On Friday, during their final meeting of the semester, faculty voted in favor of instituting a week-long Thanksgiving break. Friday’s vote marks the culmination of a months-long debate among faculty members and students alike over the future of the break.

Bowdoin Student Government (BSG) President Paul Wang ’24 addressed the faculty before voting took place, imploring them to consider the results of the BSG’s fact-finding student opinion survey before casting their vote.

“Your recommendation is a privilege not extended to students or staff, stakeholders who will be greatly affected by this decision,” Wang said. “In this regard, I urge you to consider the outpouring of student voices we have collected.”

The first vote—which only addressed whether or not to extend the break—was followed by a second vote, in which faculty ranked their preferences among the five proposed alternatives to the status quo. The outcome of the second vote will be made available in the coming days.

Though the results of the votes will not definitively determine whether the break is permanently extended, President Safa Zaki indicated at the meeting that she intends to follow the faculty’s recommendation when making the final decision.

“My plan is to follow the faculty’s lead on this.… My plan is to fully take your advice,” Zaki said.