Closures

image of police

Closing or Delay Notices

NOVA uses a color-coded system to communicate any operating status updates to our faculty, staff and students.

In the event of a college-wide or campus-specific closure or delayed opening, the decision will be announced on the home page of the NOVA website, and a text alert will be sent to cell phones that are registered with  NOVA Alert.

Closure Notifications

News of college-wide closures or delayed openings may also be found on local TV and radio stations. 

If the College closes early due to inclement weather, students, faculty and staff may be provided with specific times they can leave. This will help to ensure a safe and orderly departure from buildings and campuses.

Please do not call College Police for closing information; this may delay and/or interrupt critical information flow and decision-making.

Color Codes

  • All classes and activities are held as normal.
  • Facilities open and close on their normal schedules.

Note: Green alerts will be sent to indicate the return to normal after any of the other alerts. When the college is opening in the morning on a normal schedule, the green alert will be sent by 11 p.m. the night before. When following a yellow alert delayed opening, the website banner should show a green alert beginning 45 minutes prior to the official opening. For other alert colors, a link to the definition of “designated/essential employees who are required to work during emergencies" will be provided

  • If delayed opening: (9:30am or 11am on M-F… weekend standard times TBD)

    • Buildings, classrooms and offices will open for business at [specified opening time].
    • Employees and students may enter buildings beginning one (1) hour ahead of the specified opening time. Access prior to that time is restricted to designated/essential employees who are required to work during emergencies.
    • In-person and Zoom classes that begin before [specified opening time] are canceled.
    • NOVA Online classes, events, and services remain accessible.
    • All faculty are encouraged to contact students to confirm or clarify class status via email or text.
  • If early closure: (standard closure times will be determined after schedule review for logical cutoff times)
    • Offices must close and in-person and Zoom classes must end by [specified closing time].
    • All non-designated/non-essential employees and students must leave campus within one (1) hour after the specified closing time. Access after that time is restricted to designated/essential employees who are required to work during emergencies.
    • In-person and Zoom classes that begin later than (1 hour prior to the closing time) are canceled.
    • NOVA Online classes, events, and services remain accessible.
    • All faculty are encouraged to contact students to confirm or clarify class status via email or text.

  • NOVA is closed for the full day. All classes (including Zoom classes), events, and services are canceled with no expectation of telework except for designated/essential employees who are required to work during emergencies.
  • NOVA Online classes remain accessible.
  • All faculty are encouraged to contact students to confirm or clarify class status via email or text.

  • The College is open but operating fully remotely. Classes and services will continue online, but buildings are closed (except for designated/essential personnel).
  • All non-designated/non-essential full-time employees are expected to telework as directed by their supervisor. Temporary telework agreements are not required for a short-term collegewide closure.
  • P14 employees, work-study students, contractors, and teleworkers may be expected to work as directed by their supervisor.
  • Teaching faculty should notify students of changes in the class format of scheduled in-person classes. Options include holding classes on Zoom or delivering content/assignments via email or Canvas.
  • NOVA Online classes, events, and services, as well as Zoom classes, continue as normal.

Locked/Closed Campuses

Please Note: Doors will be locked one hour after the College closing time.

Delayed Opening Door Access
If the College opens at 10:00 a.m., doors will be unlocked at 9:00 a.m. While doors are locked, no access to campus and non-campus buildings is permissible.

Closure Door Access
If the College closes at 4:00 p.m., doors will be locked at 5:00 p.m. Doors will unlock one hour prior to the College’s opening time.

Announcement Broadcasts

FM Radio Television Stations
WAMU 88.5 WRC Channel 4
WFLS 93.3 WTTG Channel 5
WASH 97.1 WJLA Channel 7
WITH 99.5 WUSA Channel 9
WTOP 103.5 NOVA-TV Channel 19, 25, 37 or 59 (check the local cable listing for your area)
WRQX 107.3

Continuation of Instruction

In the event of an extended closing, faculty are required to notify their students of their backup plan for instruction.

At the start of every semester, faculty are expected to communicate to students and to their dean their alternative approach to continuing teaching and learning during emergency closures lasting more than a day. Faculty must also provide their Dean with a copy of their syllabi explaining their approach to continuing instruction during emergency closures. Examples of alternative teaching and learning approaches include the utilization of Canvas, video conferences, email, conference calls, special topics research, discussion, etc. Faculty must announce their alternative delivery approach to the class as soon as possible after the College is closed. The alternative delivery approaches specific to the course should be documented in the course syllabi.