7.04 Weather and Emergency Policy

During a weather emergency or other emergency all members of our community can call 617-432-6666 and hear the latest information on the status of the School via a new listen-only voice mail box.

The Medical School’s general position regarding inclement weather is that, short of a declared State of Emergency, the School remains open. The teaching and research activities of HMS continue despite inclement weather. Unless a message to the contrary is communicated you should assume that classes are held as scheduled, either remotely or in person; however, use your discretion regarding travel safety.

In the rare instance that all classes are canceled, it will be announced on Canvas and on TV channels 4, 5, and 7. A "no classes" announcement on these sites will refer to all classes on the HMS Quad. Any class closings will also be posted on Canvas and the HMS home page.

All students at clinical sites are responsible for contacting and following the reporting instructions of their site or clerkship director. Students must use their own discretion regarding the safety of travel to their clinical site. Even in lesser storms, some faculty tutors or lab instructors may not be able to make it in from distant suburbs. As the Office of Medical Education is notified of a faculty absence, it will be posted on Canvas and on the door of the appropriate classroom.

All students are required to sign up to receive emergency notifications from Harvard University’s Community Emergency Notification System called MessageMe, which allows the University to quickly distribute critical information to you, wherever you are located, during an emergency.  MessageMe helps you stay informed in the event of an emergency by sending alerts to your personal electronic device (cell phone, PDA, smartphone, etc.) through text messaging, voicemail, and/or e-mail. Students can sign up for the Emergency Notification Service by going to https://messageme.harvard.edu/.

Updated 11/28/22