Religious Accommodations
Accommodations for Religious or Spiritual Observances and Holidays
Bastyr University believes that inclusive diversity is essential for achieving academic excellence and creating a profoundly enriching university experience. In line with this, the University is committed to providing an equitable and inclusive environment that respects and honors the religious beliefs and practices of all members of the University community. Pursuant to this, it is the policy of the University to make an attempt in good faith to provide reasonable Religious Accommodations to students whose religious beliefs and/or practices conflict with a University policy, procedure, or other or academic requirement. It is the policy of Bastyr University to reasonably accommodate the observance of religious holidays and practices by students whenever possible.
Definitions
Religion: All aspects of religious observance and practice, as well as belief.
Religious Accommodation: A reasonable change in the work or academic environment that enables an individual covered by this policy to practice or otherwise observe a sincerely held religious practice or belief without undue hardship on the University. It can also include any necessary modification to a University policy, procedure, or other requirement for a covered individual’s religious beliefs, observance, or practice provided such accommodation is reasonable and does not cause Undue Hardship.
Religious Beliefs: Religious beliefs include moral or ethical beliefs as to what is right and wrong which are sincerely held with the strength of traditional religious views. They include theistic as well as non-theistic beliefs. Personal preferences, or social, political, or economic philosophies, are not considered religious beliefs.
Religious Practices: A religious practice is one motivated by a sincerely held religious belief, not any secular purpose. Certain practices may have both secular and religious motivations, which may require a case-by-case inquiry as to the purpose behind the practice.
Undue Hardship: Imposition of more than a de minims cost on the University’s operations, which may include those requests that are costly, compromise workplace safety, decrease workplace efficiency, infringe on the rights of other employees, or require other employees to do more than their fair share of the potentially hazardous or burdensome work. A reasonable accommodation would not bring undue hardship to the institution.
Attendance/Absences Due to Religious Holidays
- Absences from class that are taken in observance of religious holidays or practices will not count against any attendance requirement for any course.
a. Such absence shall not have a direct negative impact on the grade of the student in relation to a course requirement that is expected or due on the day of the absence.
b. Students must remain responsible for the information and material covered, which was missed due to that absence, and must coordinate with the instructor regarding missed course content/activities, e.g., class materials, assessments, labs, and/or clinic shifts.
- Students observing such holidays and who are seeking reasonable accommodations in relation to attendance due to the observance of religious holidays or practices are required to provide written notice to the Student Access Support (SAS) office and their instructor within the week before the beginning of the quarter, but not later than the end of week two.
a. A form provided by the SAS office (“Religious Accommodations Agreement”) must be completed by the student in consultation with the instructor. The form must include the following:
i. The specific dates of the religious holidays;
ii. The dates the student expects to be absent from class in observance of the holiday (especially if the religious observance spans multiple days or a week); and
iii. Specific procedures for turning in homework/assignments/projects due the day of a religious observance, including maximum number of days assignments may be late.
- Faculty will reasonably accommodate students who, due to the observance of religious holidays or practices, expect to be absent or endure a significant hardship related to a religious observance during certain days of the course or program.
a. "Reasonably accommodate" means coordinating with the student on scheduling examinations or other activities necessary for completion of the program and may include rescheduling examinations or activities or offering different times for examinations or activities.
Rescheduling Tests/Exams/Due Dates
- Students should follow the procedures to reschedule exams as provided in the Academic Catalog in the event an exam falls on a religious holiday or practice, and results in a serious incompatibility between a student’s religious beliefs/practices and a scheduled test or examination.
- Students observing such holidays and who are seeking reasonable accommodations in relation to a missed test or examination, or an announced due date that is incompatible with religious needs, observances, or practices, are required to provide written notice to the SAS office and their instructor of such incompatibility within a week of receiving information of the test or examination date. If the conflict is known at the time the instructor is consulted before the quarter begins, such conflict must be included in the form provided by SAS.
a. A form provided by the SAS office (“Religious Accommodations Agreement”) must be completed by the student in consultation with the instructor. The form must include the following:
iv. The specific dates of the religious holidays; and
v. The dates the student expects to miss a test or examination (especially if the religious observance spans multiple days or a week).
vi. Specific procedures for making up a missed quiz, examination, in-class graded assignment, or class participation grade given on the day of a religious observance.
- Faculty will attempt to reasonably accommodate students who, due to the observance of religious holidays, expect to experience such conflicts.
a. Alternative test or examination dates will be worked out directly and on an individual basis between the instructor and student involved.
b. Students or faculty with questions on the proposed accommodations may contact the Department Chair or Dean as appropriate.
Clinical Training and Weekend Intensives
- The University schedules occasional required courses or intensives on weekends. Students with religious observances that restrict them from attending classes on weekends need to provide written notice to the SAS office and contact their program chairs instructor within the week before the beginning of the quarter but not later than the end of week two.
a. Upon course registration, the student must indicate on the provided section in the registration form any religious observances they expect to have in the specific quarter.
b. Students must also complete the form provided by the SAS office (“Religious Accommodations Agreement”) in consultation with their instructor.
- The University schedules clinical training on weekends. Students with religious observances that restrict them from fulfilling or covering their shift(s) must provide written notice to the SAS office and their supervisors at least two weeks in advance of the expected absence when such conflicts occur. (See Section 1.a. above for form instructions).
a. Students must find substitutes for clinic shifts affected.
- Efforts will be made to resolve such conflicts, but a resolution cannot be guaranteed.
Student-to-Student Procedures as a Course Requirement
If a student holds a religious belief that conflicts with student-to-student practice as a course requirement, the general rules of the policy on Students Performing Procedures on Fellow Students applies. The University will attempt to reasonably accommodate the request for an alternative in the case of a conflict with religious beliefs.
The following process applies to situations involving skills training and practice sessions:
- Students must provide written notice to the Student Access Support (SAS) office of a request related to student-to-student practice.
- SAS will review the request and notify the appropriate academic department. The department will then address the request and seek to find reasonable alternatives to the required practice.
The general policy on the use of medical models can be found here.
Publication of the Policy
- The University shall provide notice to students of this policy by publishing this on the University’s internal and external websites, the Student Handbook, and the Academic Catalog.
- The text of the policy or a link to the policy must also be included in the course syllabus.
The notice of this policy must also include notification of or a link to the institution's grievance procedures as outlined in the Academic Catalog and Student Handbook.