By Mackenzie Prince 

The University of Maryland will add a two-day fall break for students, staff and faculty starting in the fall 2025 semester.

This decision was announced when students returned from Thanksgiving break, following widespread discussions about the lack of days off in the weeks leading up to it.

UMD President Darryll J. Pines announced the decision in an email to the UMD community on Monday, Dec. 2, claiming he listened to students’ concerns and made his decision accordingly. 

Pines addressed the positive impacts that he hopes to see within the UMD community as a result. 

“We hope this extra time off will help our community members focus on their well-being,” Pines wrote. 

Among the initial opinions from students and staff alike, one group within the UMD community largely believed their feelings were negated: seniors. 

This decision is slated to positively impact students going forward, since breaks can improve students’ mental health and prevent burnout, as shown by other universities. Nevertheless, many seniors voiced their anger and confusion about the implementation coming after their final fall semester. 

Angelina Ward, a senior criminology and criminal justice and sociology double major, described her initial reaction. 

“[I] texted my friends about it immediately after seeing the subject line,” Ward said. “In cleaner terms, I was annoyed.” 

Ward went on to explain how this decision was made too little, too late for those in her graduating class. 

“I’m sure some people are excited for the break and it’ll be nice to have a peaceful day or two in October in the coming years, but I feel that the current seniors and past graduates just find this annoying,” Ward said. “Most schools across the country have already [instated] a fall break.”

Peyton Aronow, a senior criminology and criminal justice major, had a similar reaction to Ward. She highlighted her frustrations for her year’s consistent struggles of finding normalcy, referencing the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“I was just really annoyed and appalled,” Aronow said. 

Nevertheless, Aronow has a positive outlook on what fall break may mean for underclassmen within the UMD community. 

“As a senior, I’m happy for future students because we truly need more breaks for mental health and other reasons,” Aronow said.

In his statement, Pines said this decision was made after endless campaigning by advocacy clubs, though many students remain confused on why this decision was made now. The UMD Office of Marketing & Communications declined to provide further comment on the decision. 

The two-day intermission will commence on Indigenous People’s Day/Columbus Day and the Tuesday that follows. 

Featured Image: Mckeldin Mall on Thursday, Dec. 5. Photo by Mackenzie Prince.