The university never completely shuts down, and it needs support to maintain vital operations even during severe weather, major utility failure, health or environmental crisis, or any other emergency. MSU recently developed guidelines for departments to use in these situations, and each faculty and staff member needs to know their role during an emergency and if they are required to work.

The Continuity of Operations Plan, or COOP, was due November 1 by each Major Administrative Unit. Those responsible for completing and submitting their COOP need to do so immediately.

Each unit administrator or supervisor is responsible for sharing the COOP with their employees to ensure that everyone is aware of their responsibilities. It’s also very important to notify critical personnel that they have been designated as such. Critical personnel are MSU faculty and staff who perform designated critical functions and services and are, therefore, required to work when a modification or curtailment of normal operations occurs, as detailed in the department’s COOP.

In addition, the best way to find information about an emergency or modification of operations is through the MSU website and MSU Alert. Get the COOP template and find out more about the guidelines for maintaining critical functions at MSU here.