As we welcome our community back to begin the spring semester, there has been an increase in the possibility of inclement weather in our region. We offer the following reminder to the Penn community about University policies and procedures regarding weather-related campus operation suspension or modification and resulting class cancellations. The University schedule is carefully coordinated, and the expectation should be that all academic, health system, and business operations will be maintained as usual unless you receive a University notification indicating otherwise.
Notification methods
In the event of a suspension of normal operations, delayed opening, or early closure, members of the Penn community will receive a text message and email from the UPennAlert emergency notification system. Please take this time to confirm your UPennAlert emergency phone number by following the instructions below. All academic, health system, and business operations will be maintained as usual unless you receive a University notification indicating otherwise.
Additional information will be provided on the Public Safety website, the University homepage, the University’s notification phone line (215.898.MELT), and KYW News Radio (103.9 FM & 1060 AM), the City of Philadelphia’s official storm emergency center. The University’s emergency radio identification code numbers are “102” for day classes and schools/centers and “2102” for evening classes. The message that accompanies the code number will provide the operating status of the University.
Attendance expectations
When the University’s normal operations are suspended, employees are generally not expected to work unless they are designated as “essential.” University staff designated as essential for critical campus operations and life-sustaining operations, as well as all health system physicians and staff, are required to report to work at their regularly scheduled start time. Please consult with your supervisor should you have any questions.
With the prior approval of the Provost and Executive Vice President and advance notification to employees, fully online academic programs, executive format programs, and/or programs that operate from a different geographic location may follow different closing decisions. Check with your program administrator should you have any questions. For details, review the policy on Suspension of Normal Operations (upenn.edu).
Register/confirm UPennAlert information
Students can confirm their information by checking your Learning From Address, Emergency Contact and Missing Person Contact, and UPennAlert numbers in Path@Penn.
Staff/Faculty can check/update their contact information by visiting the UPennAlert site and following the link that best applies to you.
All information is secure and confidential. If you have any problems updating your personal contact information, please email the Division of Public Safety.
Sincerely,
John L. Jackson, Jr., Provost
Mark F. Dingfield, Executive Vice President
Kathleen Shields Anderson, Vice President for Public Safety