Disclaimer: The content on these webpages appears as a courtesy to site visitors and is for general informational purposes only. To obtain a copy of the official applicable policy or regulation, please contact Brookdale’s Public Records Custodian via the Public Records webpage of the Brookdale website at https://www.brookdalecc.edu/about/public-records


I. Title of Regulation

Closing of the College and/or Suspension of Classes

II. Objective of Regulation

To assign responsibility for closing of the College and/or suspension of classes in unusual circumstances and to create a transparent procedure whereby students and the College community are informed and understand the status.

III. Authority

Bylaws of the Board of Trustees, Section 1.3034(1)

IV. Regulation Statement

Under circumstances requiring a College closing, suspension of classes or delayed opening, the President or the President’s designee will have the sole determination.

The following conditions apply:

A. Closing of the College

Whenever the President or the designee decides to declare the College closed, all operations — with the exception of Security and essential maintenance — will cease at the Lincroft Campus, the adjunct campuses, and higher education centers. In addition, all programs and events will be canceled or postponed, at all locations. Per the Notification Procedure discussed in a subsequent section of this policy, the Office of the President and College Relations will be responsible for notifying the public, students and the College community.

B. Suspension of Operations

Whenever the President or the designee decides to suspend operations and/or classes during the course of a day for any circumstances, the following actions will take place:

  1. The President or the designee will inform the Officers of the College.
  2. The Executive Vice President of Educational Services will ensure that classes are dismissed.
  3. When classes are suspended, the President or the designee will determine which employees are deemed essential and be required to remain at the College.
  4. To inform staff of closings during the course of a day, College Relations will be responsible for contacting key building administrators at the Lincroft campus, such as designees for the Collins Arena, CAR, Warner Center, PAC, CVA, Bankier Library
    and the academic megastructure.
  5. College Relations will also notify key site administrators for each adjunct campus and higher education center. College Relations is responsible for keeping a current list of key building and site administrators.
  6. In the event that classes and/or activities at an adjunct campus or Higher Education Center must be suspended, the College Relations Department will be responsible for contacting key building and site administrators, and notifying the public as appropriate.
C. Delayed Openings

Whenever the President or the designee decides to declare a delayed opening for Brookdale classes or programs, the following actions will take place:

  1. The President or the designee will declare a time for access to the campuses and higher education centers and then a subsequent time for the start of classes and programs. Only classes scheduled to start after the opening of the College will be held that day.
  2. Exceptions to the above must be approved at the beginning of each term by the President; these will be for extraordinary
    circumstances only (ex: full day clinical experiences) and must be cleared in advance; permission will not be granted on the day of
    the occurrence.
  3. Per the Notification Procedure discussed in a subsequent section of this policy, the Office of the President and College Relations will be responsible for notifying the public, students and the College community.
D. Notification Procedure

In the event of an emergency closing, the Executive Assistant to the President notifies the Executive Director of College Relations or the Public Relations Manager and/or the Webmaster. The Webmaster is notified and posts information on the institutional website (Priority Number One).

Ideally, in the event of a closing, the decision to close is made by 5 a.m. and the website announces the closing at or before 5:30 a.m.

The next step is for either the Executive Assistant to the President or the Executive Director of College Relations to leave a broadcast message on voice mail, and also notify the college operators; external number 732-842-1900.

Staffs at the adjunct campuses and the Higher Education Centers are notified by broadcast voice mail or must access the message at 732-842-1900, and/or the announcement on the Institutional website. Each Center will change their respective Center’s phone greeting to reflect the College’s decision.

College Relations is responsible for contacting all radio and television media outlets. The chain, in priority order, of communication media contacted for reporting a closing or delayed opening is as follows:

1. Institutional Web site www.brookdalecc.edu
2. Broadcast employee voicemail
3. WBJB (90.5FM)
4. NJ 101.5FM
5. TV – News 12 NJ
6. WHTG (106.3FM)
7. WINS (1010AM)
8. WOBM (92.7FM)
9. WJLK (94.3FM)
10. WCBS (880AM)
11. TV – WCBS Ch. 2

V. Responsibility for Implementation

President
Revised: March 2007