11/03/2021
By Steve O’Riordan

As in the past, some campus offices will close, or have modified hours, during the holiday season. With these adjusted office hours, it allows the university to close some of its campus facilities for significant energy savings. A list of buildings to be closed will be provided at a later date.

This year the campus will partially close on Friday, Nov. 26*, the day after Thanksgiving, and  Friday, Dec. 24 through Friday, Dec. 31. The campus will operate reduced business hours Monday, Jan. 3 through Friday, Jan. 7, 2022. Please call offices in advance to verify operational hours.

We are encouraging all employees to take additional vacation time during the post-holiday partial shutdown. Please speak with your managers directly to plan for coverage in your respective areas.

Subject to operational needs, staff members who wish to participate in the voluntary closings must use available vacation or personal leave time, consistent with their collective bargaining agreements or personnel policies. Employees in the Clerical & Technical, SEIU Professional, and Grants & Contracts units have two additional paid leave days (using payroll code PUT) to apply during this period in accordance with agreements reached related to the university’s vaccine requirement. Non-unit employees will also have these two additional paid leave days (PUT) available to apply during this period. Employees also may take the time off without pay, if they have not accrued sufficient vacation or personal time. Non-benefited, part-time employees who do not work during that period will not be paid.

Certain buildings, offices and laboratories will remain open for conducting of research and Winter Intersession classes.

All employees should notify their supervisors as soon as possible about their plans for the shutdown periods. Employees who choose to work may be temporarily relocated if their office or building is being closed. Area department heads and managers will be responsible for determining assignments for employees who work during that time.

Employees who have concerns regarding special accommodations should contact the Office of Equal Opportunity and Outreach. Faculty members with questions about specific academic areas should contact their department chairpersons who will make decisions in consultation with the deans.

*NOTE: SEIU unit employees will receive pay for a campus-specified day for use for the day after Thanksgiving. If there are operational reasons that necessitate keeping an office open or some offices partially open, and a member is required to work, this member will be able to use this campus specified day on an alternate day agreed upon with their supervisor before the end of that calendar year.