Emergency Notice

Ohio Dominican University (ODU) is committed to supporting the safety and welfare of all its students, faculty, staff and visitors. Preparing and maintaining an effective Emergency Response Plan, as well as allocating the required resources to implement it, are among the ways the University maintains this commitment and mission.

Download Emergency Response Plan PDF

Any announcement regarding an emergency, as well as closure, delay or online transition due to a weather event will be communicated to you in the following ways:

• An ODU Alert message will be sent to all registered phone numbers and your ODU email address.
  • You can review and update your contact information by logging into ODU Online, clicking on “NEW! Colleague Self-Service” on the main menu, clicking on the bottom icon on the left-hand side of the Self-Service screen, then selecting “User Profile.” To sign up to receive a text message, send the word “ALERT” in a text to 22300. If you have difficulty accessing this site, you may contact Helpdesk@ohiodominican.edu. If you have previously opted out of alerts and would like to begin receiving them, please contact PublicSafety@ohiodominican.edu.
• Information will be shared with area news media by our Marketing and Public Relations staff.
• Information will be posted prominently on the university’s homepage.
• The university’s main social media channels will be updated immediately upon notification.

Ohio Dominican University will always seek to remain open if possible, but the safety of our students, faculty, and staff will be our primary concern in the decision to close or remain open.  

The university has made significant strides over the past year in improving its online learning environment, and providing students and faculty with enhanced access to remote classes. Those upgrades give us increased flexibility in how we may continue to hold classes uninterrupted.

In cases of inclement weather, the university may choose one of the following options.

University Closure
In the event the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office declares a Level 3 snow emergency (emergency vehicle traffic only), Ohio Dominican may choose to close or transition to an online-only learning and working model. If the university closes, that means classes and events will be canceled and employees in “non-essential” service areas, including administrative staff and faculty, should not report to campus. Employees who support student health and safety, such as Public Safety, facilities, and food service staff, would still be expected to report. Depending on local weather conditions, we may decide to close the university without a Level 3 snow emergency declaration.

Online-Only Transition
If the university transitions to online only, that means that students are expected to attend classes online and employees are expected to work remotely. If ODU transitions to online only, evening events and activities may still take place as scheduled.

Class Cancellation
In the event that daytime classes are canceled, it does not necessarily affect evening classes in the Adult & Continuing Education and Graduate programs. Look for separate announcements regarding the status of evening classes.

Weather conditions can vary widely across Central Ohio, and if driving conditions prevent you from reaching campus even when the university remains open and in person, you may contact your professor or supervisor to let them know that you intend to attend class or work remotely.