Weather, Public Health, and Safety Emergencies

Purpose

To establish a consistent policy across all David Geffen School of Medicine (DGSOM) sites and settings regarding weather, safety, and public health emergencies, in alignment with UCLA main campus policies and procedures.

1.1 Policies

  1. 1.1(1) Decision Making Authority
    1. (1a) The decision to excuse students from classroom responsibilities is made by UCLA main campus.
  2. 1.1(2) Classroom Activities During Emergencies
    1. (2a) If UCLA declares a closure of classroom activities due to a weather or public safety emergency, DGSOM classroom activities will follow the same guidance issued by the main campus.
  3. 1.1(3) Clinical Duties During Emergencies
    1. (3a) If a public safety emergency is declared in a municipality where students are engaged in clinical coursework, students should be excused from those activities until the emergency is resolved.
    2. (3b) If a weather emergency is declared in a municipality where students are scheduled for clinical duties, students who must drive to their site should be excused until the emergency ends.
  4. 1.1(4) In-Person Activities During UCLA Closure
    1. (4a) If UCLA officially closes due to a weather emergency, all DGSOM students are excused from attending in-person course activities. Any missed coursework or academic requirements may need to be completed at a later date, as determined by course faculty.
  5. 1.2(5) DGSOM Student Responsibilities
    1. (5a) If no official emergency is declared but a student feels unsafe traveling to their clinical site or campus, they must:
      1. Notify their course chair, site coordinator, and clinical team
      2. Submit an Absence Request Form.
      3. Make-up clinical time and/or missed coursework will be required.

1.2 Procedures

  1. 1.2(1) Notification of Closure
    1. (1a) The Associate Dean of Curricular Affairs, Associate Dean of Student Affairs, Curricular Affairs Office, and/or Student Affairs Office will notify students, course directors, clerkships, and clinical electives of any campus or site closures via official school listservs.

Responsibility and References

  1. RESPONSIBILITY 
    DGSOM Medical Students
    Educational Affairs
  2. REFERENCES
    LCME Element 5.7 Security, Student Safety, and Disaster Preparedness
    University of California Los Angeles Emergency Procedures
    University of California Environmental Disasters Information
    For updates on campus operating status, visit BruinALERT 
  3. OWNER 
    Curricular Affairs Office
  4. APPROVED BY
    Vice Dean of Education
  5. REVIEWED BY 
    Student Affairs Office
  6. REVIEWED DATE and REVIEW CYCLE 
    April 2026, 5-Year review cycle