Enhancing Cultural Awareness
USI is committed to enhancing cultural awareness in a diverse and global community and recognizes the importance of religious and cultural expression in the lives of many of our students, faculty, and staff.
USI follows an academic calendar wherein classes are officially not in session on certain national holidays and religious observances. Nevertheless, there exist numerous other holidays and religious practices that are not formerly recognized.
Requesting an Accommodation for Religious and Cultural Observances
Even though classes are in session during many other holidays and religious observances, students are encouraged to approach faculty early in the semester to request any accommodation they might need to honor their religious and cultural observances. This proactive approach ensures clear communication of the request and any accommodation that might be arranged.
Accommodations might include a request for an excused absence, additional time to complete lab work or written assignments, or the rescheduling of a quiz or an exam.
Faculty are encouraged but not required to accommodate such requests.
Students should understand that for a variety of reasons, it may not be feasible to accommodate their requests.
More importantly, students should understand that any sort of accommodation does not excuse the student of responsibility for material covered in class or any sort of assignment or exam that is due on a day when an accommodation is requested and granted.
Once again, we would like to stress the importance of opening a dialogue.
2025 - 2026 Religious and Cultural Observances
University Observed Holidays
Holiday or Observance | Religion / U.S. Holiday | Dates | Status |
---|---|---|---|
Labor Day | September 1, 2025 | Classes not in session. University closed. | |
Thanksgiving Day | November 27, 2025 | Classes not in session. University closed. | |
Christmas Day | Christianity | December 25, 2025 | Classes not in session. University closed. |
New Year's Day | January 1, 2026 | Classes not in session. University closed. | |
Martin Luther King Jr. Day | January 19, 2026 | Classes not in session. University open. | |
Good Friday | Christianity/Eastern Orthodox | April 3, 2026 | Classes not in session. University closed. |
Memorial Day | May 25, 2026 | Classes not in session. University closed. | |
Juneteenth | June 19, 2026 | Classes not in session. University closed. | |
Independence Day | July 4, 2026 | Classes not in session. University closed. |
Holidays and Religious Observances Fall 2025 - Summer 2026
- All Judaism and Islam holidays begin at sundown on the evening before the first date shown.
- Symbol ✭ indicates holidays have been designated non-work days by the religions that celebrate them.
- Symbol ⚉ indicates dates are not fixed to a calendar but are based on the actual sighting of the moon and there may be some variance by a day.
Holiday or Observance | Religion / U.S. Holiday | Dates |
---|---|---|
Janmashtami | Hinduism | August 16, 2025 |
⚉ Mawlid-al-Nabi (birthday of Mohammad | Islam | September 15-16, 2025 |
✭ Rosh Hashanah (New Year) | Judaism | September 22-24, 2025 |
Navaratri/Dussehra | Hinduism | September 22 - October 2, 2025 |
✭ Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) | Judaism | October 1-2, 2025 |
Columbus Day | October 13, 2025 | |
✭ Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) | Judaism | October 6- 13, 2025 |
✭ Shemini Atzeret | Judaism | October 13-15, 2025 |
✭ Simchat Torah | Judaism | October 14-15, 2025 |
Diwali | Hinduism | October 20, 2025 |
✭ Solemnity of All Saints | Latin Rite Catholics | November 1, 2025 |
Veteran's Day | November 11, 2025 | |
Thanksgiving Day | November 27, 2025 | |
✭ Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception | Latin Rite Catholics | December 8, 2025 |
Hanukkah (Chanukah) | Judaism | December 14-22, 2025 |
Christmas Day | Christianity | December 25, 2025 |
Kwanzaa | December 26, 2025 - January 1, 2026 | |
New Year's Day | January 1, 2026 | |
✭ Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God | Latin Rite Catholics | January 1, 2026 |
Epiphany | Eastern Orthodox | January 6, 2026 |
Martin Luther King Jr. Day | January 19, 2026 | |
President's Day | February 16, 2026 | |
Maha Shivratri | Hinduism | February 15-16, 2026 |
⚉ Beginning of Ramadan | Islam | February 17, 2026 |
Ash Wednesday | Christianty | February 18, 2026 |
Lent | Eastern Orthodox | February 18, 2026 - April 2, 2026 |
Purim | Judaism | March 2-3, 2026 |
Holi | Hinduism | March 4, 2026 |
⚉ Laylat al-Qadr | Islam | March 16, 2026 |
⚉ Eid al-fitr (End of Ramadan) | Islam | March 19, 2026 |
Rama Navami | Hinduism | March 26, 2026 |
✭ Passover (Pesach) | Judaism | April 1-9, 2026 |
Good Friday | Christianity/Eastern Orthodox | April 3, 2026 |
Easter | Christianity/Eastern Orthodox | April 5, 2026 |
Vesak | Buddhism | May 1, 2026 |
Memorial Day | May 25, 2026 | |
✭ Shavuot | Judaism | May 21-23, 2026 |
Juneteenth | June 19, 2026 | |
⚉ Muharram (Al Hijri New Year) | Islam | June 16, 2026 |
Independence Day | July 4, 2026 |