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  3. Campus Closure

Campus Closure

Closure decisions at North Seattle College are determined by conditions on the main campus, surrounding area, arterial streets and Interstate 5. Notice of an interruption in college operations will be distributed promptly to schoolreport.org and area radio and television stations and disseminated to the campus community through the North Web site homepage, North's social media accounts, Facebook, Twitterand Instagram, and a message on the main phone line.

Maintaining College Operations

  • It is the intent of North Seattle College to maintain operations in order to meet our obligations to:
  • Our students, who come here to be educated on schedule
  • Our faculty and staff, who need a well-run campus to provide education
  • The bill-paying public, who expect a high level of performance
  • Unless the campus is unsafe or utility systems are malfunctioning, we will strive to be open and operational.

Employee and Student Safety

Employees and students must judge for themselves the safety of traveling to the College. We ask all of you to make good decisions. In those rare instances when the College will be closed, we will do our best to inform people in as timely a manner as possible. Faculty and staff are expected to notify their dean, director or supervisor of their absence in the event that they are unable to report to work.

The College makes its weather-related schedule determination independent of local school districts. Staff and students are advised not to assume local school district decisions reflect the status of North operations.

Staffing

If the College is open and you are unable to report for work, you have the responsibility to call your supervisor/department. All departments are encouraged to have a back-up staffing plan for those times when the College is open but full staffing is not possible.

Closure Notice

To find current information regarding the status of College operations, students and staff are directed to the North Seattle College Web site, northseattle.edu, or the main switchboard at (206) 934-3600.

The College forwards closure information to major Puget Sound radio and television stations through the Public Schools Emergency Communication System (PSECS) on their Web site at www.schoolreport.org.

Sign up for RAVE emergency alerts so that you will receive not only an email alert about weather and emergencies, but phone and text message alerts as well. Sign up at: https://www.getrave.com/login/seattlecolleges. 

College messages for radio and television broadcast are updated during the course of the day. Your best source for current information will always be the North Web site or the main switchboard at (206) 934-3600.

  • Local television stations which normally broadcast North closure announcements include:
  • KOMO (chs. 4, 38)
  • KING (chs. 5, 48)
  • KONG (chs. 16, 31)
  • KIRO (chs. 7, 39)
  • KCPQ (chs. 13, 18)
  • KSTW (chs. 11, 36)
  • You will also find closure announcements on the following AM radio stations serving King, Pierce and Snohomish Counties:
  • KCIS 630
  • KAPS 660
  • KIRO 710
  • KIXI 880
  • KOMO 1000
  • KYCW 1090
  • KRKO 1380
  • KBRC 1430

Day Classes

If conditions necessitate delay or cancellation of day classes, notification on radio and television stations will begin as soon as conditions on campus can be evaluated. A closure decision is based on conditions at the main campus or a specific off-campus site adversely impacted.

Evening Classes and Events

If conditions necessitate cancellation of evening classes, events or weekend activities, notice will be given to the appropriate college offices as soon as conditions warrant. Area radio and television will also be notified at that time. However, evening or weekend college closure announcements on radio and television are not broadcast as frequently or completely as morning reports. Use the College Web site northseattle.edu or call the campus switchboard at (206) 934-3600 for the most up-to-date information.

College closure means that the College will be closed and only specifically notified employees will need to report to work.

Classified Staff

Because of the potential for unsafe conditions, classified staff not required to report should remain off-campus and must use leave as follows:

  • When prior notification has not been given, employees released until further notice after reporting to work will suffer no loss in pay for the first day.
  • Employees who are not required to work for the balance of the closure may use accrued vacation leave or personal holiday, accrued compensatory time or leave without pay. Use of sick leave or make-up time is not allowed.
  • Employees required to work during the disruption will receive 1.5 times their regular pay. Overtime worked during the closure will be compensated according to the Classified Staff Collective Bargaining Agreement.
  • The leave options listed above, for employees who are not required to work for the balance of the closure, will be made available to employees who are unable to report to work due to severe inclement weather.

Academic and Exempt Employees

Faculty members and exempt staff who meet their contractual obligations when the College is closed will not have their leave balances affected.

If the College is open and you are unable to report for work, you have the responsibility to call in to your supervisor/department. All departments are encouraged to have a back-up staffing plan for those times when the College is open, but full staffing is not possible.