UW–Madison aligns spring recess with local school district calendars

The Faculty Senate has approved a change to the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s academic calendar to better align spring recess with those of local K-12 school districts and provide greater consistency for the timing of the recess from year to year.

This change will start in the 2024-25 academic year; it will not affect the 2024 spring recess. The 2025 spring recess dates will change from March 15-23, 2025, to March 22-30, 2025. The online academic calendars, beginning with 2024-2025, have been updated.

Under the new calendar, spring recess will usually occur the last full school week (Monday through Friday) of March. However, if the first day of Passover and Good Friday occur in the same week, and if that week is the eighth to the 11th week of the second semester, then spring recess will be held that week.

The change was prompted when a faculty senator suggested bringing UW–Madison’s spring break into line with those of area school districts. Former University Committee Chair Lauren Papp conducted a survey of local school districts, finding that nearly all public schools in the area were holding break in the last full week of March. The proposal was vetted with a number of campus stakeholders over the past year.

For questions, please contact the Office of the Secretary of the Faculty at admin@secfac.wisc.edu.