Campus holiday, furlough closings detailed

The University of Wisconsin–Madison will close on Thursday, Dec. 30, as a mandated furlough day for most of its employees, and will also be closed on Friday, Dec. 31, for the New Year holiday.

Additionally, the university will be closed for the scheduled holiday on Friday, Dec. 24.

The unpaid furlough day on Dec. 30 is one of 16 required of state employees during the 2009-11 budget cycle. In each budget year, university employees must take eight furlough days, four of which are designated campuswide with the remaining four being selected based on employee preference.

This is the second scheduled campuswide furlough day of this academic year. The remaining designated furlough days are Friday, March 18, and Monday, May 16. The dates were chosen to avoid interfering with any instruction and to minimize disruption for the university community.

On these days, the campus will be closed for all but essential services. Exceptions will be made for critical services in such areas as patient care, police, power plant, housing and animal care.

Also, the hours at the Memorial Union have been extended to accommodate student study needs during finals week. The Union will be open from 7 a.m.-midnight today (Dec. 22) and from 7 a.m.-6 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 23. During part of this period, Memorial Union food units will also alter their hours. For more information, visit http://www.union.wisc.edu/news/

The Memorial Union will close for the holidays at 6 p.m. Dec. 23 and reopen at 7 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 5.