Decision Factors

CCBC’s administration assesses the following factors when determining whether to reduce operations or to close the college due to inclement weather or other emergencies.

Decisions are made daily, including on weekends. No announcements are made via website, weather lines or other media unless there is an actual closing or delay message to be delivered (i.e. unless otherwise announced, the college is open during normal operating hours).

  • Public Safety threat assessment
  • On-campus conditions
  • Driving conditions
  • Weather forecast
  • Anticipated level of student, faculty and staff absenteeism
  • Scheduled campus events and activities (per advance consultation, when possible, with Campus Deans)
  • Baltimore County Public Schools decision*
  • Neighboring commuter colleges and university decisions (i.e. UMBC, Towson University)
  • Maryland State Government decisions
  • Predicted duration of emergency. Example: In case of power outage, immediate closings are not normally warranted. Closings should be based on consultation with Facilities Management and BGE regarding predicted length of outage.

Decisions and Announcements Timeline

Advance or next-day weather closing decisions will be made by 10:00 p.m. in order to be announced on the 11:00 p.m. news when conditions are severe enough to merit next-day closing announcements. Normally, decisions will be made daily, including on the weekends.

Same day weather closing decisions will be made in the following stages in order to best assess changing conditions:

  • Assessment of conditions and recommendation to be made by 5 a.m.
  • Delayed opening are preferably at standard delayed opening times of 10:00 a.m., noon, or 5 p.m.
    • Conditions on campus(es) are to be reassessed 2 ½ hours prior to scheduled late opening, e.g. Noon opening determination to be made at 9:30 a.m.; 5 p.m. opening determination to be made at 2:30 p.m.
    • In all cases above, determination will be made to open as decided or close for remainder of the day/evening.

Utility and safety closing will be made as soon as practical.

*Please note: CCBC’s decision is independent of that of Baltimore County Public Schools. When Baltimore County Public Schools close, all CCBC classes offered at BCPS locations are canceled.