Weather Delays and Cancellations
It doesn’t happen often but, occasionally, classes and events at Clark College must be delayed or cancelled to ensure the safety of our students and staff.
Generally, cancellations are caused by inclement weather and emergencies. When inclement weather causes transportation problems or locally hazardous conditions, students and employees are expected to give first consideration to their personal safety when evaluating their ability to travel to the college.
When will the college make a decision about a cancellation or delay?
If it appears that inclement weather or other circumstances might cause delays or cancellations to day classes, the college strives to make a decision by 5:15 a.m. so that information can be shared with employees and the general public no later than 5:30-5:45 a.m.
Decisions about evening classes and events will generally be made no later than 2 p.m.
Please remember that though the college may remain open, some instructors may not be able to make it in.
What parts of the college will be affected?
- Clark College delays and closures affect the main campus, Clark College at Columbia
Tech Center, and the Economic and Community Development program at the Columbia Bank
Building in Vancouver.
- Clark College at WSU Vancouver (WSUV) follows WSUV’s decisions and schedules about delays and closures. WSUV generally makes determinations about daytime closings by 6:30 a.m.
*Important: Clark College serves students throughout Clark, Skamania and eastern Klickitat Counties. Weather conditions may vary across the region. Decisions to delay or cancel classes are based on the weather situation at Clark facilities.
However, if any Clark student feels unsafe about driving to classes due to weather conditions, they should not drive. Students are encouraged to contact their instructors and inform them of the situation.
Public transportation -- C-Tran or TriMet -- may be an option. Check their websites for current information.
How will the college share information?
- Updated information will be available on the Clark College home page and shared with students through the college's student email system. In addition,
information will be posted on the college's main Facebook and Twitter accounts.
- Updates may also be available on the main telephone line (360-992-2000) but due to
the heavy volume of calls expect delays.
- Information about delays or cancellations will be sent to the news media. Please remember
that the college cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information that is ultimately
shared by news outlets or when it may appear. For that reason, neither college employees
nor the general public should rely on media reports as their primary source for information
regarding the cancellation of classes or events.
- Text message and/or email alerts will be sent to those who are enrolled in the RAVE Alert system. Students enrolled in RAVE will receive text messages on their phones and/or email notifications about not only weather-related delays or closures, but also emergency events and drills.
What will the messages look like?
Generally, the messages will look like this:
College is open: All classes, events, services, and functions will operate as scheduled for [day of week and date].
Classes delayed: Due to [cause for delay], classes and events scheduled to start prior to [time] at the main campus, CTC, and ECD will not be held today [day of week and date]. Classes starting at [time] will be held as scheduled. Other college services and functions will operate on their regular schedule.
Classes cancelled: Due to [cause for delay], all classes and events scheduled for [day of week and date] are cancelled. Other college services and functions will operate on their regular schedule.
Suspended operations: Due to [cause for delay], all classes, events, services, and functions are suspended for [day of week and date]. Only emergency personnel are expected to report to work.