Dear Carnegie Mellon Faculty:
As the 2018-19 academic year approaches, I want to provide some important dates and information that will help you as you plan your classes.
No Classes: Friday, October 26 – CMU Presidential Inauguration
On October 26, the university will celebrate the inauguration of President Farnam Jahanian. To allow for students, faculty and staff to participate in celebratory events, classes have been cancelled for the day at all CMU locations.
Religious Holidays
Carnegie Mellon is a diverse community, with students, staff and faculty of many faiths. Listed below are seven holidays observed by a number of our students during the normal academic year. Please be considerate when planning mandatory academic and meta-curricular activities.
- Eid al-Adha (sundown on or about Thursday, Aug. 21 through sundown Wednesday, Aug. 22)*
- Rosh Hashanah (sundown Sunday, Sept. 9 through sundown Tuesday, Sept. 11)
- Yom Kippur (sundown Tuesday, Sept. 18 through sundown Wednesday, Sept. 19)
- Passover (first two evenings: Friday and Saturday, April 19-20, and the last day of the eight day observance, Saturday, April 27)
- Good Friday (Friday, April 19)
- Easter (Sunday, April 21)
- Eid al-Fitr (sundown on or about Monday, June 3 through sundown Tuesday, June 4, concluding the month-long Ramadan observance)*
* Dates may vary based on moon sighting
This is by no means a complete list, and we encourage faculty to invite students to self-identify important observances of their faith. University policy dictates that when a student has a conflict between a religious holiday and a graded assignment, the student should contact the faculty member directly to work out a resolution. A listing of common religious observances can be found at: http://www.interfaith-calendar.org/.
Winter Break: December 26, 27 and 28
Carnegie Mellon will close CMU campuses and programs on Dec. 26, 27 and 28. Coupled with the official Christmas and New Year holidays, this means that Carnegie Mellon will be closed from December 22, 2018, through January 1, 2019. For most members of the university staff, this will provide an additional paid break, bridging official university holidays around Christmas and New Year’s to provide extended and uninterrupted time for themselves and their families. For campuses and programs outside Pittsburgh, the deans have been asked to adapt the break in a way that is appropriate to local circumstances.
Sincerely,
Laurie R. Weingart
Interim Provost
Richard M. and Margaret S. Cyert Professor of Organizational Behavior and Theory