memorandum
TO: Deans, Directors, Department Chairs and University Faculty
FROM: Anne Veeger, Ph.D.. Vice Provost for Academic and Faculty Initiatives
DATE: August 21, 2019
SUBJECT: University-Sanctioned Events and Religious Holidays
As the new semester approaches, I want to remind faculty of policy regarding students participating in University-sanctioned events and absence due to religious observances. A complete list of religious holidays can be found at: http://www.interfaith-calendar.org/
Please be aware of the following university policy:
6.20.10 Policy on Religious Observance. No faculty or staff member, administrator or student shall be discriminated against because of religious beliefs or practices.
We ask faculty to be sensitive to requests from students for accommodation on these days. Students who do not attend class or lab on the first Monday or Tuesday of fall semester due to their observance of these religious holy days should not be dropped from the roster nor penalized for missing class for this reason. However, students are responsible for informing their professors/instructors in advance that they will be missing class and they are responsible for making up any missed work. Sections 8.51.11 & 8.51.12 of the University Manual (http://web.uri.edu/manual/chapter-8/chapter-8-4/ ) provide guidance to faculty in developing appropriate accommodation for religious and other University-sanctioned events:
8.51.11 Students who plan to be absent from classes or examinations for religious holy days that traditionally preclude secular activity (see 6.20.11 for how such information is made available) shall discuss this with the appropriate instructor(s) in advance of the holy day. The instructor(s) shall then make one of the following options available:
- the same quiz, test, or examination to be administered either before or after the normally scheduled time;
- a comparable alternative quiz, test, or examination to be administered either before or after the scheduled time;
- an alternative weighting of the remaining evaluative components of the course which is mutually acceptable to the student and instructor(s).
8.51.12 Students who expect to be absent from classes or examinations for University sanctioned events shall discuss this with the appropriate instructor(s) at least one week in advance of the sanctioned event(s). The instructor(s) concerned shall then offer the student an alternative listed in section 8.51.11. For these purposes, University-sanctioned events shall be those events approved for class excuses by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, a Vice President, a Dean, or the Director of Intercollegiate Athletics. No event shall be regarded as University sanctioned until the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs has been notified. Disagreements over the validity of an event being categorized as University sanctioned shall be mediated by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. If agreement cannot be reached, the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs shall decide the matter and that decision shall be final.
In addition, when there is leeway in scheduling a program, meeting or other gathering, conflicts with religious observances should be taken into consideration.
If faculty are planning to cancel classes for their own observance of religious holy days, please ensure that your students know in advance that you will not be holding class and further what alternate arrangements you have made.
Best wishes for an enjoyable and productive semester.