Because of the nature of work conducted at UNMC and its primary clinical partner, Nebraska Medicine, the medical center campus does not close during extreme weather.
Even so, UNMC leaders are aware of the risks posed by adverse weather conditions and encourage all faculty, staff and students to exercise caution and consider their personal safety when making weather-related decisions.
During extreme weather, managers are encouraged to exercise business continuity plans and temporarily increase remote work options, as long as business functions can be covered. Employees who miss work because of weather must use vacation or floating holiday time to account for these absences, according to the UNMC Work Schedules Policy.
If students or employees feel they cannot safely get to campus, they are asked to notify their supervisor or their supervising faculty members as soon as possible.
In the event of inclement weather, classes for the UNMC College of Public Health are cancelled if the University of Nebraska at Omaha is closed. This impacts only on-campus College of Public Health classes; online classes continue as scheduled.
Cold-weather safety tips
- Dress warm for the cold: Cover all exposed skin to limit exposure and the potential for frostbite. Be prepared for emergencies and take extra precautions.
- Staying warm indoors: Close off rooms you don’t need and have an emergency kit available, including blankets. Dress in layers and wear a cap.
- Power outages are possible: Have a plan for how to stay warm or where to go if the power goes out. Do not burn charcoal or use gasoline indoors.
- Winter walking: Walk like a penguin. Take shorter, shuffle-like steps to maintain balance. Wear appropriate anti-slip footwear with good traction for snow and ice. Walk with arms at your side, watch your step and avoid ice if possible.
- Have a buddy system: If traveling, make sure someone knows your location in case of an emergency. On campus, use 402-559-5555 to report emergencies 24 hours a day or call 402-559-5111 to request assistance from UNMC Public Safety, which provides motorist assistance to vehicles on-campus only.
- Drive for the conditions: AAA offers some winter driving tips.