Skip to main content

Holiday Schedules

2021, 2022, 2023 & 2024 Holiday Schedule

The State Human Resources Commission permits educational institutions to adopt a holiday schedule that differs from the state-wide schedule in order to meet operational needs of the campuses. Institutions may not grant additional paid holidays beyond the 12 days authorized by the General Assembly. The 2021, 2022, 2023 & 2024 holiday schedule for Western Carolina University will be as follows:

Holiday 2021 2022 2023 2024

New Year’s Day

Friday, January 1st

Monday, January 3rd

Monday, January 2nd

Monday, January 1st

Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday

Monday, January 18th

Monday, January 17th

Monday, January 16th

Monday, January 15th

Good Friday

Friday, April 2nd

Friday, April 15th

Friday, April 7th

Friday, March 29th

Independence Day

Monday, July 5th

Monday, July 4th

Tuesday, July 4th

Thursday, July 4th

Labor Day

Monday, September 6th

Monday, September 5th

Monday, September 4th

Monday, September 2nd

Thanksgiving

Thursday - Friday, November 25th - 26th

Thursday - Friday, November 24th - 25th

Thursday - Friday, November 23rd - 24th

Thursday - Friday, November 28th - 29th

Extended Winter Closing

Friday - Friday, December 24th - December 31st*

Monday - Monday, December 26th - January 2nd (2023)*

Monday - Monday, December 25th - January 1st (2024)*

Monday - Wednesday, December 23rd - January 1st (2025)*

*The holidays at Christmas are obtained by combining the Memorial Day and Veterans’ Day holidays with the three holidays given for Christmas. To allow for an extended winter closing in 2021, the University will remain closed one additional day on Friday, December 31, 2021. For 2022 and 2023, no additional leave days will be required. To allow for an extended winter closing in 2024, the University will remain closed two additional days on Monday, December 30th and Tuesday, December 31st, 2024. FLSA exempt leave earning employees may account for time on these dates by charging the hours to vacation or bonus leave or leave without pay. FLSA non-exempt employees may charge the hours to vacation or bonus leave or compensatory time, if eligible. The Smart Time cascading program will adjust leave based on current program rules. As always, compensatory time is charged before personal leave accounts.

This schedule will enable the University to lower building temperatures during the closing and, thereby, achieve significant energy savings. Building temperatures, except in areas where research or other essential operations require exceptions, will be lowered to approximately 55 degrees during the period the University is closed. Requests for exceptions to this temperature level should be directed to Mr. Joe Walker, Associate Vice Chancellor for Facilities Management, at 828-227-7441.

Permanent and probationary SHRA, FLSA non-exempt employees who are required to work on a designated University holiday will be paid straight time plus holiday premium pay equal to one-half of their regular straight-time hourly rate for the hours worked on these holidays. In addition, they will be given compensatory time off equal to the holiday hours worked. Hourly employees and those on temporary staff appointments receive straight-time pay plus a premium of one-half straight-time pay for work on designated University holidays, but they are not given compensatory time off.

Questions concerning the 2021-2024 University Holiday Schedules may be directed to the Office of Human Resources and Payroll at 828-227-7218.

Office of Web Services