The University of Maryland will implement an annual two-day fall break for students starting next academic year, according to a campuswide email sent Monday.
Students’ break will take place on the second Monday and Tuesday of each October. That Monday aligns with Indigenous People’s Day and Columbus Day, according to the email.
Staff and faculty will observe Indigenous People’s Day and Columbus Day on the second Monday in October. Operations will resume as normal on Tuesday, but no classes will take place, the email said.
The new break is a result of a yearslong effort and conversations with community advocates and student groups, the email said.
This university has worked with representatives from the University System of Maryland and the state to implement an adjustment “that remains in alignment with [the university’s] academic mission and university and state policies,” the email said.
“We hope this extra time off will help our community members focus on their well-being,” university president Darryll Pines and senior vice president and provost Jennifer King Rice wrote in the email.
