Faculty and Staff’s Thanksgiving Break Extended to Include Nov. 24

University of Maryland President Darryll J. Pines and Senior Vice President and Provost Jennifer King Rice sent the following email to faculty and staff today:

As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, we are reminded every day how thankful we are to be surrounded by a community who cares and supports each other. We are grateful for every one of you, for your support of our students, for your advancement of knowledge and for your contributions to making the University of Maryland a premier institution of higher learning in the world.

We recognize that each of you has had to overcome and navigate challenges this fall as we held our first full in-person semester in nearly two years. We could not have come this far without you. We also recognize that many members of our community have experienced added strain and stress, fatigue and mental health challenges. It is our hope and wish that the upcoming holiday breaks will provide you all with a much-needed chance to rest, reflect and recharge.

As a token of our appreciation as we continue to navigate this pandemic, we are announcing that Wednesday, Nov. 24 will be recognized as an administrative leave day for all regular/contingent II faculty and staff. This is one small way we hope to support you as our valued and loyal employees. University Human Resources will follow up with additional details.

We look forward to welcoming you back to campus and completing the fall semester together.

In gratitude,