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Fish Interfaith Center

Religious Accommodations

» Religious Accommodations

Consistent with our commitment to diversity and inclusiveness, Chapman offers academic accommodations in accordance with students' religious beliefs.

On this page, you will find the specific religious accommodations you may use as a Chapman student.

 

Religious holiday calendar

Each year, the Fish Interfaith Center composes a calendar of religious holidays that might pose conflicts with the yearly academic calendars. 

This list is not exhaustive of religious holidays, but includes major holidays as suggested by religious organizations.

 


Religious accommodations policyreligious-accom-class-1.jpg

The religious accommodations policy on Chapman course syllabi ensures that all students have the right to utilize certain religious accommodations, allowing you to modify your schedule in accordance with religious observances. 

These accommodations include:

Rescheduling exams or assignment deadlines

All course syllabi specifies the dates of exams and the due dates of assignments. It is the responsibility of students to review their syllabi and final examination schedules to consult the faculty member promptly regarding any possible conflicts with major religious holidays in advance.

Upon the timely request of one or more students, faculty members should, whenever possible, accommodate the student(s) using reasonable means, such as rescheduling exams and assignment deadlines that fall on major religious observances and holidays.

Class absences

Students should not be penalized for class absences because of major religious holidays. 

Students should notify the faculty member of conflicts due to religious holidays well in advance of any anticipated absence, if the specific date is known ahead of time. 

Faculty-rescheduled class meetings

Faculty should be permitted to reschedule class meetings or make other arrangements for a class session, if the scheduled session conflicts with the observance of a major religious holiday. 

Faculty may discuss with department chairs when scheduling courses, and consider teaching at another time if the course meeting time conflicts with the observance of a religious holiday.

Questions regarding religious observances

  • Questions regarding major religious holidays and the practice of religious observances may be directed to the Office of the Executive Director of the Fish Interfaith Center at brink@chapman.eduWe hope and expect that accommodations based upon religion can be handled by informal discussions among students, faculty, and administrators, when necessary.
  • Chapman’s Harassment and Discrimination Policy reflects our commitment to providing an environment which is free of any form of harassment and discrimination, including that based upon religion. We recommend reasonable accommodations so that our administration, faculty and students may practice sincerely held religious beliefs by observing major religious holidays.

 


Religious accommodations statement for course syllabi

Religious Accommodation at Chapman University

Consistent with our commitment of creating an academic community that is respectful of and welcoming to persons of differing backgrounds, we believe that every reasonable effort should be made to allow members of the university community to fulfill their obligations to the university without jeopardizing the fulfillment of their sincerely held religious obligations. Please review the syllabus early in the semester and consult with your faculty member promptly regarding any possible conflicts with major religious holidays, being as specific as possible regarding when those holidays are scheduled in advance and where those holidays constitute the fulfillment of your sincerely held religious beliefs.