MPAS Inclement Weather Policy

The purpose of the MPAS Inclement Weather Policy is to prescribe college-level standards for actions required when inclement weather or natural disasters force changes to Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) learners' clinical rotation activities.

Learner safety is of utmost importance to the University of Saskatchewan MPAS Program; learners should not undertake undue risk to attend activities.

This policy applies to all students registered in the Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) program at the University of Saskatchewan irrespective of the geographically distributed site/campus to which they are currently assigned. This policy is related to the MPAS Travel Policy and the MPAS Clinical Rotations Attendance Policy (in development).

On occasion, extreme weather events or natural disasters such as blizzards, tornadoes, storms or floods create exceptional conditions which may lead to road and highway closures or may otherwise make it difficult for students to attend activities. Due to the distributed nature of the MPAS Program Clinical Rotations, approaches to such situations may differ by location.

Optimizing safety is a shared responsibility – students are encouraged to be alert to local weather and travel conditions, and should contact program staff/supervisors if they do not feel safe to travel. Program staff should also be alert to local weather and travel conditions, and notify learners, wherever possible, if travel is not advisable. Contact between program and learners will typically be made by email. When weather conditions are severe, preceptors/supervisors may choose to permit learners to leave early to support them to safely reach their destination.

The MPAS Program prioritizes Learner safety and values proactive communication from Learners regarding difficulty attending clinical experiences due to extreme weather events. However, if a PA trainee misses time from a rotation and there is concern that the learner has had inadequate experience in the rotation to perform well on assessments, the learner may be requested to complete additional time in the rotation prior to completing assessments. See the MPAS Clinical Rotations Attendance Policy (in development) for details related to missed clinical time.

1.0 - Year 1 Clinical Sciences

1.1 Year 1 Clinical Sciences Learning: USask Saskatoon Campus

In Saskatoon, the MPAS program follows the University of Saskatchewan advisories with respect to storm closures for MPAS Year 1 learning activities in Saskatoon. In the event of a centralized institutional decision to suspend classes, the campus community will be advised via text message and email through the mass alert system, USask Alerts. Students are encouraged to also sign up for text message alerts in the PAWS system and to download the USafe App to receive push notifications. Additional information may also be provided by email directly from the program.

1.2 Year 1 Clinical Sciences Learning: Distributed Teaching Sites

Learners at distributed teaching sites must be guided by official local emergency closure announcements and/or local conditions and notify relevant administrative staff and clinical supervisors if they are unable to safely travel. Leadership at the distributed teaching site and/or supervisors, if they become aware that local conditions may impact safe travel, should notify learners and the MPAS office if learning activities are to be suspended or impacted by local conditions.

2.0 - Year 2 – Clinical Rotations

Year 2 PA Students are expected to use their best judgement and attend their clinical placements if possible. The learner should ideally communicate with their Designated Preceptor / Clinical Supervisor regarding their circumstances if they feel unsafe to travel, and must inform the appropriate person (Preceptor, Clinical Rotation Coordinator, Clinical Supervisor, Administrative Staff) as soon as possible if they will be absent or late due to inclement weather.

2.1 Year 2 - Distributed Sites (Urban Hub Rotations & Rural Rotations)

Learners at distributed sites must be guided by official local emergency closure announcements and/or local conditions, and must notify relevant administrative staff and designated preceptors / clinical supervisors if they are unable to safely travel. Leadership at the distributed teaching site and/or supervisors – if they become aware that local conditions may impact safe travel – should notify learners and the MPAS office if learning activities are to be suspended or impacted by local conditions.

3.0 Travel Recommendations

Students are encouraged to always follow these recommendations when travelling: · Students, staff and faculty are encouraged to use the SaskAlert app to ensure they are aware of any emergency conditions in their area. · Listen to the radio or consult the Highway Hotline for weather and road condition updates.

• Notify a friend or family member of the destination and anticipated arrival time.
• Drive according to the conditions, including slower speed and allowing additional time as appropriate.
• Ensure access to appropriate first aid/safety items in vehicle, and equip vehicle with winter tires, when possible/appropriate.
• If travel is not recommended due to inclement weather, or if the student does not feel safe travelling for any other reason, they should not travel and should advise relevant program staff and clinical supervisors as soon as possible.

The Academic Director of the MPAS program is responsible for providing oversight to the overall administration of the MPAS Student Travel Policy.

The Manager of the MPAS program, with assistance from the MPAS Office, is responsible for the implementation, monitoring, maintenance, and evaluation of the MPAS Student Travel Policy. This includes the development and stewardship of the standard operating procedures associated with this policy.

Should inclement weather occur, MPAS leadership will communicate with MPAS Clinical Rotations administrative coordinators to determine the potential impacts to learning schedules and will communicate pertinent information to students via email.

In the rare event of a required evacuation, the situation will be addressed on a case-by-case basis working with local program leadership and emergency responses services.

Instances or concerns of non-compliance with the MPAS Student Travel Policy should be brought to the attention of the Academic Director of the MPAS program.

Program Manager, Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) Program
Phone: 306-966-4252