Rule 3362-2-21 | Accommodations for student religious beliefs.
(A) Purpose
The university is dedicated to reasonably accommodating the sincerely held religious beliefs and practices of individual students with regard to all examinations or other academic requirements or absences for reasons of faith or their religious or spiritual belief system.
(B) Absences
A student will be granted up to three days each academic semester to take holidays for reasons of faith or religious or spiritual belief system, or participate in organized activities conducted under the auspices of a religious denomination, church, or other religious or spiritual organization. The university shall not impose an academic penalty as a result of a student being absent as permitted in this policy.
(C) Alternative accommodations
(1) Students will be provided with alternative accommodations with regard to examinations and other academic requirements missed due to an absence described in paragraph 2.0, if both of the following apply:
(a) The student's sincerely held religious belief or practice severely affects the student's ability to take an examination or meet an academic requirement; and
(b) Not later than fourteen days after the first day of instruction in a particular course, the student provides the instructor with written notice of the specific dates for which the student requests alternative accommodations.
(2) The university shall accept without question the sincerity of a student's religious or spiritual belief system. An instructor shall keep requests for alternative accommodations confidential. An instructor shall schedule a time and date for an alternative examination, which may be before or after the time and date the examination or other academic requirement was originally scheduled but shall do so without prejudicial effect.
(D) Policy posting
Both of the following will be posted in a prominent location on the university website:
(1) A copy of this policy and the contact information of an individual who can provide further information about the policy;
(2) A non-exhaustive list of major religious holidays or festivals for the next two academic years. The posting shall explicitly state that the list is non-exhaustive, and that it may not be used to deny accommodations to a student for a holiday or festival of the student's faith or religious or spiritual belief system that does not appear on the list. No inclusion or exclusion of a religious holiday or festival on the list shall preclude a student from full and reasonable accommodations for any sincerely held religious beliefs and practices with regard to all examinations or other academic requirements and absences for reasons of faith or religious or spiritual belief system provided under this policy.
(E) Syllabus posting
Faculty members are required to include in each course syllabus a statement regarding this policy. The statement shall include both of the following:
(1) A description of the general procedure for requesting accommodations;
(2) Contact information for an individual whom a student may contact for more information about the policy.
(F) Grievances
If a student believes that a reasonable accommodation was improperly denied, the student may appeal the instructor's decision as outlined in accompanying procedure 2.21:1. The request must be in writing with reasons for support, and made within seven calendar days of the date of the notice of denial.
(G) Procedures
The president is authorized to enact procedures to address the list of major religious holidays discussed in paragraph 4.2, contact information for students to obtain more information about this policy as discussed in paragraphs 4.1 and 5.2, additional details regarding the grievance procedure discussed in paragraph 6.0, and other matters to carry out the purposes of this policy as he or she sees fit.
Last updated May 6, 2023 at 12:09 AM
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