Dear Faculty Colleagues,
As you prepare your course syllabi for the upcoming academic year, please be aware of the university’s policy that grants students excused absences from class to observe religious holy days. This policy also includes all online courses and examinations.
Please be responsive to requests by enabling students who contact you in advance to make up work missed because of religious observance. We recommend that you avoid scheduling an examination on a major holy day or planning something that cannot be made up afterwards.
The university has a comprehensive website outlining religious accommodation issues, policies, and frequently asked questions that might be helpful as you navigate the academic year. The website also includes a dedicated faculty resource page with examples of academic accommodations for holy days and suggested language for syllabi.
This year, the Jewish holy days that fall during the school week and are most likely to present a clear conflict with academic demands are as follows:
- Rosh Hashanah: September 23rd and 24th
- Yom Kippur: October 2nd
- Sukkot: October 7th and 8th
- Shemini Atzeret and Simchas Torah: October 14th and 15th
- Passover: April 2nd and 3rd, April 8th and 9th
Please note that the observance of Jewish holy days begins the evening before the holy days, and that an additional time allowance for students to prepare before a holy day observance begins may be required.
There will also be one final examination day each semester that is scheduled on a Saturday: December 13th (fall semester) and May 9th (spring semester). Please be aware that Saturday courses and final examinations could present a conflict for Jewish and Seventh-day Adventist students who observe the Sabbath each week from Friday evening to Saturday evening.
This year, the Muslim holy day of Eid al-Fitr is March 19th and the holy month of Ramadan will begin on February 17th and end on March 18th. Please note that many Muslim students will break their fast at sunset every evening during Ramadan.
Additionally, please note that the Christian holy day of Good Friday is April 3rd.
Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life at orsl@usc.edu. A listing of holy days and occasions also appears on the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life website.
Sincerely,
Sandeep Gupta
Vice Provost for Academic and Faculty Affairs