Temple University will implement a Wellness Day in the academic calendar on Oct. 14, wrote Gregory Mandel, provost and senior vice president, in an email to students Thursday.
During the Wellness Day, instructors will not hold classes or assign any work due that day and the university will offer optional campus programming to fit the theme of the day, Mandel wrote. More details about the programming will be announced in the fall semester.
Some courses may not be affected by the Wellness Day, including clinicals, internships or student teaching, Mandel wrote. Students in these programs or similar ones are encouraged to reach out to their instructor for guidance.
Temple decided to introduce the Wellness Day after discussions with students and employees revealed students were in favor of adding a break in the fall semester. Temple Student Government campaigns, during the past two election cycles, advocated for the university to implement Wellness Days after Temple implemented them in the 2020-21 academic year.
The Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Kornberg School of Dentistry, Beasley School of Law, School of Pharmacy and the School of Podiatric Medicine operate using their own academic calendars and may not be impacted by the Wellness Day.
“This additional day off from classes will give you a chance to take a small moment away from what would otherwise be a ten-week run without a break, from Labor Day to Thanksgiving, to recharge and prepare for the remainder of the term,” Mandel wrote.
Temple United, the current TSG executive team, campaigned for both the university and individual professors to establish permanent wellness days within the university calendar or their class schedules. RenewTU, last year’s TSG executive team, also advocated for permanent mental health days in each semester.
Temple held Wellness Days on Feb. 23 2021 and March 24 2021 in lieu of spring break, which was canceled to mitigate student travel during the COVID-19 pandemic. BloomTU, the 2020-21 TSG executive team, collected more than 30 reports of professors who violated the Feb. 23 Wellness Day.
“We hope the Fall Wellness Day contributes to making your upcoming fall semester a successful and productive one,” Mandel wrote.
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