University staff will enjoy an extended Fourth of July holiday weekend this year as Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos today announced an administrative closure day for Monday, July 3—a one-time paid holiday for 2017. He made the declaration today in a letter to the community thanking the staff for their unflagging support of Vanderbilt.
“We are undergoing a multitude of changes, which include designing and implementing SkyVU and FutureVU. These far-reaching initiatives follow the reorganization of the university and Medical Center into separate legal and financial entities,” he said. “Over a very short period of time, we are doing nothing less than completely changing the way we do business.
“By lengthening the holiday weekend, I hope that you can spend time with family and friends and recharge your batteries so we can continue our important work.”
The university never completely closes. There are always some essential work activities that must occur, so employees who work in those areas on July 3 will receive an alternate day off or be paid out at management’s discretion.
The administrative closure days were announced in June 2016 along with raising the starting minimum wage, an enriched PTO program and an extended winter break. The July 3 closure, along with the new summer flextime schedule, allows university staff to take advantage of the academic year’s gentler summer tempo.