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Dear faculty and staff members,

In recognition of the hard work, dedication and sacrifices made by our campus community this year and last, I am announcing a revised campus winter break schedule to set year-end expectations and to give our faculty and staff time to plan ahead.

Chancellor Philip DiStefano

The revised schedule will enable students and most faculty and staff to be on leave at the same time, reducing the need for on-call scheduling. It will also enable most of our faculty and staff to take a meaningful pause from work to focus on personal priorities.

During winter break, all academic and administrative offices will close for nine days, and most students, faculty and staff will be away from their work and classroom duties. Areas providing essential services will remain open, however, and department chairs, institute directors and nonacademic unit directors will determine appropriate staffing levels to ensure continued operations and service.

Beginning this year, the winter break for staff and faculty on 12-month appointments will run from Dec. 25 to Jan. 1. The campus will reopen on Jan. 2, which falls on a Sunday, and some campus operations will resume that day. Business hours will resume in full on Monday, Jan. 3. This schedule will not impact the academic calendar, and classes for the spring 2022 semester will begin on Jan. 10 as planned.

In the past, CU Boulder recognized Dec. 24, Dec. 25 and Jan. 1 as campus holidays. Starting this year, the campus will assign these holidays to weekdays falling on or between Dec. 25 and Jan. 1, and staff and faculty on 12-month appointments will use two personal days for an uninterrupted nine days of winter break. The campus will remain open on Dec. 24, however, and staff and faculty on 12-month appointments will need to request vacation leave for that day.

Finally, in years past, the governor has granted CU eight additional hours of leave, and if that happens this year, employees will only need to use one personal day during the break.

I want to thank you for the determination and dedication you have displayed throughout the past 13 months as we have weathered many difficulties as a campus community and as members of the broader Boulder community during one of the city’s darkest days.

Though we are months away from the year-end holiday season, I am hopeful this message will remind us it is always a good idea to wish each other well, to support one another, and to share good tidings and goodwill in the aftermath of adversity, pain and grief.

With gratitude,
Phil