Frequently Asked Questions

This page answers frequently asked questions about how the UAA Incident Management Team manages emergencies to assure the safety of the UAA community.

What do I do if a medical emergency or injury or other emergency occurs in or near my class or office?
Call University Police at extension x61120. Clearly report the nature and location of the emergency. Follow the instructions given by University Police or emergency responders. Emergency telephones are located throughout the campus. Familiarize yourself with the location of telephones in your building.

What are my responsibilities as a faculty/staff member?
Faculty members are expected to remain with their classes and direct their classes as instructed by the University Police, Incident Management Team, building manager or emergency personnel. In case of a building evacuation, keep the class together and go to the designated area. Each semester, evacuation instructions are provided to the faculty by Academic Affairs. Staff members should remain at their duty stations or evacuate to the appropriate facility.

How does the university handle incidents or events such as an earthquake, blackout or weather emergency?
If an event having campus-wide impact occurs, the Incident Management Team (IMT) is automatically activated. The IMT will assess the event and call for appropriate responses. For a detailed explanation of the IMT, see UAA Procedure 02:02:04 (D). Copies of UAA Procedures and Regent's Policies and Regulations are available from your dean's office or in the Consortium Library.

How do we handle snow and weather closures?
The decision to cancel any or all UAA activities is made only by the chancellor or designee. On snow days, UAA announces any potential closures by 6 a.m. for day classes and by 4 p.m. for evening classes. The Incident Management Team makes an assessment and recommendation. A detailed explanation of the snow closure procedure can be found in UAA Procedure 02:02:04 (A), available from your dean's office or in the Consortium Library. The snow closure procedure is also published in the News Digest early each semester.

How do I find out about closures or emergencies?
UAA uses several methods of communications to notify staff and faculty of emergencies or closures.

  • Email: The UAA-wide distribution list is a primary distribution channel and will be used to send notice. All employees are included in this distribution list.
  • UAAlerts: The Incident Management Team uses a combination of text messages, emails and phone calls to get emergency alert information to students and employees.  Contact information is automatically uploaded from the university's Banner system.  Please log-in to add your text and cell phone information for crisis alerts at www.alaska.edu/uaalerts
  • Website: The UAA website at www.uaa.alaska.edu is updated.
  • Phone: Both the Events Hotline at (907) 786-1000 and the general UAA number at (907) 786-1800 are updated.
  • Radio/Television: UAA notifies all major broadcast outlets of closures as rapidly as possible. Faculty and staff should be aware that not all outlets have 24-hour phone numbers, and that UAA cannot control the content of broadcasts. We make every attempt to notify broadcast outlets by 6 a.m. for day classes and by 4 p.m. for evening classes. To help expedite notification of broadcast outlets and to speed campus notification, please do not personally call University Police or University Advancement. Check your email and check the website for accurate information.

What if UAA is open and I can’t meet my class or get to work?
There may be times when conditions in an individual neighborhood prevent faculty from meeting their classes. If this happens, notify your dean's office or department chair as soon as possible so that students can be notified. Staff members should notify their supervisor. Keep a class roster at home, or set up a phone tree in your class. It is the responsibility of the faculty member and the department to notify students if individual classes are canceled when the university remains open.

What if students can’t make it to class?
Faculty should remember that conditions can vary dramatically around the Anchorage bowl during major snowfalls. We make every effort to keep UAA open and operating in our northern environment, but we recognize that there may be times when students, like faculty, face local conditions that make travel impractical.

What about information on earthquakes, fires, etc.?
UAA makes available state and federal publications concerning appropriate actions during natural disasters. During the year, the UAA Safety Committee offers special seminars and workshops on selected topics. As residents of an earthquake-prone area, faculty should become familiar with publications and information available on these topics.