Academic Affairs Manual (ACD)

Effective: 12/1/1981

Revised: 11/1/2002

ACD 304–04: Accommodation for Religious Practices

Purpose

To provide for reasonable accommodation of religious practices, and to prevent discrimination against any individual on the basis of that individual’s religious beliefs or practices, or absence thereof

Sources

Title VII, Civil Rights Act (1964), 42 United States Code § 2000 (E)

Arizona Revised Statutes § 41–1463

Arizona Board of Regents Policy Manual - 1–110

Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost of the University

Applicability

Faculty

Academic professionals

Administrative staff, service professionals, and classified staff

Teaching assistants

Policy

The university community should in all its activities be sensitive to the religious practices of the various religious faiths represented in its student body and employees. Faculty are asked to recognize the obligations of their students who may be participating in the observance of religious holidays.

Board of Regents policy prohibits discrimination against any student, employee, or other individual because of such individual’s religious belief or practice, or any absence thereof.

Administrators and faculty members are expected to reasonably accommodate individual religious practices. A refusal to accommodate is justified only when undue hardship to the university would result from each available alternative of reasonable accommodation.

Employees subject to this policy who will be absent from assigned responsibilities, including teaching assignments, to observe religious holidays, are not required to obtain administrative approval for the absence provided they do one of the following in advance of the absence:

1. arrange to have another qualified individual assume job responsibilities, including the teaching of classes, in their absence

   or

2. arrange directly with students to reschedule the class or otherwise make up the class time missed, provided the needs of students are considered.

Within 10 working days after the semester commences, employees observing religious holidays must notify their immediate supervisors (generally chairs or directors) of the days during the semester that they will be absent, and that arrangements no. 1 or no. 2 above have been or will be made prior to the absences.

 

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