CSUB Power Outage Policy

PURPOSE
This policy is established to provide guidance to Administrators, Faculty and Staff in the event of a power outage caused by rolling blackouts, weather or infrastructure related incidents.

GENERAL
A. In the event of a power failure, emergency lighting will come on in some buildings and telephones will be operational. The emergency phone system will remain operational, however, the blue lights will be inoperative. Elevators will not work and if you are caught in an elevator, use the emergency phone to contact Campus Police for assistance.

B. In a power outage, heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems will shut down, and return when power is restored. A lack of ventilation for the amount of time the power may be out should not pose a health or safety concern. Should electrical power go out on campus, the university will continue to operate as normally as possible, considering the circumstances. If the outage occurs during the day, do not immediately evacuate your building unless there is a safety concern.

STAFF
A. Appropriate administrators will determine if and when employees should leave their work areas, taking into account the availability of light, ventilation and ease of evacuation. Safety will be the priority consideration. The appropriate Cabinet Officer or the President will make the decision to grant administrative leave and will determine the length of the leave, if it is necessary to release employees from the campus. Employees must receive approval from their appropriate administrator to leave their workstations. This authorization should be pre-arranged and an evacuation plan should be predetermined for interior spaces that will be dark if the electricity goes out. Employees should also receive instructions as to the appropriate gathering area where they will receive further direction. Employees who leave their offices should take their personal items and lock the door behind them.

B. Departments should establish internal security plans to ensure that cash, confidential documents and files are locked and secured prior to evacuating the building.

C. Internal plans for accommodating employees and/or students who have limited mobility to ensure they will be able to safely move about or exit the building in the event of a blackout should also be established. Exit corridors and stairwells should not be used for storage and should be kept clear.

D. Any employee whose dependent care arrangements have been disrupted should be allowed to leave to deal with the situation. Employees should not be charged for such leave as long as it is taken in accordance with this policy. Nothing in this policy is intended to reduce normal departmental discretion in these matters.

E. If it is determined that administrative leave will be granted for staff or if faculty determine the need to cancel classes, the Office of Personnel Services shall be notified immediately by the secretary of the departments involved and the time period for which the administrative leave was granted.

FACULTY/STUDENTS
If the campus experiences an outage while classes are in session, the following will apply:
A. Classes and/or faculty offices in internal rooms with no natural lighting will be evacuated. If the class is in session prior to 5:00p.m., Building Marshals and the School Dean staff will assist.

B. If the class is in session after 5:00pm, it will be the sole responsibility of the faculty member to safely evacuate their students. Flashlights will be provided to all faculty by their respective Dean. Faculty should encourage their students to carry a flashlight with them by placing a short statement in their syllabus. Even during daylight, some internal spaces can be dark.

C. Classrooms, and/or faculty offices that have sufficient natural light may not require evacuation and the class may continue as scheduled. The instructor will determine if there is sufficient light. If the class is still in session after dark, faculty should dismiss their classes for the evening.

E. Students will be required to report back to class once the power resumes. If students arrive on campus during a blackout, they should wait for the power to resume and then attend their class.

F. In the event a building or or area needs to be evacuated, the collection points will remain the same as outlined in the CSUB Emergency Response Guide. Students are not required to remain in this area unless requested to do so by their instructor. Since some of these sites are unshaded and exposed to the elements, faculty and students may wish to relocate to a more protected area.

For further information regarding leave issues, please contact Human Resources at 654.2266. For additional questions on potential outages, contact Campus Police at 654.2111 or Facilities Management at 654.2211. For additional information regarding faculty or class scheduling issues, contact Dr. James George, AAVP, Undergraduate Studies at 654.3420. For information regarding emergency preparedness and evacuations, go to Emergency Response Plans.

Up to date information regarding campus status will be made available on the CSUB Emergency Information Line at 654.6666, and on local television and radio stations as appropriate.