Weather Closing Decisions and Procedures

The safety of students, faculty, and staff is our highest priority. Weather conditions may periodically require EICC to delay or close the college or individual campuses. We continually monitor the weather and all emergency communications, as conditions can change from one minute to the next.

Expectations for Student

In the event of severe weather conditions, the instructor has discretion to determine how course content and assessments will be accommodated.

When severe weather impacts normal class schedules, Eastern Iowa Community Colleges remains focused on supporting your learning while keeping safety front and center. 

Faculty may use different ways to deliver course content during weather-related disruptions to ensure you continue making progress and meet course expectations. How this looks may vary by class, so the most important thing you can do is check Canvas regularly for updates from your instructor. 

What to Expect 

  • Your instructor will communicate how class activities, assignments, or assessments will continue during a weather disruption. 
  • Depending on the course, instruction may continue through posted materials, recorded content, alternative assignments, or other delivery methods. 
  • If assignments or exams are impacted, reasonable timeframes will be provided. 
  • You are responsible for completing assigned academic work and following the instructions shared in Canvas. 

Online courses will continue as scheduled during weather-related campus closures. 

Travel and Safety 

If the college remains open, students are encouraged to use their best judgment about travel based on local road conditions. Your safety matters — you should never feel pressure to travel in unsafe conditions. Faculty understand that weather can affect travel and are typically flexible when students experience weather-related challenges. 

Staying connected through Canvas will help you stay informed, supported, and on track — even when the weather doesn’t cooperate. 

Delay & Closure FAQs

Students, staff, and faculty are encouraged to:

  • Visit the college website.  Delay/closure information will be posted. 
  • Current credit students and adjunct faculty will receive email notifications to their EICC live email account (name@live.eicc.edu).
  • Full-time faculty and staff will receive email notifications to their EICC email account (Name@eicc.edu).
  • The college’s Rave alert system will text current credit students and employees with a cell phone number on their academic or personnel record. For details on updating your contact information or on opting out of emergency texting, click here. 
  • Check our social media posts on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).

Weather can vary greatly over EICC’s seven-county region. Decisions to close will be made independently by each of the three colleges: Clinton, Muscatine, and Scott. For most weather closures, all sites associated to the specified college will be closed. Exceptions may be made if only one campus/site is affected by a weather condition. An example might be a power outage that impacts only one site. Communications will state if only one campus or site is affected. The colleges include the following sites:

Clinton Community College: 

  • CCC Campus-Lincoln Boulevard
  • Clinton Career Advancement Center
  • Bickelhaupt Arboretum
  • CCC Maquoketa Center

Muscatine Community College: 

  • MCC Campus
  • MCC Ag Learning Center 
  • West Liberty Center 
  • Wilton Community Center 
  • The Button Factory
  • For the Ag Learning Center, West Liberty, and Wilton Centers, the college cancellation would impact MCC classes, activities, or events only. 

Scott Community College: 

  • SCC Campus-Belmont Road
  • SCC Urban Campus
  • Blong Technology Center
  • SCC West Davenport Center
  • Nahant Marsh

EICC's service area covers hundreds of square miles.  Weather can vary region to region, so decisions are made based on the conditions at individual college location(s). Our goal is to remain open and conduct classes and business unless conditions are deemed unsafe. We will generally close our campuses in these instances:

  • The city or state issues travel restrictions due to blowing or drifting snow.
  • We cannot keep up with snow removal on campus.

If the college closes for weather, we will operate remotely with classes and services when possible. 

EICC will make closure or delay decisions in a timely manner.

For full day closures or delayed openings, our goal is to make that announcement by 6 a.m. when it is possible.

For an early closure, we will make that announcement no less than two hours prior to the closing so you can plan for transportation.

