University Holidays

Holiday Schedule: 2023-2024

Date Holiday Day of Week University Status
September 4, 2023 Labor Day Monday Closed
November 23, 2023 Thanksgiving Day Thursday Closed
November 24, 2023 Thanksgiving Break Friday Closed
December 25, 2023 Winter Holiday Monday Closed
December 26, 2023 Winter Holiday Tuesday Closed
December 27, 2023 Winter Holiday Wednesday Skeleton Workforce
December 28, 2023 Winter Holiday Thursday Skeleton Workforce
December 29, 2023 Winter Holiday Friday Closed
January 1, 2024 New Year's Day Monday Closed
January 15, 2024 Martin Luther King Jr. Day Monday Closed
May 27, 2024 Memorial Day Monday Closed
June 19, 2024 Emancipation Day Wednesday Closed
July 4, 2024 Independence Day Thursday Closed
Holiday Day of Week Date
Labor Day Monday September 5, 2022
Thanksgiving Day Thursday November 24, 2022
Day after Thanksgiving Friday November 25, 2022
Winter Holiday Monday December 26, 2022
Winter Holiday * Tuesday December 27, 2022
Winter Holiday * Wednesday December 28, 2022
Winter Holiday * Thursday December 29, 2022
Winter Holiday Friday December 30, 2022
Martin Luther King Jr. Day Monday January 16, 2023
Memorial Day Monday May 29, 2023
Emancipation Day Monday June 19, 2023
Independence Day Tuesday July 4, 2023
Floating Holiday N/A N/A

UTSA employees receive paid holiday leave when appointed to work at least 20 hours per week for at least 4.5 continuous months. Faculty must be appointed for at least 50% time for at least 4.5 continuous months. If appointed less than full-time, employees will be granted holiday leave based on the percentage of hours appointed.

If the position requires to have student status as a condition of employment, then the position is ineligible for paid holiday leave. For more information see the  University's Handbook of Operating Procedures.

How Holidays Are Determined

The holiday schedule is published each year. The Texas state legislature determines the number of holidays that can be observed by all state agencies and institutions of higher education. The university observes the same number of holidays, a combination of national and state holidays, that are observed by state agencies. However, institutions of higher education are allowed to be flexible when establishing their own schedules. So while the number of holidays observed is always the same, the university may have a different schedule than state agencies.

The legislature stipulates that holidays are only observed when they fall on a weekday. Holidays that fall on weekends are not observed and may not be observed on a different day (e.g. the Friday before or Monday after).

Some years, the holiday schedule includes a floating holiday. If included in the holiday schedule, full-time employees receive 8 hours of floating holiday leave per day. Part-time, benefits-eligible employees receive a proportionate amount based on the number of hours appointed to work weekly. Use of floating holiday time may be scheduled at any time during the fiscal year with the prior approval of the employee's immediate supervisor. Unused floating holiday time carries over from one year to the next. Employees are paid for any unused floating holiday time upon separation from the University.

Texas Government Code Sec. 662.004 requires that the university have enough employees on duty to conduct business during designated skeleton workforce days. Technology allows many employees to work virtually while still being considered on duty. While there are some responsibilities that require someone to be in the office, if employees can fulfill the business requirements from any location, supervisors are encouraged to consider allowing them to work remotely.  

Supervisors should consult with their division leadership to determine how their departments will handle skeleton workforce days. For example, if the work of the department involves conducting business with students, employees or the public, then a skeleton workforce would probably be necessary. Depending on the type of work, the division leader might allow the skeleton workforce to work from an off-campus location or by phone. Based on recommendations from the supervisor, the division leader determines the minimum number of staff required for an on-site skeleton crew.

Benefits-eligible employees who serve as a member of a skeleton workforce will be granted state compensatory time in accordance with  HOP 4.27 State Compensatory Time. Earned holiday compensatory time must be used within the 12-month period following the holiday worked or it lapses.

The legislature has designated Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Good Friday and Cesar Chavez Day as optional holidays. Benefits-eligible employees may observe optional holidays in lieu of any holiday or holidays on which the University is required to be open and staffed. Employees are entitled to observe these holidays provided that they use state compensatory time accrued or use available leave. Employee requests to observe these holidays should be submitted for approval to their supervisor in advance of the holiday.

