Storm and Emergency Conditions

The Faculty of Arts and Sciences rarely cancels classes due to weather. However, the faculty and section leaders who need to commute should not put themselves in danger during serious storms, and may choose to cancel their individual classes. Students may find the following information helpful:

• For the most part, undergraduate students are in residence and are expected to attend classes. Undergraduate students who decide that they cannot make it to class should consult the course materials for instructions on informing the course's instructional staff of planned absences from class. If such procedures have not been provided, then the student should inform the instructor or the teaching fellow of the planned absence by email or by telephone.
• Similarly, students may find instructions in the course materials that indicate how the instructional staff would inform students of the cancellation of a class or section meeting. For example, many courses inform students of the cancellation via an announcement posted at the course's home page on the web, via an email to the class attendees, or by leaving a message on the voice mail system of a centralized departmental telephone.
• FAS offices and academic departments will be open depending on staff availability and whether there are critical functions in progress. Call the central number for that office before going there.
• Final examinations and makeup examinations are rarely cancelled and students should report to their exam rooms on time.
• On the very rare occasion when FAS decides to cancel classes, an announcement of the cancellation will be posted at the College home page (www.college.harvard.edu) and on www.my.harvard.edu.