When the decision is made to close one or more campuses earlier than normal (college closing at 4 p.m., for example), the message means:

  • All classes with a start time before 4 p.m. will run until 4 p.m.
  • Classes scheduled to end later than 4 p.m. will end early to comply with the closure.
  • All classes scheduled to begin after 4 p.m. are canceled.
  • Staff should leave when the college closes.

When the decision is made to delay the opening of a campus, (college 10 a.m. start time, for example) the message means:

  • All classes with a start time before 10 a.m. are canceled.
  • All classes with a start time of 10 a.m. or later will run as scheduled. 
  • Staff with duties related to the delayed opening -- such as facilities and campus safety  -- should report to work as assigned. Other staff should report 30 minutes before the college is scheduled to open.

Expectations for Employees

During weather-related closures or early outs, Eastern Iowa Community Colleges remains committed to supporting our students whenever and however possible. Faculty and staff are encouraged to check student communications throughout the day and respond to urgent needs as they are able, recognizing that weather conditions can vary widely across our service area.

EICC employees are trusted to use their best judgment when assessing road and travel conditions, with safety as the top priority. When the college remains open and an employee is unable to report to work, the use of vacation or personal leave is expected.

In situations where the region experiences prolonged or extreme weather-related disruptions, the college may require remote work to ensure continuity of operations and student support.

EICC Faculty Guidelines

When the college remains open, classes are expected to be delivered as scheduled. Faculty who wish to move their class to an alternative delivery method during these circumstances must consult with and receive approval from their academic dean. Canceling a class when the college is open requires notification and the use of appropriate leave.

During weather-related disruptions or closures, Eastern Iowa Community Colleges supports flexible instructional approaches that maintain continuity of learning and alignment with course expectations and credit-hour standards.

Faculty have multiple options to maintain continuity of instruction during weather-related disruptions. The approach used may vary by course, instructional content, and student access, and should align with course expectations and credit-hour requirements.

Faculty may consider one or more of the following approaches: 

  • Posting instructional materials, learning activities, or recorded content in Canvas 
  • Recording lectures or demonstrations for student access as conditions allow 
  • Using synchronous (Zoom) or asynchronous (Canvas) online instruction to deliver required content 
  • Providing alternative assignments, simulations, or make-up learning activities 
  • Recovering instructional time within remaining class sessions 
  • Extending scheduled class time or arranging approved make-up sessions, including evenings when available 
  • Using a combination of methods to ensure course objectives are achieved 

These options allow flexibility while supporting students. 

Faculty are encouraged to include information in their syllabi describing how instruction will continue during weather-related disruptions and to clearly communicate expectations through Canvas.  

During periods of extreme or extended weather disruption, additional instructional adjustments may be necessary to ensure students receive the appropriate amount and quality of instructional content to meet course and credit-hour standards. 

Faculty seeking support with instructional technologies or delivery strategies may contact the eLearning team or consult with their instructional dean. 

Canvas Help 
canvashelpFREEEICC  
563-441-3421 

The focus remains on flexibility, continuity of learning, and maintaining course standards regardless of the weather. 

In the event of weather-related emergencies, EICC will share a general notice with students encouraging them to check Canvas.   

To help students stay on track, faculty are encouraged to communicate clear, course-specific guidance in advance about how students should access class materials, instruction, and assignments if weather disrupts normal class meetings. 

One way to do this is by adding a brief, personalized statement to your syllabus and/or posting expectations in Canvas. 

Sample syllabus or Canvas language: 

In the event of severe weather, changes to course delivery may be necessary. Please monitor Canvas for announcements, assignments, and instructions. Depending on the situation, instruction may take place using alternative delivery methods during regularly scheduled class times or through posted course materials. 

Students are responsible for completing assigned academic work. When weather disruptions occur, reasonable timeframes will be provided for completing assignments or exams. The instructor will determine how course content and assessments are adjusted to ensure course objectives are met. 

This proactive communication helps reduce confusion, supports continuity of learning, and ensures students know what to expect while allowing instructors flexibility in how instruction continues.