Policy #1102
University Holidays

Date of Current Version: April 2007
Responsible Officer: Director, Human Resources

1. PURPOSE
   
   This policy provides the method for determining the holiday schedule for James Madison University each calendar year.
   
   
2. AUTHORITY
   
   The Board of Visitors has been authorized by the Commonwealth to govern the university, including the authority to establish employment rules. See Code of Virginia section 23-9.2:3. This authority includes setting of the holiday schedule each calendar year, to correspond to the number of holidays given to all state employees.
   
   
3. DEFINITIONS
   
   Employee Advisory Committee:
   As an advisory committee reporting to the President that was established to foster open, honest and productive communication between employees and the university administration with an emphasis on matters of concern to all employees.
   
   University Holiday:
   A date on which the university is officially closed for normal business.
   
   
4. APPLICABILITY
   
   The holiday schedule is applicable to all members of the university community except those required to perform necessary maintenance and services during times when the university is officially closed (i.e., Designated Employees).
   
   
5. POLICY
   
   The President shall sign into effect each calendar year a schedule of official university holidays. The schedule shall include American Independence Day (July 4th), Thanksgiving, the day after Thanksgiving, a Winter break, New Year's Day, Memorial Day Monday, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. It may also include time for Spring break and other appropriate holidays up to the number set by the Commonwealth of Virginia as holidays for state employees.
   
   
6. PROCEDURES
   
   
   • Each August, the Human Resources Director will create a proposal for holidays in the succeeding calendar year.
   • The proposal will be forwarded to the Employee Advisory Committee for review.
   • Following review by the Employee Advisory Committee, the Director of Human Resources will forward the proposal to the Division Heads for review, edit and approval.
   • The resulting list of University holidays will be sent to the President for final review and approval - normally by November 1.
   • The University holidays will be posted on the Human Resources website at: http://www.jmu.edu/humanresources/holiday.shtml .
   • If additional holidays are added by the Governor - normally some time in early November, the same process will be followed in determining the assignment of those days.
     
     
7. RESPONSIBILITIES
   
   The Director of Human Resources is responsible for the initial proposal of holidays, coordinating the proposal through the above process and for communicating the upcoming year's holiday schedule to the university community.
   
   The Employee Advisory Committee is responsible for reviewing the proposed holiday schedule. The division heads are responsible for initial review and approval of the proposed holiday schedule.
   
   The president is responsible for approving the final holiday schedule for the upcoming year.
   
   
8. SANCTIONS
   
   Employees who violate this policy are subject to discipline commensurate with the severity and/or frequency of the offense and may include termination of employment.
   
   
9. EXCLUSIONS
   
   If the Governor of the Commonwealth declares a state holiday for all state employees, such a declaration will be put into effect and the Director of Human Resources will take the appropriate steps to notify the university community.
   
   
10. INTERPRETATION
    
    The authority to interpret this policy rests with the President, and is generally delegated to the Director of Human Resources.
    
    

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Previous version: October 2004
Approved by the President: May 2002

Index Terms

Holidays
Official University Holidays
Employee Advisory Committee
University Closings
Personal Leave Day
Spring Break
Winter Break
Independence Day
Thanksgiving
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Christmas