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K-State Today

Division of Communications and Marketing
Kansas State University
128 Dole Hall
1525 Mid-Campus Drive North
Manhattan, KS 66506
785-532-2535
vpcm@k-state.edu

November 2, 2023

Annual university holiday memo

Submitted by Ethan Erickson

The state of Kansas has released the schedule of state-designated holidays for calendar years 2023 and 2024. Below is specific information pertaining to reduced university activity during the December 2023 and January 2024 holiday season, as well as information about the newly designated university holiday, Juneteenth National Independence Day.

Additional detail may also be found in the full PDF memo.

Calendar Year 2023 

Veterans Day, not a university holiday 

Friday, Nov. 10, 2023 

Thanksgiving Holiday

Thursday, Nov. 23, 2023 
Friday, Nov. 24, 2023 

Christmas 

Monday, Dec. 25, 2023 

Discretionary Day 

May be used 12/26/2022 through 12/23/2023 
(For most employees, Friday, 12/22/23.) 

Calendar Year 2024 

New Year’s Day 

Monday, Jan. 1, 2024 

Martin Luther King Jr. Day 

Monday, Jan. 15, 2024 

Memorial Day 

Monday, May 27, 2024 

Juneteenth National Independence Day 

Wednesday, June 19, 2024 

Independence Day 

Thursday, July 4, 2024 

Labor Day 

Monday, Sept. 2, 2024 

Veterans Day, not a university holiday 

Monday, Nov. 11, 2024 

Thanksgiving Holiday 

Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024 

Friday, Nov. 29, 2024 

Christmas 

Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2024 

Discretionary Day 

May be used 12/24/23 through 12/21/24 


Note: An employee must be in a benefits-eligible position and have been employed by the state of Kansas for at least six months to be eligible for a discretionary day. The discretionary day must be taken with prior approval of the employee’s supervisor or department head.

Veterans Day

The university will remain open and scheduled classes will be in session on Veterans Day, Friday, Nov. 10. Only those employees required to conduct necessary business should be requested to work. Non-exempt employees who work shall be compensated at one and one-half times (of either compensatory time or pay). Exempt staff who work will be given equivalent time off at a later date.

Reduced university activity during the December 2023/January 2024 holiday season

The university will reduce activity Tuesday, Dec. 26, through Friday, Dec. 29. All university offices will be closed during this time except for those providing services required to support the university's teaching, research and service missions. The university will reopen for normal operation on Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024.

Officially observed state holidays during the reduced activity period are Dec. 25 and Jan. 1. The normal workdays affected are Dec. 26, 27, 28 and 29.

Eligible exempt and non-exempt employees will receive the week of Dec. 26-29 off with pay, and employees will not need to use leave — whether vacation, compensatory, leave without pay, etc. — to cover this period. Excluded are nine-month employees, who are paid regardless during this time.

If eligible employees are unable to take off Dec. 26-29 because of work duties, they may take off (with pay) the equivalent days of Dec. 19-22.

Juneteenth National Independence Day

In early October, Gov. Laura Kelly announced that Juneteenth National Independence Day — June 19 — has now been designated as a state holiday, and the Kansas Board of Regents has approved this holiday to also be designated as a university holiday beginning in the 2024 calendar year. In alignment with other designated university holidays, classes will not be held on this date.

We acknowledge that classes, events and activities may have already been scheduled to take place during this time, and this holiday designation will require some modifications to those plans. Please look for additional communications on these efforts as more information becomes available. 

Questions about employee leave should be directed to Human Resources at 785-532-6277 or hr@k-state.edu.