patrol Group” to determine how other colleges and universities are responding to the weather.
3. Emergency Management Services will notify the appropriate members of the incident Management Team of the severe weather/emergency and will host a teleconference with the team at 5:30 a.m. for daytime operations and 1 p.m. for evening operations, as appropriate, to gather and share information on campus operations and conditions. The team will assess the potential impact of a severe weather incident or other emergency being declared and approve a recommendation to be provided to the President’s Office.
4. The Director, Security and Emergency Management Services will contact the President’s Office and make the recommendation to close or suspend normal campus or Seneca-wide operations.
5. Any decision to close the campus/college will be provided to the Director, Communications by 6 a.m., who will communicate the decision to Seneca’s internal and external community. 

1. Should severe weather conditions or another emergency situation occur during the business hours, the President’s Office will reach a decision based on information provided by the Incident Management Team.
2. If the emergency situation is limited to a specific campus, the Director, Security and Emergency Management will consult with the Campus Principal on the status of campus operations.
3. If the emergency situation only affects a local department or school, the Incident Manager will consult with the Dean/Chair on the status of their operations.
4. The decision will be provided to the Director, Communications, who will communicate the decision to Seneca’s internal and external communities. 

1. The President’s Office or designate shall:
   • inform the rest of the Senior Executive Team
2. The Director, Communications/designate shall:
   • ensure the communication of Seneca’s decision to internal and external communities occurs as quickly as possible to provide students and employees with appropriate notice
   • send a cancellation or closure message through SenecaSAFE, My.Seneca, social media and others if required
   • send an email to employees
   • as appropriate, issue a news release and/or notify all major Toronto/York Region/Peterborough news desks which have cancellation reports.
3. Security Services shall:
   • if applicable, post notices at each entrance and exit of the affected campus(es)
   • patrol the campus(es) to ensure occupants are aware of the closure details, and if occupants are unable to leave, ensure they wait in designated areas until they can make reasonable transportation arrangements
   • assist in traffic control to ensure successful exit
   • depending on nature of the emergency, secure all entrances and exits.
4. The Executive Director, Facilities and Campus Services shall:
   • inform on-campus food service vendors to close all food services locations at the affected campus(es) and inform employees
   • inform the Bookstore vendor who shall close all locations at the affected campus(es) and inform employees
   • inform the Director of Residence, who will notify employees and students inform the Medical Centre to close and cancel all appointments
   • inform Switchboard of the cancellations/closures and ensure a message is put on the telephone system
   • arrange for modified Shuttle Bus coverage/routes and inform the Director, Communications & PR of revised schedule for communications purposes
   • ensure all essential services remain on site and are operational during the closures as needed
   • ensure the manager(s) of essential services liaise with and update Security Services on the status of operations.  
5. Seneca Administrators shall:
   • ensure the closure/cancellation information is disseminated to all areas and groups including direct reports, Union Groups, Seneca Student Federation
   • ensure all internal/external guests participating in activities or events are informed of the closure (i.e. community recreation permits, varsity sports teams, summer camp participants, test center users)
   • ensure all essential services remain on site and are operational during the closure as needed. 

1. For the purpose of this policy, essential services are defined as those that are necessary to ensure the health and safety of the Seneca community, preservation and protection of building assets and minimization of environmental damage.
2. Essential Services include, but are not limited to:
   • Security Services
   • Facilities Management, including Grounds Services for coordination of snow removal, Custodial Services and other essential building services
   • Computing and Network Services, including Network Operations and Telecommunications
   • Child Care Centre employees until the safe return of the children in their care to the parent/guardian
   • Residence employees who are responsible for the ongoing operations of the student Residences.
3. Administrators are responsible for advising the applicable employees within their area(s) of responsibility regarding their status as providing an essential service.

1. Designated essential employees are required to remain at work or report to work as soon as possible in the event that Seneca or a particular campus is declared officially closed.
2. In instances where an employee designated as essential is required to report to work, compensation shall be based on the applicable provisions of the collective agreement.
3. In instances where an employee designated as essential is required to remain at work, the employee will receive paid time off, calculated at their regular rate of pay for the period of the closure, to be scheduled at a later date.
4. In instances where an employee designated as essential is required to work beyond their regular scheduled hours, compensation shall be based on the applicable provisions of the collective agreement. 

1. The Incident Manager will keep the Incident Management Team, the President’s Office and/or the campus Principal(s) apprised of the severe weather or other emergency situation.
2. The Emergency Operations Centre shall recommend to the President’s Office or designate when an emergency is lifted and normal operating procedures can resume.
3. The Incident Manager shall record the time and date the decision is to take effect and convey the decision following the procedures outlined in the Procedures section above, as appropriate.
4. The Director, Communications & PR shall ensure the Seneca community is notified through the means listed in the Procedure section above.
5. Security Services shall notify all mangers/supervisors of essential services and advise them to resume normal operating procedures.
6. In the case of a weather emergency, unless a decision is made to continue the emergency, Seneca shall return to normal operating procedures at 11 p.m. that day (for evening or night shift employees and service contractors); and at 6 a.m. the following morning for all other purposes. 

• None.

• Occupational Health and Safety Policy

• Seneca’s Emergency Response Guide

Approval Date: December 2020