~ Inclement Weather Reminder ~

Date: February 2, 2018

To: ICO and IEI Community

From:Laura Rounce, Vice President for Administration

Re:Inclement Weather Policy

“Tis the season” to remind everyone of our policy regarding closure of the Illinois College of Optometry and the Illinois Eye Institute due to inclement weather or other unforeseen reasons. The policy is printed on this memo for your convenience. ICO Weather Hotline:

(312) 949-SNOW (7669)

If it should become necessary to close the Illinois College of Optometry and/or the Illinois Eye Institute during regular operating hours due to a storm, flood, snow, power outage or any other unexpected event, the following are three possible scenarios and the policy for each.

All staff, faculty and students should assume that we are open and operational each scheduled day. In the unlikely event that the College and the Illinois Eye Institute are closed due to inclementweather or other unforeseen reasons, it is each person’s responsibility to first call the ICO Weather Hotline at (312) 949-SNOW (7669) or to check their ICO email, the ICO website ( or the ICO Facebook page. Each individual needs to determine the road conditions and safety factor in their home locations and decide upon attendance at their own comfort and safety level.

  1. Severe conditions develop during Illinois College of Optometry/Illinois Eye Institute operational hours and the decision is made to close early.

All staff and faculty who are present will be notified of the early closing through their department heads and faculty will notify their classes where appropriate. The decision to close will be made by the Vice President for Administration in consultation with other Vice Presidents of the College and Illinois Eye Institute. The ICO Weather Hotlinewill be updated with this information and an email will be sent to all ICO and IEI community members. The College website ( the IEI website ( MyICO, andthe ICO Facebook page will all reflect this information. The College phone system may be used to broadcast the early closing message to all campus phones.

If there is no campus-wide decision to close early each department head may determine(in consultation with the Vice President for Administration) if their specific department may close early after assessing the situation – keeping in mind the weather conditions and the impact on the other departments who may remain at work.

  1. Severe conditions in the early morning and the Illinois College of Optometry and the Illinois Eye Institute are officially closed for the day.

In the unlikely event of this occurrence, the decision to close and/or hold classes and laboratories will be made by the Vice President for Administration in consultation with the other Vice Presidents of the College and Illinois Eye Institute. Appropriate recorded messages will be placed on the ICO Weather Hotline, the College website ( the IEI, MyICO, and the ICO Facebook Page will be updated with this information and an email will be sent to all ICO and IEI community members. In the event of an official closing, students are excused for the day and staff and faculty are paid their regular wages for the day.

  1. Severe conditions in the early morning and the Illinois College of Optometry and the Illinois Eye Institute remain open.

Staff, faculty and students who may question whether the College or the Eye Institute are open because of questionable weather should call the ICO Weather Hotline. Staff, faculty and students who are not able to get to ICO/IEI due to weather conditions in their area must notify their supervisor of the absence as soon as possible, and may use a vacation or floating holiday for the absence. If there is no indication from the ICO Weather Hotline nor on any of the websites, staff, faculty and students should assume the College and IEI are open and operational.

Again, each individual needs to determine the road conditions and safety factor in their home locations and decide upon attendance at their own comfort and safety level. Vacation days and personal floating holidays can be used for this situation.