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Date Effective: June 12, 2023
Policy Statement
A student will be granted up to three days each academic term to take holidays for reasons of faith or religious or spiritual belief system, or participate in organized activities conducted under the auspices of any religious or spiritual organization. Kent State University shall not impose an academic penalty as a result of a student being absent as permitted in this policy.
Students will be provided with alternative accommodations with regard to examinations and other academic requirements missed due to an absence, 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; and
- Not later than 14 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.
The 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 a description of the general procedure for requesting accommodations and contact information for an individual whom a student may contact for more information about the policy.
Reason for Policy
The purpose of this policy is to establish procedures to reasonably accommodate the sincerely held beliefs and practices of individual students with regard to all examinations or other academic requirements and absences for reasons of faith or religious or spiritual belief system consist with Ohio Revised Code 3345.026.
Procedures
Students requesting alternative accommodations in a course due to religious belief or practice must provide the course instructor written notice no later than 14 days after the first day of instruction in that course. Students with concerns about an alleged violation of this policy are encouraged, but not required, to first discuss those concerns with their instructor. Students may also notify the university of any complaint following the Administrative Policy and Procedure for Student Academic Complaints (3342.4-02.3).
Forms/Instructions
- Non-exhaustive list of major religious holidays or festivals
This list 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 under this policy.
Additional Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
There is no FAQ associated with this policy.
Definitions
- Ohio Revised Code: The codified law of the state of Ohio found at codes.ohio.gov/ohio-administrative-code.
- Instructor: Instructor of record with the primary responsibility for course instruction, including the assignment of appropriate grades.
- Syllabus: An outline or a summary of the main points of what will be expected of students in a course, provided by the course's instructor.
Related Information
Revision History
Effective April 2023: Establishes a formal university policy regarding accommodations for student religious and spiritual beliefs.