Weather Closing Info

Snow covered campus

When a school closing or delay is announced, you may have questions about how the decision impacts particular Bellarmine University services.

During any weather or emergency situation, even if the campus is open, use your best judgment to ensure safe travel. If you are unable to make it to Bellarmine safely, contact your professor or supervisor to explain the situation as soon as possible. Key employees required to work during a closure or delay will be notified by their supervisor.

Classes

If a closure is announced, no face-to-face classes—including evening classes—take place that day, and most university services are suspended (see exceptions below). Students in online courses will meet as scheduled unless notified otherwise by the course instructor. 

If a delay is announced, face-to-face classes scheduled before the announced opening time are cancelled. At the announced opening time, go where you would normally be at that hour, then follow your normal schedule. For example, if Bellarmine opens at 10 a.m., and you have face-to-face classes that morning at 8 a.m. and 10 a.m., skip your 8 a.m. class and go to the 10 a.m. class on time. Face-to-face classes that would already be underway at 10 a.m. will instead begin at 10 a.m. (for example, if we open at 10 a.m. and you have a class from 9:30-10:40 a.m. you would report to your class from 10-10:40 a.m.). Students in online courses will meet as scheduled unless notified otherwise by the course instructor. 

If an early dismissal is announced, face-to-face classes are cancelled for the rest of the day, beginning at a specific time that will be announced. Evening classes will not meet if early dismissal is announced. Students in online courses will meet as scheduled unless notified otherwise by the course instructor. 

The university recognizes that students, faculty and staff may have unreliable digital access to online delivery during some non-weather and weather-related events. Students should not be held responsible for failure to engage in online course-related events for reasons beyond their control during an interruption in course delivery. In such circumstances, students will be given every opportunity to make up work, receive assignment deadline extensions, take scheduled examinations late or participate in a recorded or asynchronous online version of that class meeting. Students are directed to communicate with faculty as early as possible if they are unable to participate in courses for weather or digital access reasons.

Internships, Clinicals and Student Teaching

INTERNSHIPS (Departmental 444 and 445 courses; BU 250)

Follow your employer’s instructions during the time you are scheduled to work. If Bellarmine is closed or delayed, but your employer is open, you should still plan on going to your job or internship, but only if you are able to do so safely. Otherwise, contact your supervisor.

ANNSLEY FRAZIER THORNTON SCHOOL OF EDUCATION: STUDENT TEACHING AND FIELD EXPERIENCES

Students enrolled in School of Education programs assume additional responsibilities related to the K-12 students and cooperating teachers with whom they work in the field. When an inclement weather closing or delayed schedule is issued for the Bellarmine campus, students assigned to field experiences should follow the schedule of their field placement or student teaching assignment. If the K-12 school is open, students should report at their appropriately scheduled time, using their best judgement to ensure safe travel. If Bellarmine campus is closed, but the field placement/student teaching site is open, students should still plan on going to their assigned field site if able to do so safely. If weather conditions prevent safe travel to student teaching/field placement sites, students should contact the field placement coordinator, their university supervisor, and their cooperating teacher to explain the situation as soon as possible.

If early dismissal is announced for the Bellarmine campus and classes are cancelled for the rest of the day, student teachers and field placement students are to remain at their placement until the end of the regularly scheduled day unless released early by their cooperating teacher.

LANSING SCHOOL: NURSING CLINICALS & LABS

Undergraduate students: If face-to-face classes are cancelled, students should not go to classrooms, clinicals or labs during that time.

Graduate Students: During inclement weather, each student should evaluate the weather conditions and use best judgment when traveling to clinical. Students who determine that they cannot safely drive or walk to the clinical assignment due to inclement weather are to notify their assigned instructor and clinical coordinator.

Students in clinical sites remote to Louisville should always exercise best judgement when reporting to assignments based on the local weather or travel conditions. If local events prevent clinical attendance, contact your professor (at Bellarmine) and the clinical site supervisor to explain the situation as soon as possible.

DOCTOR OF PHYSICAL THERAPY: CLINICALS

Policy: Students enrolled in health professions education programs assume additional responsibilities for the health and safety of their patients/clients as part of their educational process. Therefore, students are expected to be present if the clinical facility remains open for business during inclement weather.

Procedure: When an inclement weather closing is issued for the campus, students assigned to clinical experiences should report to their assignment, if open, at their regularly scheduled time, using best judgment to ensure safe travel. If Bellarmine is closed, but the clinical assignment site is open, the student should still plan on going to the clinical site, if able to do so safely. If weather conditions prevent safe travel to a clinical experience, the student should contact their Bellarmine professor and clinical supervisor to explain the prior to the assigned start time.

CERTIFIED REGISTERED NURSE ANESTHETIST: CLINICALS

During inclement weather, each CRNA student should evaluate the weather conditions and use best judgment when traveling to clinicals. Students who determine that they cannot safely drive or walk to the clinical assignment due to inclement weather are to notify the assigned CRNA instructor or Clinical Coordinator. The student is to contact Assistant Program Administrator/Clinical Education Coordinator according to the absence (PTO) policy. Personal safety is the number one priority. Students who miss more than three days of clinical experiences due to inclement weather may be required to make up the days, in which case the student would attend make-up clinical in lieu of being charged PTO.

Campus Services

DINING SERVICES

Whenever possible, dining services will operate on their regular schedule, even when classes at Bellarmine are closed or delayed. However, when conditions are extreme, we will go to an abbreviated food service schedule. Click here for the regular dining schedule. Residential students should monitor their Bellarmine email for announcements about changes to this schedule during severe weather.

INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS

In general, home sporting events are cancelled when Bellarmine is closed. However, in some circumstances—such as when Bellarmine's opponent has already arrived in Louisville—the Department of Athletics may decide to continue with an event as scheduled. For more information, visit the Bellarmine Athletics' site, on Facebook, on Twitter or on Instagram.

SuRF CENTER

Bellarmine's Sport, Recreation and Fitness Center may open, even when classes are cancelled or delayed, if they can do so safely. For more information, visit the SuRF on Instagram.

STUDENT EVENTS

Unless otherwise communicated, student events on campus are cancelled when Bellarmine is closed because of severe weather.

PUBLIC SAFETY

Bellarmine's Department of Public Safety is always on duty. For assistance, call 502.272.7777. For emergencies, call 911.

LIBRARY

Bellarmine University Library follows the University decision, except as the end of a term nears it may open with abbreviated hours if it can do so safely. For more information check the library homepage, Facebook or Instagram.

Closing and Delay Notifications

The university will only send an alert if there is a change in the regular schedule. If there is no alert, classes are in session as scheduled. The university will announce closings, delays and early dismissals via:

  • the university’s emergency text message and e-mail notification system, BU ALERT
  • the Bellarmine.edu homepage
  • digital monitors around campus
  • announcements on local television stations, as available

Find more information about emergency preparedness and sign up for BU ALERT notifications.