Class cancellations and snowplowing procedures

  • Check SUNY Oswego's homepage to see if all classes are canceled.
  • Listen to radio and television: TV Channels 3, 5, 9 and 10 in Syracuse, the WRVO Stations (FM 89.9 to 91.9 throughout Central Upstate New York); WWTI Newswatch 50 in Watertown; iHeartRadio in Syracuse (WSYR AM 570, Y94 FM 94.5, etc.) and Rochester (WHAM 1180, etc.). You may receive direct notification as well, if you have signed up to receive campus alerts through NY Alert.
  • Classes will proceed as scheduled unless official announcements of cancellation are made.
  • When classes are canceled, faculty and commuting students are advised not to come to campus.

Day vs. evening classes

  • Day classes begin at 8 a.m. Evening classes begin at 4:30 p.m. and after. Classes beginning before 4:30 p.m. are day classes regardless of when they end. Campus officials try to decide by 5:30 a.m. about canceling day classes and by 2 p.m. for cancellation of evening classes, though this is not always possible. 

Off-campus classes

  • Faculty teaching classes off campus should follow the weather closing policy governing the class site and inform students how to find out if their class is canceled. 

Individual class cancellations

  • The public announcement of class cancellations only occurs when the entire campus of thousands of students and faculty are affected. Individual class cancellations do not require broadcast across Central New York. Faculty members wishing to cancel their own classes should follow the same procedure used when they are ill.

Personal safety

If you feel it is unsafe in your area to travel to class or work, you should not travel, regardless of whether classes are canceled. These resources can help:

  • Live Doppler Radar at 9WSYR
  • Travel Info New York
  • SUNY Oswego Webcam

Campus Closing

  • Only the governor has the authority to close a state agency such as SUNY Oswego. Unless the governor closes the college, employees who choose not to come to work or to leave work early are required to charge their time. The only exception is for instructional faculty when classes have been canceled. 

State of Emergency declarations

  • Cities and counties in Central New York may declare a state of emergency in order to qualify for state or federal aid. They may also declare states of emergency that require the public to cease normal activities, such as parking in city streets or possibly even driving on streets and highways. It is important for commuters to determine if a "state of emergency" is aimed at prohibiting their travel or not. 

Announcement of notification systems

All internal and external class cancellation procedures are explained in detail at the college's emergency notification website.

Emergency information 

If there is a disaster or emergency affecting the SUNY Oswego community, you will be able to obtain updates and important instructions through the college's homepage, and New York Alert, assuming the situation has not damaged the college's ability to update these resources.

If you need to report a real accident or emergency situation on campus now, please call University Police at 315.312.5555 or 911.

Emergency management

SUNY Oswego has engaged in extensive planning for weather, public health and other emergencies. The Oswego community has a tradition of staunchly weathering storms and rallying to the aid of those in need when trying times hit. We coordinate our planning with the Oswego County Department of Emergency Management, specifically in regard to possible nuclear emergencies, and the Oswego County Department of Health as well as State University and New York state officials.  SUNY Oswego will continue to operate at some level in most foreseeable circumstances, including the various degrees of "states of emergency" that area municipalities may declare. Only the governor has the authority to close a State University campus.  Aside from the occasional snowstorm, the college has been spared serious emergencies in more-than-150-year history. With planning and the cooperation of members of the campus community, any eventuality that does arise will pass with a minimum of disruption to the life of our college and the lives of our students. 

Snow plowing priorities

The college has established priorities for snow removal with the Facility Services Department. First priority includes all campus roadways, commuter and employee parking lots, residential lot driving lanes, and sidewalks. 

Resident parking lot plowing notification

  • Once the above areas are cleared, the grounds crew will move to clear the resident parking lots. The grounds supervisor, a University Police supervisor, and a Residence Life and Housing Office representative will determine the lots to be plowed on that day. By noon, a "Notice of Intent to Plow Certain Lots" will be posted in all residence halls. A sign will also be posted at the entrances to all lots   that are to be plowed. In the larger lots, plowing will generally occur between 6 p.m. and 11 p.m.,  depending on the workload and current conditions.

**Cars not removed by the designated time will be ticketed and towed at the owner's expense.

  • If a snowstorm should occur between the time the notice is posted and the actual snow removal time, the grounds crew may suspend their scheduled resident lot plowing and plow higher priority areas.

Resident motorist assistance

  • Approximately an hour and a half before the time established for plowing, a University Police car and the college tow truck will be available at the designated parking lots to assist students in removing their cars.