The College provides reasonable accommodation, including two (2) excused absences each academic year, for religious observances required by a student’s religious practice or belief. Such reasonable accommodation must be requested in accordance with the procedures for this Policy and include the opportunity for the student to make up any tests or other work missed due to an excused absence for a religious observance. An accommodation request imposes responsibilities and obligations on both the College and the student requesting the accommodation. College faculty are required, as part of their responsibility to their students and the College, to adhere to this Policy and ensure its full and fair implementation by reasonably accommodating students’ religious practices or beliefs. Regardless of any accommodation that may be granted, college students are responsible for satisfying all academic objectives, requirements and prerequisites as determined by their instructor and the College. (Policy 5.2.1)
Student Religious Accommodations
- A student must complete the Religious Accommodation form or email the registrar’s office within forty-eight (48) hours of the desired observation. A student who submits the form outside of forty-eight (48) hours must show good cause for the late submission and the late submission itself may be taken into account in determining whether the student has a religious practice or belief requiring accommodation and whether granting the request would create undue hardship.
- The instructor and the student should discuss what a reasonable accommodation should include in all given cases. At a minimum, reasonable accommodations must provide that the student who is absent on days of examinations or class assignments due to a religious observance will have an opportunity to make up the work, without penalty, unless granting the make-up opportunity would create undue hardship.
- If the instructor and student agree upon a reasonable accommodation, the accommodation is then documented and shall be implemented.
- If the instructor denies the student request for a reasonable accommodation, or only agrees to provide an accommodation that is unsatisfactory to the student, the student and the instructor will meet with the academic dean. If the parties cannot reach a consensus, the student may file a written grievance directly to the dean of student services within five (5) calendar days after the meeting with the academic dean. The dean of student services shall meet with the student, instructor and academic dean and hear from all parties regarding the student’s requested accommodations and make a written determination regarding the student’s request. The student may appeal the dean of student services’ decision to the executive vice president within five (5) calendar days of receipt of the dean of student services’ written determination. The executive vice president will conduct an “on the record” review and, at the executive vice president’s discretion, hear from the parties. The executive vice president will render a final decision. Where a timely request is made by the student but denied by the instructor, the grievance process shall be expedited as much as reasonably possible to ensure that a student pursuing a religious accommodation is not unduly disadvantaged by the passage of time.
- Excused absences from classes or examinations for religious observances will not be counted against any mandatory attendance requirements, but they do not relieve students from responsibility for any part of the course work required during the period of absence. The instructor may appropriately respond if the student fails to satisfactorily complete any alternative assignment or examination. (Procedure 5.2.1.2)