ETSU offices and classes were on a regular schedule April 10, despite the fact that it was Good Friday. This evoked criticism on the decision to remove the holiday from the university schedule after it was removed from the Tennessee Board of Regents mandated holiday schedule.
The TBR, the supervisory board for state colleges and universities, mandates a maximum of seven holidays to be observed each year, according to the TBR Web site. This year, Good Friday did not appear on the list.
In addition, the TBR grants six administrative closing days which are used at the discretion of the individual colleges and universities.
“Every year the university uses administrative days to keep the campus closed between Christmas and New Year’s Day,” said Janice Randolph, office manager, Office of the President. “This year a majority of the senior staff chose to make Jan 2. an administrative day as well, adding it to the Christmas break.”
Because New Year’s Day, the last day campus offices would be closed for the Christmas holiday, fell on a Thursday. The decision was made to keep the campus closed that Friday, as well, said Vice Provost and Chief Student Affairs Officer Steven Bader. In return, for the extra day, administrators had to choose a day to put back into the schedule since there are a finite number of administrative days the university is allowed to schedule per year, he said.
The university, however, is required to observe the seven TBR mandated holidays which include New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Of the six available administrative closing days, five were used during the Christmas break, and the sixth will be used the Friday after Thanksgiving, according to the 2009 ETSU holiday schedule.
Some staff and students, however, opposed a campus open on Good Friday.
Noah Wall, a student whose family lives in the Durham, N.C., area, had to choose between missing classes and going home to celebrate for the holiday. The eight hours it takes to travel round trip isn’t worth it if she can only stay for 24 hours, she said.
“Easter is a special time for my family,” the broadcasting major said, “but I can’t really miss class, so I pretty much have to plan to be here. We’ve always had Good Friday off, and I don’t understand why all of a sudden it changed.”
Wall missed the annual Easter egg hunt for the children in her family and the dinner with extended family members that she hasn’t seen since Christmas, she said.
Other students made the decision not to attend scheduled classes to observe the holiday.
Brian Wilson went home to Morehead, Ky., to spend the weekend with family and attend services at his home church.
“I think scheduling classes on Good Friday limits choices for those who wish to observe the holiday,” the manufacturing engineering senior said. “I’m actually kind of surprised they did it.”
Professors and lecturers were understanding about his planned absence, Wilson said. “I don’t believe an absence on that day should be held against students missing in observance, especially those who have to travel to be with family,” he said.
Staff, as well as students, faced challenges because offices were open Friday. Staff must report to work or request a personal leave day.
Associate Director for Budget and Financial Planning Margaret Pate not only worked on Good Friday, but also worked alone because her two co-workers in the small office used personal days. Pate, who is active in her church and has family in the area, said she felt rushed having to plan and coordinate activities and events in one day instead of two. “I understand why [the administration] did it,” she said, “but I think there were other holidays they could have taken.”
Second-year biology graduate student Andrea Edge was also required to be on campus since she leads a lab required for biology students. “All of my other classes were canceled,” she said. “I don’t really care one way or the other, but it would have been nice to be able to take advantage of the canceled classes and have an extra day off.”
Next year Good Friday will be that extra day.
“A lot of it has to do with the calendar and the number of administrative days that are used between Christmas and New Year’s,” Randolph said. “Next year there is an administrative day available that will be used for Good Friday.

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