As in the past, the UCSC campus will close during the holiday season in an effort to conserve energy at a time when university business is generally slow. This year the campus will be closed from Wednesday, December 24, 2008 through Thursday, January 1, 2009, re-opening on Friday, January 2, 2009. The campus community is reminded to turn off lights, shut down computers and other office equipment, and close and lock exterior windows before leaving for the break.
During the closure some housing areas and other buildings will remain open. Laboratory buildings will be partially operational due to special needs of researchers and scientists, and some campus units' work schedules may require staffing during all or part of the closure. Fire, police, and environmental health and safety services will be provided to the campus community during this period, along with necessary utilities and other essential services.
If you are required to work all or part of this closure, you must receive approval from your unit head and Principal Officer. Once unit heads have concurrence from their Principal Officer, they are asked to notify Physical Plant directly of their plans to remain open or staffed during part or all of the closure. Notifications should be made via email to mcmanusd@ucsc.edu, by campus mail to Deanna McManus, Physical Plant, Barn G, or by fax (9-5121), no later than Friday, December 12, 2008, and should include the specific dates that offices will be occupied, as well as the number of occupants. This will ensure that open areas will receive necessary services during this period when most faculty, staff, and students are gone.
It is important to note, however, that building temperatures in underutilized areas will generally be reduced. Therefore, please advise staff to dress appropriately during this time. Unit heads should also notify their appropriate SHR Partner, for time and payroll accounting purposes. Faculty are urged to announce the closure broadly, to their graduate students who may plan on working throughout the closure.
Finally, please take special notice of the fact that, this year during the closure, Physical Plant will perform major work on the high voltage electrical system, requiring a campus electrical shutdown from Saturday, December 27, 2008 at 8:00 am, through approximately 6:00 pm Monday, December 29, 2008. Units in facilities that will only have emergency power will not be granted exceptions on those days. Many of the campus buildings will not have electrical power for equipment, lighting, or heat & ventilation. Additional information regarding this shutdown will be provided in a separate communication in early December.
If you have facilities-related questions or would like furthering information on campus closure exceptions, please contact Deanna McManus at 9-2238.
