All ORA Staff,
I am writing to summarize important information related to the upcoming Winter Campus Curtailment.
ORA Curtailment Dates: We will be closed from Wednesday, December 24, 2025 to Friday, January 2, 2026 consistent with the University’s Winter Campus Curtailment plan. We will re-open on Monday, January 5, 2026. Please set your voicemail and email out-of-office replies accordingly, following any guidance from your manager.
Working during the curtailment period requires prior approval from your Senior Director. Following standard procedures for scheduling vacation, employees should request approval from their supervisors in advance for time off before or after the closure period.
Options for Paid Time Off or Leave Without Pay (LWOP): Four (4) University holidays will be paid during the curtailment: December 24, 25, and 31, 2025 and January 1, 2026. Four (4) days of the curtailment period are not paid holidays: December 26, 29, 30 and January 2. Staff may choose to use accrued vacation time, or leave without pay, or a combination to compensate for the four unpaid weekdays. (See Campus Human Resources memo at the end of this message for additional details.)
For the Winter Campus Curtailment only, current and newly-hired staff with insufficient vacation accruals may utilize up to four (4) vacation days in advance of actual accrual to compensate for the four unpaid weekdays. (See PPSM-2.210, Section F.2., Curtailment Leave).
If a staff member chooses to use LWOP for any unpaid days during the curtailment period, the hours must be reported on the TRS timesheet by selecting “LWOP” from the drop-down menu. Please be aware that LWOP impacts years of service credit.
Pay Check Deposit: Monthly paid employees with direct deposit will receive pay on or around January 2, 2026, depending on your bank’s processing time. Biweekly paid employees will receive pay on December 30, 2025. A separate email will follow with instructions for submitting biweekly timesheets for the December 7 to December 20, 2025 pay period.
Computer/IT Services: The ORIS Service Desk will be closed during the Winter Curtailment period. ORIS staff will not be available, and the Service Desk email and phone will not be monitored. Microsoft365 email and our enterprise research applications will remain online, but may be subject to extended maintenance. Normal ORIS services will resume at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, January 5, 2026.
Mail Services: All U.S. mail will be held at Mail & Document services during the curtailment period and distributed when we re-open on January 5, 2026. All UPS and Federal Express deliveries will be directed to Mail & Document services or held securely in the Building loading dock. Please contact Aiza Almario in OBFS for any mail that requires special handling.
Building Services and Access: The Wilshire-Glendon Building will be closed from December 24, 2025 to January 2, 2026. There will be no engineering, janitorial, or HVAC services. Regular building operations will resume on Monday, January 5th. Approval for on-site building access must be obtained in advance from your AVC/Senior Director no later than Friday, December 12th. For security and safety purposes, all staff with approved access should check in with the Lobby Officer when entering the building. For Building Security, call the main lobby phone (310) 794-3432 or cell phone (310) 560-0998. For the Office of the Building, call (310) 794-0671.
Should you have any questions regarding this information, please contact Aiza Almario or me.
Wishing you a joyous winter break!
Rory Constancio
Senior Director, Office of Business & Financial Services
Senior Director, Office of Research Data Management