Sensitivity to religious practices

Many of our faculty, staff, and students commemorate various events of importance to their particular religions. Our institutional practice is to make every reasonable effort to allow members of the University community to observe their religious holidays without academic penalty. The University encourages faculty members to consider major religious activities when preparing class activities and examinations to avoid conflict with academic requirements.

Students should address potential conflicts with the faculty member at the beginning of the semester so that arrangements can be made to accommodate the religious observance if that accommodation does not create an undue hardship. Absence from classes or examinations for religious reasons does not relieve students from responsibility for any part of the coursework required during the period of absence. Students who expect to miss classes, examinations, or other assignments as a consequence of their religious observance should be provided with a reasonable alternative opportunity to complete such academic responsibilities.

It is the obligation of students to provide faculty with reasonable notice of the dates of religious holidays on which they plan to be absent.

It is the responsibility of the instructor and student to determine the conditions under which work will be made up when a student misses class or other academic obligations because of a religious holiday.

Please keep in mind that some religious holidays affect a significant number of University of Georgia students and might require a student to abstain from secular activities or attend a house of worship. Different groups within a particular religion may also observe holidays on different dates, making it difficult to provide a comprehensive list of all potential religious observances. Please consult a resource for a list of religious observances as well as for specific dates of each holiday.