Information on accommodating religious observances
August 16, 2024 11:47 AM

Dear Colleagues,

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is committed to maintaining an inclusive educational environment for students of all religious backgrounds. This commitment encompasses the upholding of state and federal law requiring the university to reasonably accommodate its students’ religious beliefs, observances and practices in the areas of admissions, class attendance and the scheduling of examinations and work requirements. Whenever possible, it is best practice to plan exams, required labs and other due dates around religious holidays. The Religious Observances that Affect the Academic Calendar webpage is an excellent resource to bookmark for reference to find listings of the primary sacred times for many world religions that may affect your course and event planning.

When planning around such dates is impossible, instructors need to provide reasonable accommodations for students who have a religious observance as outlined in the Student Code in Article 1, Section 1-107, Policy for the Provision of Religious Accommodations for Students. Section 1-107(e) allows appeals to the dean of the academic unit offering the course when a religious accommodation is not granted, or a student believes that the accommodation is unreasonable. Accordingly, units should have a process for the dean to hear such appeals or designate a committee, such as the executive committee or other body, that will hear the appeals and make a recommendation to the dean. In considering an appeal, the dean is strongly encouraged to consult with the Office of University Counsel for legal guidance before making a final decision. Appeals should be rare, as instructors are expected to offer reasonable accommodations as required under Illinois law. 

IMPORTANT - NEW CHANGE
Please also note that effective this fall, absence letters for religious observances are no longer being provided by the Connie Frank CARE Center (formerly Student Assistance Center) in the Office of the Dean of Students. Instead, students are asked to work directly with their instructor(s) to request an accommodation for a religious belief, observance or practice. The Office of the Dean of Students provides an optional resource students can use to facilitate a request with their instructor(s) for an accommodation.

Information for Faculty on Accommodating Religious Observances contains helpful tips for application and best practices. Instructors who have questions may contact Stephen Bryan, Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Advocacy and Dean of Students, at 217-333-0050 or at deanofstudents@illinois.edu.

Thank you for your time and consideration of this important matter.

Sincerely,

Sean C. Garrick
Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

John Coleman
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs 

Danita M. Brown Young
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs