UMD announces annual fall break from 2025
University of Maryland, College Park, students study for the fall 2024 semester finals in the second floor of McKeldin Library. ZFJ/Alvin Wu
COLLEGE PARK, Md., Dec. 25 (ZFJ) — Students at the University of Maryland, College Park, will have an annual two-day fall break starting in the fall 2025 semester, announced President Darryll J. Pines in a campus wide email on Dec. 2.
The break, the result of a “years-long effort,” will take place on the second Monday of each October—Indigenous People’s Day/Columbus Day—and Tuesday.
Staff and faculty will observe Indigenous People’s Day/Columbus Day on the Monday of fall break.
The university will observe “typical holiday operations” on the Monday and resume operations as normal but without classes on the Tuesday.
This change was made possible by a memorandum of understanding between the University System of Maryland and its employee union that became effective on July 1, 2024.
Previously, while employees did earn a holiday for Columbus Day, they observed it during winter break. The new agreement grants three additional holiday leave days to be observed at the discretion of the president. Pines has elected to use the first of these days to observe Columbus Day on its actual date.
References
- Office of the President, University of Maryland - Announcing 2025 fall break for students; fall holiday observance for staff and faculty - https://president.umd.edu/articles/announcing-2025-fall-break-for-students-fall-holiday-observance-for-staff-and-faculty (ARCHIVE)
- University Human Resources, University of Maryland - Holiday Calendar - https://uhr.umd.edu/employee-resources/holiday-calendar (ARCHIVE)
- University System of Maryland and AFSCME - Memorandum of Understanding - https://www.usmd.edu/usm/adminfinance/employee_and_labor_relations/USM-AFSCME-Consolidated-MOU-Signed.pdf (ARCHIVE)