UMS Colleagues -
With one of the most challenging academic years in our history drawing to a close, I want to pause and simply say “Thank you.”
Thank you for your patience and resilience. Thank you for honoring our public health and safety protocols. Thank you for your flexibility with how we went about our work. And thank you for your tireless dedication to serving and supporting our students through a year that was challenging for them too.
Our students will now celebrate their commencements, and you’ve earned a well-deserved break.
May 31 and July 5 are upcoming paid UMS holidays, recognizing Memorial Day and Independence Day, respectively. Both holidays are recognized on Mondays this year. In thanks for your hard work through the pandemic, and particularly this spring, I am declaring paid administrative holidays for Friday, May 28 and Friday, July 2. I hope that those of you who can take advantage of these four-day holiday weekends will enjoy welcome time away from the burdens of your work.
I want to recognize that some among us will still need to work through these extended weekends to maintain our university facilities and grounds, care for campus residents, and provide public safety, among others. Our colleagues who have such responsibilities play an important part in carrying on our work to support our students, and I hope we’ll all remember with gratitude those who continue in those capacities even as many of us are able to take some well-deserved time off.
I encourage those who must work on the administrative holiday to consult their applicable collective bargaining agreement or employee handbook for details on taking alternative time off or receiving appropriate administrative holiday pay.
University of Maine System HR leaders will be sharing additional information in the coming days about how to record your time for the upcoming administrative holidays. Campus leaders will address any specific summer academic program-related questions.
Your hard work has made our success this academic year possible. I'm proud to call you colleagues, and I hope you can take advantage of this time off.
Regards,
