Will the university close if it snows? Probably not. But
you can be sure if you check the
university's weather emergency hotline or its emergency
notices Web page.
Information on any changes in university operations
due to snow or other bad weather will be
announced on the Johns Hopkins weather emergency hotline at
410-516-7781 or, from outside the
Baltimore area, 800-548-9004.
The same information will be posted online at:
http://webapps.jhu.edu/emergencynotices.
Enter the phone numbers into your mobile phone's
address book and bookmark the Web address
on your home computer so that you can check for
announcements during or after a storm. Information
on the university's status after an overnight snow is
generally posted on the phone line and Web site
by around 6 a.m., with frequent updates throughout the day
in the case of a major storm.
Johns Hopkins' policy is to remain open on a normal
schedule whenever possible, both because
minimizing interruptions to teaching and research is a
priority and because so many university
employees and students are involved in patient care.
Though Johns Hopkins notifies local news media when it
closes, cancels classes or opens at a
later than normal hour, there are several reasons why you
should rely instead on the weather
emergency hotline or the emergency notices Web page:
The phone line and Web page make
information on Johns Hopkins available as soon as a
decision is made. Both are updated as soon as there is new
information.
Both the phone line and Web page
are available to you at all times. If you rely on TV or
radio, you'll have to wait until the Johns Hopkins
announcement comes around.
TV and radio will not broadcast
announcements when Johns Hopkins remains open, only
when it is closed or has a delayed opening. The phone line
and Web page will provide you with
information whenever the weather is questionable, even if
it's just that the university is open as usual.
The phone line and Web page will
provide the most complete and accurate weather
emergency information available on Johns Hopkins. TV and
radio stations must report on dozens or
even hundreds of institutions; they do not have time to
broadcast everything you need to know,
including information on outpatient clinics, snow day
shuttle bus operations, and library and rec center
closings.
The university's policy on weather-related curtailment
of operations is online at:
http://hrnt.jhu.edu/elr/pol-man/section.cfm?id=35.