(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 (B) of
this policy, 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 in 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. 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 (D)(2) of this policy, contact information for students to obtain
more information about this policy as discussed in paragraphs (D)(1) and (E)(2)
of this policy, additional details regarding the grievance procedure discussed
in paragraph (F) of this policy, and other matters to carry out the purposes of
this policy as he or she sees fit.
Notes
Ohio Admin. Code
3362-2-21
Effective:
5/6/2023
Promulgated Under:
111.15
Statutory
Authority: 111.15
Rule
Amplifies: 3362.03