 

Holiday Schedule: 2022-2023

Holiday Day of Week Date
Labor Day Monday September 5, 2022
Thanksgiving Day Thursday November 24, 2022
Day after Thanksgiving Friday November 25, 2022
Winter Holiday Monday December 26, 2022
Winter Holiday * Tuesday December 27, 2022
Winter Holiday * Wednesday December 28, 2022
Winter Holiday * Thursday December 29, 2022
Winter Holiday Friday December 30, 2022
Martin Luther King Jr. Day Monday January 16, 2023
Memorial Day Monday May 29, 2023
Emancipation Day Monday June 19, 2023
Independence Day Tuesday July 4, 2023
Floating Holiday N/A N/A

 

Holiday Schedule: 2021-2022

Holiday Day of Week Date
Labor Day Monday September 6, 2021
Thanksgiving Day Thursday November 25, 2021
Day after Thanksgiving Friday November 26, 2021
Christmas Eve Friday December 24, 2021
Winter Holiday (No Skeleton Crew) Monday December 27, 2021
Winter Holiday (No Skeleton Crew) Tuesday December 28, 2021
Winter Holiday (Skeleton Crew Required)* Wednesday December 29, 2021
Winter Holiday (Skeleton Crew Required)* Thursday December 30, 2021
New Year's Eve (Skeleton Crew Required)* Friday December 31, 2021
Martin Luther King Jr. Day Monday January 17, 2022
Memorial Day Monday May 30, 2022
Independence Day – 4th of July Monday July 4, 2022

 

Holiday Schedule: 2020-2021

Holiday Day of Week Date
Labor Day Monday September 7, 2020
Thanksgiving Day Thursday November 26, 2020
Day after Thanksgiving Friday November 27, 2020
Winter Holiday (No skeleton crew required) Tuesday December 22, 2020
Winter Holiday (No skeleton crew required) Wednesday December 23, 2020
Day Before Christmas Thursday December 24, 2020
Christmas Day Friday December 25, 2020
Winter Holiday (skeleton crew required)* Monday December 28, 2020
Winter Holiday (skeleton crew required)* Tuesday December 29, 2020
Winter Holiday (skeleton crew required)* Wednesday December 30, 2020
Winter Holiday (skeleton crew required)* Thursday December 31, 2020
New Year’s Day Friday January 1, 2021
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Monday January 18, 2021
Memorial Day Monday May 31, 2021

 

Holiday Schedule: 2019-2020

Holiday Day of Week Date
Labor Day Monday September 2, 2019
Thanksgiving Day Thursday November 28, 2019
Day after Thanksgiving Friday November 29, 2019
Winter Holiday (no skeleton crew) Monday December 23, 2019
Day Before Christmas Tuesday December 24, 2019
Christmas Day Wednesday December 25, 2019
Day after Christmas Thursday December 26, 2019
Winter Holiday (no skeleton crew) Friday December 27, 2019
Winter Holiday (skeleton crew required) Monday December 30, 2019
Winter Holiday (skeleton crew required) Tuesday December 31, 2019
New Year’s Day Wednesday January 1, 2020
Winter Holiday (skeleton crew required) Thursday January 2, 2020
Winter Holiday (skeleton crew required) Friday January 3, 2020
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Monday January 20, 2020
Memorial Day Monday May 25, 2020

 

Holiday Schedule: 2018-2019

Holiday Day of Week Date
Labor Day Monday September 3, 2018
Thanksgiving Day Thursday November 22, 2018
Day after Thanksgiving Friday November 23, 2018
Day Before Christmas Monday December 24, 2018
Christmas Day Tuesday December 25, 2018
Day after Christmas Wednesday December 26, 2018
Winter Holiday (skeleton crew)* Thursday December 27, 2018
Winter Holiday (skeleton crew)* Friday December 28, 2018
Winter Holiday (Observance of President’s day) Monday December 31, 2018
New Year’s Day Tuesday January 1, 2019
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Monday January 21, 2019
Memorial Day Monday May 27, 2019
Independence Day Thursday July 4, 2019