• A student may be absent for 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. There shall be no academic penalty as a result of a student being absent as permitted in this policy.
• Students shall be provided with alternative accommodations with regard to examinations and other academic requirements missed due to an absence described in paragraph (A) of this policy, if both of the following apply:
  • The student’s sincerely held religious belief or practice severely affects the student’s ability to take an examination or meet an academic requirement.
  • The student provides the instructor with written notice of the specific dates for which the student requires alternative accommodations not later than fourteen days after the first day of instruction in a particular course.
• An instructor 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.
• Instructors are required to include in each course syllabus a statement regarding this policy. The statement shall include both of the following:
  • A description of the general procedure for requesting accommodations;
  • Contact information for an individual whom a student may contact for more information about this policy.

• The office of equity and civil rights compliance ("ECRC") is responsible for investigating all complaints of discrimination and harassment that are based on any status protected by federal or state law, or university policy and for complaints of retaliation as it relates to this policy.

  Students may notify equity and civil rights compliance of any grievance with regard to the implementation of this policy by filing a report at www.ohio.edu/equity-civil-rights or by contacting the director by phone or email:

  Kerri Griffin, director and Title IX coordinator
  Equity and civil rights compliance
  Lindley hall, 006
  740-593-9140
  Equity@ohio.edu

• This policy must be posted prominently on the "OHIO" webpage. Likewise, "OHIO" will publish a non-exhaustive list of major religious holidays or festivals for the next two academic years. However, the list may not be used to deny accommodation 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.

Reviewers

• Provost
• Faculty Senate
• Undergraduate Student Senate
• Graduate Student Senate
• Legal Affairs

Forms, References, and History

1. Forms

   There are no forms that are specific to this policy. 

2. References

   There are no references that are specific to this policy. 

3. History

   Draft versions of this policy that were circulated for review, their cover memos, their forms, and Reviewers' comments on them are available on the password-protected Review site .

   Prior versions of this policy were approved on:

   1. March 20, 2024 (ESPC approved use of interim policy for an additional six month period, in accordance with policy 01.001). 
   2. September 15, 2023 (ESPC approved use of interim policy for an additional six month period, in accordance with policy 01.001). 

   3. March 31, 2023 (ESPC approved policy for Interim use in accordance with policy 01.001).