Cape Breton University takes its responsibility to its students very seriously and tries to remain open at all times for classes and University business. However, at times, the campus must close to ensure the well-being of our campus community.
In the event of a closure, the campus community will be notified immediately through CBU Alert, CBU.ca, and our official Facebook and Twitter accounts. A notice will also be sent to local radio stations.
To be notified of campus closures, please sign up for CBU Alert and be sure to read our full Inclement Weather Policy.
Campus closures apply to Cape Breton University campus, the Cineplex classroom location and the offices at 500 George Street unless otherwise stated in the official alert.
For a full list of frequently asked questions, please see below.
When the CBU campus is closed, all in-person classes and scheduled events (including exams) for that day are cancelled.
University buildings and services will be closed including Cineplex classroom locations and 500 George Street unless otherwise stated in the alert.
If you are on campus when a closure announcement is made, you will be expected to leave the campus if it is safe to do so.
CBU tries to remain open for scheduled classes and other events whenever possible. However, on occasion, we do need to close for the safety and well-being of our campus community.
Reasons for closure may include inclement (bad) weather, power outages or other unforeseen circumstances beyond our control.
CBU opts to maintain a campus closure policy in an effort to assist individuals in making decisions and for the well-being of the campus community.
If a decision is made to close, a CBU Alert will be sent to our campus community. Immediately following, the information will be shared on www.cbu.ca, our official Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts, and with media for distribution through their channels. For staff and faculty, an email will be sent to the announcement listing.
A voice message regarding closure status will also be recorded for access via phone. To reach this message, call the general CBU phone number at 902-539-5300 and press 9.
No. If campus is closed, but you have made an appointment to visit campus in-person, this appointment will also be cancelled. Please get in touch with the person you made the appointment with to reschedule for a more appropriate time.
The speed of which you receive the alert can depend on your cellular carrier. But if you’re signed up for the alert, you should receive it in a timely manner.
A campus closure decision is made by CBU’s Manager of Security Services or a designate.
This decision involves a balancing of CBU’s commitment to ensure classes and campus events continue and the well-being of our campus community. These decisions are taken very seriously and are made in consultation with forecasters at Environment Canada, other local education partners and members of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality’s Police and Transportation departments.
Campus closure decisions are made the day of a cancellation (not in advance). This is to optimize currency of weather forecasts and situations.
Morning: Any class or lab that begins before 1:00 p.m. (8:40, 10:05, 11:30)
Afternoon: Classes or labs between 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. (1:00, 2:30 4:00)
Evening: Any class or lab that begins later than 5:00 p.m.
If campus is open, but you do not feel that you can make it to campus safely, please use your own discretion.
“Students who miss classes during inclement weather (within reason) will not be unreasonably penalized for academic work missed. It is expected that academic staff will accommodate these students by arranging a new due date for assignments/papers/presentations or providing an alternate examination date. It is the responsibility of the student to email their professor or instructor to inform them of their absence that day.”
If campus is open, but you cannot make it to campus safely due to inclement weather, please use your own discretion.
If you are a faculty member or instructor, please inform your class/classes of the cancellation at the earliest opportunity possible. Please be sure to include the cancellation on moodle, your e-mail notification and voicemail message, and any other way that you normally communicate with your students.
If you are a staff member, please inform your manager at the earliest opportunity possible. It is also recommended that you turn on your email out of office notification and change your voicemail message, if necessary.
Every organization makes their own decision to open or close based upon their own criteria and assessment of conditions. These criteria may differ from organization to organization. All closure decisions are based on varying factors including, condition of roads, sidewalks and entrances; current and incoming weather systems; and input from experts.
No. Due to the fact that many of our campus community members rely on public transportation, if the busses are not running due to weather conditions, CBU will not be open.
The Cape Breton Regional Municipality makes the decision as to whether or not the bus service operates.
