Constitution Day and/or Citizenship Day is an American federal observance that recognizes the adoption of the United States Constitution and those who have become U.S. citizens. It is normally observed on September 17, the day in 1787 that delegates to the Constitutional Convention signed the document in Philadelphia. When Constitution Day falls on a weekend or on another holiday, schools and other institutions observe the holiday on an adjacent weekday. UACCM observes Constitution Day on September 17, or on the Thursday proceeding the weekend on which it falls.
The law establishing the present holiday was created in 2004 with the passage of an amendment by Senator Robert Byrd to the Omnibus spending bill of 2004. Before this law was enacted, the holiday was known as “Citizenship Day”. In addition to renaming the holiday “Constitution Day and Citizenship Day,” the act mandates that all publicly funded educational institutions, and all federal agencies, provide educational programming on the history of the American Constitution on that day. In May 2005, the United States Department of Education announced the enactment of this law and that it would apply to any school receiving federal funds of any kind.
On the day Constitution Day is observed, UACCM encourages students to participate in a brief quiz asking questions concerning the Constitution of the United States. Students are incentivized to participate by awarding a gift card to the winner. Students are notified of this even via UACCM email, social media, TV screens, and fliers around campus.