Temple University will close for the winter break holiday at the end of business on Friday, Dec. 20, 2019, and reopen Thursday, Jan. 2, 2020. 

Please note: Professional schools (including Beasley School of Law, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Kornberg School of Dentistry, the School of Pharmacy and the School of Podiatric Medicine) may have separate policies regarding closing days. Students and employees from professional schools should refer to their school’s academic calendar for more specific schedule information.

Essential personnel should check with their supervisors to coordinate schedules throughout the break. 

Most university services, including shuttle services, will be suspended for winter break. Parking Services and some campus bookstore locations will operate on an abbreviated schedule.  

Student Housing

• Residence halls will close for the fall semester on Wednesday, Dec. 18, at 10 p.m. and reopen for the spring semester Saturday, Jan. 11, at 10 a.m. 
• Fall meal plans will end with dinner on Wednesday, Dec. 18. Spring meal plans will begin with dinner on Sunday, Jan. 12.

Visit University Housing and Residential Life for more information.

Students living off-campus and leaving for winter break, please

• activate your security system, if you have one;
• ask a neighbor to watch your home and report suspicious activity;
• be sure your door and window locks work properly; 
• check smoke detectors to make sure they are working;
• suspend mail delivery (you can do this online);
• take your valuables with you;
• use light timers to make your home appear occupied at night; 
• leave the area and call police immediately if you return home and suspect someone was inside; and 
• update or create a home inventory by taking photos and listing descriptions and serial numbers of your belongings. In the event of a burglary, having a detailed inventory can help identify stolen items and make insurance claims easier to file.

Students not leaving for winter break are encouraged to use the Walking Escort Program offered through Campus Safety Services, available daily from 4 p.m. to 6 a.m. Call 8-WALK (8-9255) from a campus phone or 215-777-9255 to request a security escort. 

Facilities

Temple University Center City (TUCC)

• TUCC will close at 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20, and reopen Thursday morning, Jan. 2.  
• The TUCC bookstore will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Dec. 23, 26, 27 and 30, and from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Dec. 31 (enter on 15th Street).

Health Sciences Center (HSC)

• The Medical Education and Research Building (MERB) will be open and accessible via OWLcard swipe. Access to Kresge Science Hall (including Kresge West) and the Medical Research building will be through MERB.
• The School of Pharmacy building will be closed, but accessible via OWLcard swipe; entry must be reported to Campus Safety Services.
• The old dental school building will be closed only Dec. 25–26, and Jan. 1, but will be accessible via OWLcard swipe. Entry must be reported to Campus Safety Services. 
• The Kornberg School of Dentistry building (including clinical operations) will be closed for winter break. 
• The Medical Office Building, Jones Hall, Ambulatory Care Center, Parkinson Pavilion, outpatient buildings and Boyer Pavilion outpatient practices are open in accordance with the Temple Faculty Physicians hours of operation plan. 

Temple Administrative Services Building (TASB)

• TASB will be closed only Dec. 24–25, and Jan. 1.

All other Temple domestic facilities—including those at the Ambler, Harrisburg and the School of Podiatric Medicine campuses—will be closed from the end of business Friday, Dec. 20, through Wednesday, Jan. 1, except to authorized/essential personnel.

Athletic Events 

The following athletic events will be held on campus during the semester break.

Men’s Basketball 

• Saturday, Dec. 21, at 1 p.m., vs. Rider (Liacouras Center)  
• Tuesday, Jan. 7, at 7 p.m. vs. Houston (Liacouras Center)
• Saturday, Jan. 11, at noon, vs. Tulane (Liacouras Center)

Women’s Basketball

• Sunday, Dec. 22, at noon, vs. Florida Gulf Coast (McGonigle Hall) 
• Saturday, Jan. 11, at 3 p.m., vs. SMU (McGonigle Hall)

In addition, the Temple Football team will be competing in a Bowl game for the fifth consecutive season. The Owls will battle the University of North Carolina in the Military Bowl at noon on Friday, Dec. 27, at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland.  

Visit Temple Athletics for more information about these athletic events and to purchase tickets.

Campus Development Projects

Main Campus: Anderson and Gladfelter terrace, lobbies and site improvements

• Construction continues on the Anderson Hall lobby and the Anderson and Gladfelter terrace renovations. Polett Walk will remain closed between 11th and 12th streets, with all pedestrian traffic detoured to either the south walkway between Anderson Hall and the TECH Center, or north to Norris Street. Detour signage is in place.

Other Important Reminders

Winter break is a great opportunity to save energy. Before you leave for the break 

• turn off all lights and power strips, and unplug electrical equipment;
• discard any food in your refrigerator;
• if applicable, turn heat down to 60 degrees;
• be sure all windows are closed and locked when you leave—a window left open even slightly can lead to frozen and broken pipes; and
• close blinds and curtains.

Mail will not be picked up or delivered during winter break.  

• Do not leave any shipments in UPS drop-off boxes during winter break; they will not be picked up. If you are expecting a package to be delivered by an express delivery service, please let the sender know exactly where and when you will be on campus to receive the shipment due to limited facilities access and the likelihood that no one else will be present to sign for it. Do not order any items requiring refrigeration or other forms of special handling that may arrive during winter break.

Set up automatic email and phone notifications to let your colleagues and contacts know that you won’t be in the office during Temple’s winter break. For more information, see the Microsoft Exchange/Outlook or Gmail instructions.

You can also record an extended absence voice message on your standard or VoIP phone and easily remove it after your time off.

Best wishes for a safe and happy winter break with family and friends.