Religious Accommodations

At the University of Illinois Chicago, religious accommodations are modifications to help a student or employee practice their religion while at the institution or in the workplace. A reasonable accommodation could include an excused absence, an extension on an assignment, or the rescheduling of an exam due to the observation of a religious holiday. Religious accommodations may also be dietary or involve campus housing.

Observance of religious holidays is one aspect of religious accommodations.

Click here for a calendar with dates of religious observances.

Student Religious Accommodations Heading link

It is the policy of the University of Illinois Chicago to reasonably accommodate students’ religious beliefs, observances, and practices that conflict with a student’s class attendance or participation in a scheduled examination or class/educational requirement, consistent with state and federal law. Students should make requests for accommodation in advance of the conflict to allow time for both consideration of the request and alternate procedures to be prepared. Requests should be directed to each instructor.

The Office for Access and Equity provides  this optional resource  to assist students in making such requests. After completing the form, students should print a copy which should be provided to each instructor with the request clearly described.

Student employees should use the employee accommodation resource to request a religious accommodation.

Please Note: If an instructor or university employer denies a student’s request for a reasonable accommodation for a religious belief, observance, and practice, the student may appeal the decision in writing to the Office for Access and Equity here.

Specific religious dates and holidays can be found here.

 

The UIC Senate approved the following policy regarding student observance of religious holidays:

“The University of Illinois Chicago faculty shall make every effort to avoid scheduling examinations or requiring student projects be turned in or completed on religious holidays. Students who wish to observe their religious holidays shall notify the faculty member by the tenth day of the semester of the date when they will be absent unless the religious holiday is observed on or before the tenth day of the semester. In such cases, the students shall notify the faculty member at least five days before the date when they will be absent. In cases when the exact date(s) of the religious holiday is/are not known at the start of the semester, the student should notify the faculty member as soon as the exact date is known. Students should be asked to report if such situations might occur within the first four weeks of the semester. The faculty member shall make every reasonable effort to honor the request, not penalize the student for missing the class, and if an examination or project is due during the absence, give the student an exam or assignment equivalent to the one completed by those students in attendance. If the student feels aggrieved, they may request remedy through the campus grievance procedure.”  Last updated on February 2, 2023

Although this policy was adopted to accommodate students’ observances of religious holidays, students must not abuse the policy. It would be unreasonable, for example, for a student to request a two-week absence from classes for religious purposes.

Guidance for Instructors Heading link

  • Outline course obligations, dates, and foreseen examination calendar (s) as early as possible.
  • Instruct students to inform you of any conflicts in accordance with the policy detailed below.
  • There may be accommodation requests neither dictated by calendar dates nor foreseen at the beginning of the semester as contemplated by the stated Senate Policy. In such cases, students should be informed that they should request an accommodation as soon as they become aware of the need.
  • Students should not be required to verify their attendance at religious services to qualify for accommodation.

Students may use the Student Request for Religious Accommodation Form or submit their request to the instructor. Any student may appeal in writing an instructor’s adverse decision to a request based on religious beliefs, observances, and practices to the Office for Access and Equity.

Employee Religious Accommodations Heading link

The law requires the University to reasonably accommodate employee’s religious beliefs or practices unless doing so would cause more than a minimal burden on the operations of the employing department. This means the University may be required to reasonably adjust the work environment, allowing employees to practice their religion. This also applies to an employee’s dress or grooming practices for religious reasons. It also includes an employee’s observance of a religious prohibition against wearing certain garments.

Examples of some common religious accommodations include:

  • flexible scheduling
  • voluntary shift substitutions or swaps
  • job reassignments
  • modifications to workplace policies or practices
  • leave for religious observances
  • wearing particular head coverings or other religious dress
  • wearing certain hairstyles or facial hair

To request religious accommodations, please complete the Employee Request for Religious Accommodation Form and contact the Office for Access and Equity at oae@uic.edu or 312-996-8670.

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