Dear Huskies,
The coming month is one of significance for many members of our community in their faith practices, including the observances of Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr, and Passover. As these holidays approach, we are sharing resources and reminders to promote awareness of these observances and their potential effects on your activities.
We believe that meaningful inclusion plays a critical role in the well-being of all members of the UConn community. In accordance with this mission, faculty and staff have been advised to take dates of religious holidays into consideration when planning events or setting academic deadlines. The Provost’s Office, in partnership with the Office for Institutional Equity, Office for Diversity and Inclusion, and the Dean of Students Office has created a webpage that includes information on key religious observances this academic year. It also includes links to UConn’s policy on religious accommodations for students, faculty and staff, as well as resources to learn more about individual holidays. Please click here to visit the Religious Observances webpage. If you notice a religious holiday that is not included on this webpage, please contact provost@uconn.edu.
We are grateful for our colleagues in Dining Services as they work to support students with dietary needs related to religious practices. More information about how to access meals during Ramadan or Passover can be found on the Dining Services website.
As a reminder, faculty and instructors are expected to reasonably accommodate individual religious practices unless doing so would result in fundamental alteration of class objectives or undue hardship to the University’s legitimate business purposes. Such accommodations may include rescheduling an exam or giving a make-up exam, allowing a presentation to be made on a different date or assigning the student appropriate make-up work that is intrinsically no more difficult than the original assignment. Students are responsible for making arrangements in advance to make up missed work. Students are also responsible for identifying potential conflicts with final examinations; request for rescheduling of finals should be submitted to the Dean of Students Office using the online form.
Your attention to these observances and accommodations is an important part of supporting our University’s commitment to building and maintaining a welcoming and inclusive learning and work environment. Your faith, religion, beliefs, and celebrations matter to us!
Sincerely,
Pam Schipani
Interim Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs
Fany DeJesus Hannon
Interim Dean of Students