Metropolitan State University of Denver’s Human Resources Department and its Total Rewards and Compensation Subcommittee have released a five-year holiday calendar designed to help employees plan and balance personal and professional priorities.
The multiyear calendar allows faculty members, staff members and students to plan their schedules through 2029. It includes 11 state holidays, as well as César Chávez Day and Indigenous Peoples’ Day, providing a more inclusive reflection of MSU Denver’s diverse campus community.
MSU Denver observes some holidays on alternate dates that are strategically selected to support the University’s academic mission and provide employees with time to observe various fall and winter holidays.
“Our staff, faculty and students lead busy lives, so we are pleased to be able to publish a multiyear holiday calendar,” said Amanda Berry, director of Total Rewards. “We believe having a five-year holiday calendar will allow our community to better plan and schedule their personal and professional priorities.”
Honoring diversity and inclusion with a new multifaith calendar
MSU Denver is also introducing a multifaith calendar to raise awareness of religious holy days and other observances important to members of the campus community. This resource helps employees plan team events and personal time off, ensuring consideration of significant religious and cultural days, said Stacy Dvergsdal, associate vice president for Administration and chief human resources officer.
“We are committed to being more intentional about honoring our richly diverse community to ensure everyone feels valued and belongs, and we will continue to look for meaningful ways to do so,” Dvergsdal said. “We’re grateful to the more than 70 individuals who took time out of their busy schedules to help make sure this effort was inclusive and indicative of our campus community.”
Collaborative effort
These new multiyear schedules are the result of extensive cross-functional collaboration, with input from affinity groups, Faculty and Staff senates, Deans Council, Chairs Council, MSU Denver leadership and others. The process highlights the University’s commitment to shared governance and thoughtful inclusion, said Michael Benitez, Ph.D., vice president for Diversity and Inclusion.
“Observing César Chávez Day aligns with our mission and identity as an HSI leader and recognizes the significant contributions of the Chicano/a/x community in Denver and across Colorado,” Benitez said. “Similarly, Indigenous Peoples Day honors Indigenous and Native American peoples and observes their histories and cultures, in addition to our campus history, heritage and commitment. Both represent MSU Denver values.”
Employees can access the five-year holiday calendar and a new multifaith calendar on the HR SharePoint site. This year’s calendar is available on the HR department website. These resources aim to support better planning and foster a more inclusive campus environment.
