Policy Overview
This policy establishes and describes closures approved and observed by Santa Fe Community College (SFCC or College) due to holidays, weather, or other emergencies that may arise.
Scope and Applicability
This policy applies to all individuals utilizing the College campus. It lists observed holidays and defines types of closures for the College.
Policy Statement
It is the policy of SFCC to grant regular status and term employees certain approved observed holidays. Eligible employees observe paid holidays as of their date of hire.
The health and safety of visitors, students, and employees are of first concern to the college. When a weather-related or other emergency situation exists, the president, designee or others as authorized in this policy may direct the closure of all or part of the campus in the interest of the health and safety of visitors, students, faculty and staff.
Campus closures relating to emergency response situations are conducted in accordance with the College’s and community’s emergency response plans.
Definitions
- Weather event Weather-related condition or weather-related damage that adversely affects the ability of campus personnel to adequately assure safe and secure campus operations and which could place the general public, visitors, students, or employees at risk.
- Full Campus Closure See Campus Closure
- Delayed-opening schedule The rescheduled opening time for the campus in response to an event, including weather-related. Typically, a delayed opening schedule will be a two hour delay from the standard opening time and indicates that the campus will open at 10:00 a.m. and only classes that begin at 10:00 a.m. or later will be held. This means the campus is closed until 10:00 a.m. and no labs, student services or other services will be available to students or to the general public before that time.
- Holiday The day when the entire college is closed.
- Holiday period The calendar day or days observed as the holiday.
- Other Emergencies A condition, such as threats to the campus or damage by failure of the infrastructure, which adversely affects the ability to use all or a portion of the campus.
Policy Process
- Holidays Observed
1. Martin Luther King Birthday, Spring Holiday, (Friday before Easter), Spring Break (as specified by the College calendar), Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Indigenous Peoples Day, Veterans Day, the day before Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Day, the day after Thanksgiving, and Winter Break (as specified by the College calendar).
2. Additional days or time may be declared as paid administrative leave by the President. - Eligibility
1. Only regular or term employees who work 20 hours or more a week are eligible for holiday pay.
2. Adjunct faculty, temporary, occasional, and on-call employees are not eligible for holiday pay.
3. Eligible employees must be on paid status at work, (annual leave, sick leave, leave with pay) on the day before and the day after the holiday to be eligible for holiday pay. - Special Circumstances Regarding Holidays
1. When a holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, employees shall observe the days designated by the College (usually the Friday before or Monday after the holiday) in lieu of the Saturday or Sunday holiday.
2. When a holiday falls on a week day (Monday through Friday), employees who are normally off on that day are granted time off on the work day immediately preceding or following their regular day off. Discretion is allowed by the supervisor to grant time off within fourteen (14) calendar days after the holiday.
3. Non-exempt, Regular or term employees required to work on a holiday or the day granted in lieu of the holiday receive pay for the hours worked at 1.5 times their regular straight-time rate plus a day’s pay for the holiday or, if agreed to by employee and supervisor, time off at the same rate for non-exempt employees.
4. Temporary, occasional, and on-call employees required to work on a holiday receive straight-time pay only for the hours worked. Overtime rates will apply only when they work more than 40 hours in a week.
5. For purposes of computing overtime, holiday time off is not considered as time worked. - Exceptions
College departments which because of the nature of their business, are regularly required to work on a majority of the scheduled holidays may obtain exceptions provided (applies only to non- exempt employees):
1. Supervisors obtain written approval, from the Office of Human Resources, covering all positions regularly involved.
2. Exempt Employees are given one day off in lieu of each holiday worked by arrangement with their supervisor.
3. All employees affected are advised by their supervisor at time of hiring that this holiday policy is part of the conditions of employment.
4. Holiday pay for eligible part-time employees is prorated based on the number of hours per week the employee is scheduled to work. The basis for making this determination is the employee’s FTE (full-time equivalent). - Implementing Campus Closures
1. The primary responsibility for administering and initiating campus closures rests with the President or designee.
2. The President consults, as appropriate, with campus Vice Presidents, the Director of Facilities and Operations, the Chief Communications Officer/Executive Director of Marketing and Public Relations, other authorities and resource agencies responsible for coordinating planning, notifications, and responses in compliance with this policy’s procedures and guidelines, and then makes the final decision to delay or close the College campus.
3. Any other class cancellations or employee or student’s decision to stop work or class due to weather-related or unsafe conditions should follow this policy, procedures and guidelines.
Statement of Accountability and Responsibility
The President, through the Vice President for Strategy and Organizational Effectiveness, the Chief Human Resources Officer, and the Office of Human Resources, shall be responsible for enforcing human resources policies and procedures. The Office of Human Resources shall work with the different departments and offices to comply with this policy and to develop procedures that will enforce this policy regarding awareness, prevention, and remediation.
Authority
SFCC Governing Board Approved: 12/16/14