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[dillon]

Couldn't figure out which board matched up best with this topic. This seemed the closest.

I have an odd question.  I currently work at an institution that features "compressed semesters," so there are no student holidays (except for Thanksgiving Day).  This gives "extra long" Christmas and Summer breaks.  I'm moving to an institution with a more typical calendar that includes Spring Break and various other holidays. 

Are these considered days off for faculty, too? Or are most faculty typically in their office during things like Spring Break?

What about other days where students don't have classes for various reasons?  Are these days that faculty are "in" unless they are specifically taking a vacation day?

[case_insensitive]

This will depend on  your university.  At most where I have worked, Christmas break is a two week closure for the whole university, faculty and staff.

At my current school, the faculty disappear for two weeks or so at Christmas but the staff have to work part of that time (unfair!).

Holidays like Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Independence Day, etc. no one shows up (faculty, staff or students).

Times in between semesters, most folks are scarce though staff have to be in usually and some faculty are in.

[schoolmarm]

You are not usually expected to be in your office during "spring break" unless you are an administrator.

Spring Break and the break between semesters are golden times to get research done.

<Marm is looking forward to European jetlag next week for her spring break research trip.>

[notaprof]

At my SLAC, the following are holidays and vacation times -

Faculty and students are off:
Fall break (2 days)
Thanksgiving break (2 days)
Winter break (4 weeks)
Martin Luther King holiday
Spring break (1 week)
Ceasar Chavez holiday
Summer break - mid May to end of August (15 weeks)
Some teach/study in summer session in one or two six week sessions

Staff are off:
Labor Day
Thanksgiving break (2 days)
Winter holiday break (1 week) several people are on call
Martin Luther King holiday
Ceasar Chavez holiday
Memorial Day
4th of July
22 days of personal vacation, mostly taken over the summer

[zharkov]

Student breaks are pretty much faculty breaks. At my school, our contract has us begin a week before students arrive in the fall and extends a week or two after finals are done.  In practice faculty don't have to show up then, except for department meetings, faculty workshops, and such.

[dillon]

Thanks for the replies so far.

Does the tenure situation come into play here?

I'm not talking about just "for appearances," but is it expected that the non-tenured folks will show their dedication by being "in" during things like Spring Break?

(Assume a normal, non-petty department, where the non-tenured is fully productive on the other days.)

I'm asking because I've never, ever worked at place that had Spring Break. It sounds wonderful.  I'm just wondering if it's too good to be true.  :)

[case_insensitive]

Thanks for the replies so far.

Does the tenure situation come into play here?

I'm not talking about just "for appearances," but is it expected that the non-tenured folks will show their dedication by being "in" during things like Spring Break?

I should think not in most situations, but it will depend on the department culture, no doubt.

[licaone]

At my current school, the faculty disappear for two weeks or so at Christmas but the staff have to work part of that time (unfair!).

Is it unfair? I know I work a lot, even during holidays, when I am not at the department; I doubt staff members do this. And I am sure this is true of almost all academics who are active in research.

[case_insensitive]

At my current school, the faculty disappear for two weeks or so at Christmas but the staff have to work part of that time (unfair!).

Is it unfair? I know I work a lot, even during holidays, when I am not at the department; I doubt staff members do this. And I am sure this is true of almost all academics who are active in research.

I think it seems unfair to me because the whole school closed for 2 weeks at the other places I've worked and the staff got two weeks off.  Here they get a week or less off and clearly, the rest of the break there's virtually nothing going on so why do they have to be there?

[j_source]

While the occasional faculty member shows up once or twice during breaks and holidays, it's pretty rare.  Mostly, they're gone the instant their last class is over and show up again in time for their first class. 

[licaone]

I think it seems unfair to me because the whole school closed for 2 weeks at the other places I've worked and the staff got two weeks off.  Here they get a week or less off and clearly, the rest of the break there's virtually nothing going on so why do they have to be there?

Thanks for the clarification. You are right.

[seniorscholar]

I think it seems unfair to me because the whole school closed for 2 weeks at the other places I've worked and the staff got two weeks off.  Here they get a week or less off and clearly, the rest of the break there's virtually nothing going on so why do they have to be there?

Do you actually get a lot of work done in YOUR office during times when there are a lot of students around and constant distractions from people wandering in and wanting things? Most of the academic staff I know very much want the "no school" times to come so they can catch up on things that need concentration, like filing change-of grade forms, and posting to the web information about grad applications that have come in but are missing pieces, and checking that students who expect to graduate at the end of next semester actually have the courses they need, and doing end-of-year budget analyses, and all the other things that we don't do, and that they don't have time to do when being constantly interrupted by requests from students and faculty.

And of course we are also working (prep for next semester, reading dissertation chapters, writing paper for conference in spring) and many other things that are better done at home when no one is around.

[dr_crankypants]

At my university, there's not an expectation that faculty be around during spring break.  People do disappear on fun vacations or research trips.  Others work at home.  Some come into the office, but it's quiet.  During Christmas break, there's a week or two where most people are gone, often on vacation or visiting family.  For the rest of the time, there's no expectation that you be around at any given time (there are generally no meetings), but there is an expectation that you're doing work, such as class prep or research.  I doubt people would look favorably on a four-week vacation, but they would not necessarily expect you to be in town or your office to do that work.  About half a week before classes begin, break is really over for faculty.