If one were to hypothetically work at a university, would one typically get the days that the university is closed off?

Define "closed". Also, define "work". For us, the only days the university is actually closed are the holidays you'd get in most jobs -- Christmas, Thanksgiving, July 4th, etc etc. Staff get those days off. Faculty sometimes get those days off, although until a few years ago the university had an idiotic policy of holding classes on some of the days they also considered holidays.

The days that classes aren't in session is a much bigger list, and that's what most people seem to be thinking of when they keep asking me if working at the looniversity means I get all summer off.

The health system (which is actually the majority of looniversity employees) doesn't ever officially close, but they have a totally different time off structure.

Sparky's looniversity seems to close on a regular basis for The-Pope-Said-So day, but on the other hand is much stricter than ours about needing a personal note from the dean to leave an hour early.

And would these be paid days off?

That totally depends on the university. If theoretically job hunting, it'll be on their HR websites -- universities tend to be either totally cash-strapped, or brag a lot about their awesome bennies to make you ignore the fact that you're making 2/3 what you'd make in the private sector. Sometimes both. If theoretically asking to enable me to waste time at the end of the work day while making productive typing noises, THANK YOU.

Oh....Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Love that flick.

I have a ton of VHS I should do something with. While we still own a couple of machines, none are hooked up right now.

One more hour of work and then a hair cut. Not sure if I'm just going to get a trim or if I will ask my guy to do something different.

I am dying of the "define 'closed'" x-post, y'all.

(eta: I am also editing to add single quotes inside my double quotes. More typing noises!)

One of my favorite things in grad school was writing a paper for my HR class about the admin staff of my school -- I had been working on the dean's floor part-time for a year, so knew the people, and some of the issues, but it was EXCELLENT to get deeper into it, with a good reason.

Possibly this just confirms that nosiness is my biggest motivator.

I will note that if you were to work in food services at a University, you would be likely to be essentially laid off when classes were out, or cut way back. Ain't no way they are paying the cooks when they aren't cooking. Bus drivers, too (though at my current Uni those are mostly students). General office staff, it's just like working in any old business.

amych - you are most welcome and thank you for the responses everyone! The benefits section doesn't really say and isn't clear on "closed" days. It says, "Ten paid holidays plus seasonal days between Christmas and New Years."

The dept that is hiring is the English Dept.

lisah - did you ever get a chance to talk with your neighbor about the chair at sara's house? I have a couple other vintage things if you see her soon to talk to her about.

Yes! She is definitely interested. I just haven't managed to work it out with sara to get her the chair. I'm sure my neighbor would be interested in other things too. I'll flag her down next time I see her. (Since Frank died I don't see my neighbors nearly as much. I'm just not walking verrry slowly up and down the block as much as I used to.)

My mother used to work for a local community college and, if I remember correctly, they closed down between Christmas and New Year and on Good Friday (and probably a few other days I don't remember). She wasn't in administration per se - she did outreach for their recruiting efforts, so it might be different.

At my university the paid holidays for staff are New Years, Memorial Day, July 4, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and the Day After Thanksgiving.

Faculty get these paid holidays, and do not have to record their vacation time at all.

Some staff and most faculty are on 9 month appointments, which means they do not work in the summer.

Some staff who work for academic departments in the College of Arts and Sciences in the summer take all of their vacation time and/or work a very short schedule in the summer because no professors are working.

Staff who work for housekeeping in dorms and for food services tend to be furloughed or transferred to the Medical Center for the summer

We also have the option, if approved, to take the summer off as our vacation at half pay (2 weeks of vacation for 1 weeks vacation pay), but this is hardly ever approved.

Staff

Others have already chimed in, but IME staff get standard federal holidays off and that's about it, plus the week between Xmas and New Years.