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Policy on Academic Accommodations for Religious Observance

Although Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ University does not as an institution observe religious holidays, the academic calendar is designed to avoid conflicts with observed holidays, such as Independence Day, Memorial Day, Thanksgiving, New Year's Day, and Christmas. Consistent with our commitment to creating an academic community that is respectful of and welcoming to persons of differing backgrounds, every reasonable effort should be made to accommodate members of the University community for their religious observance without jeopardizing the fulfillment of their academic obligations. Academic accommodations for religious observance are typically handled successfully by informal discussions among students, instructors and administrators when needed. 

In particular: 

• Students should not be penalized for class absences because of religious observance. 

• Instructors should provide course syllabi at the beginning of each term that specify dates of exams and due dates of assignments. Every effort should be made to avoid scheduling exams on religious holidays (a calendar of religious holidays is maintained on the   website).  

• Students are responsible for reviewing course syllabi as soon as they are distributed and for consulting instructors by the end of the second week of the term regarding conflicts due to religious observances. If asked, students should provide information about the obligations entailed in their observance.  

• Note for undergraduates: If a religious observance conflicts with a  (i.e., a midterm scheduled outside of the regular class meeting time) or , undergraduates should submit their request by filling out the  by the end of the second week of the term. 

• Upon a timely request for accommodation of a religious observance, instructors should consider rescheduling exams, adjusting deadlines, offering alternative assignments, or some other appropriate accommodation to address the conflict. In some cases, it may be advisable for a student to change sections or courses.  

• Instructors should be allowed to reschedule class meetings that conflict with their religious observance, assuring that appropriate advance notice is given to students and the department chair and/or dean. 

Individuals requiring assistance in requesting an academic accommodation for religious observance should contact the Office of the Provost at assoc-prov-undergrad@northwestern.edu. In the event that an individual feels they are being deprived of the opportunity to access their academic program due to the lack of a religious accommodation, the individual should report the matter to the  Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance at OCR@northwestern.edu. The University also maintains a comprehensive accommodations policy (pdf). 

Holidays observed by many members of the university community include but are not limited to: Rosh Hashanah; Yom Kippur; Sukkot; Passover; Shavuot; 'Id al-Fitr; 'Id al-Adha, and Good Friday. Information (including dates of observance) about these holidays and others is available on the  . In addition, the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion maintains a page with religious holiday fact sheets that offer more details such as common practices and celebrations. Please note that Jewish holidays begin at sundown the evening before the date listed.