Kansas State University

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.

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.