Missouri Western State University values the safety of all students and employees. The University does not take any campus closures lightly and makes every effort to remain open and able to serve our students and community; however, our first priority is always the safety of our campus community, and with that there are circumstances that require the campus to close.

In the event of severe winter weather, the following steps will be taken before the University determines whether to close campus:

  • Physical Plant staff will treat and monitor campus roads, parking lots and sidewalks.
  • Physical Plant staff will provide administrators with an estimated time that campus surfaces will be cleared.
  • Administrators and staff will evaluate travel hazards commuters to campus might face by consulting several resources, including the Missouri Department of Transportation, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, city and county law enforcement and street and road crews, the St. Joseph School District, the National Weather Service in Pleasant Hill and other weather services as well as our local news outlets.

After careful consideration of all of this information, the President of Missouri Western in consultation with other administrators will make the final decision on any campus closures.

Off-site learning opportunities, such as clinicals, internships and the Kansas City Northland campus among others may have weather conditions different from those affecting St. Joseph and may require a different closing decision. Also, students should not assume that because campus is closed, they won’t have assignments. Online classes may continue to meet, and faculty members may use Canvas, email, or other means to conduct classes and make assignments remotely when campus is closed. Special events, including athletic contests, arts performances and conferences, are generally canceled when campus is closed.  

In the event Missouri Western remains open during a winter weather event, students and employees should evaluate the conditions where they live; if they feel they are unable to safely travel to campus when it is open, they should contact their instructors or supervisors to make arrangements.

When a decision is made to close campus due to weather, a message will be sent out using the Griffon Alert emergency notification system. This includes emails to Missouri Western email accounts and posts to Facebook and Twitter. Students and employees may also sign up to receive text alerts here.