College students celebrating upcoming religious holidays could possibly be excused from class on these days.

With the many religious observances each month, NIU students may have the opportunity to make accommodations with their professors if they will be absent from class to observe a religious holiday.

Students must give their professors reasonable notice, and any work or exams scheduled on days in which they are absent must be made up.

“As with most other accommodations ... I will allow students to reschedule an exam ... or meet with them during office hours to go over what they missed in class,” said David Goldblum, assistant professor of geography. “However, I expect that the students will read any missed material and, if possible, borrow lecture notes from a friend.”

Any students who believe they have been denied proper accommodations should contact the person in charge of handling complaints for that professor’s department. If the issue remains unresolved, students may contact the dean of that college. If it is not resolved by the dean, students can contact the Office of the Provost. Students are advised to contact the Office of the Ombudsman for advice on this issue.

Rinitha Maganti, a graduate computer science major, said she thinks it is a good policy, especially for certain religious holidays.

“If it’s a really important one, it’s going to come once in a year,” she said. “So I’d probably try talking to [my professor].”

Different religious observations take place almost every day. For instance, today the Jain faith observes Paryushana. The term “Paryushana” means “to stay in one place,” and the eight-day festival is a time of reflection for members of the Jain faith consisting of intensive fasting and repentance, according to the BBC Web site.

Reverend Marty Marks, president of the Association of Campus Religious Organizations (ACRO), said he thinks some students may try to take advantage of the policy, but the positives of it outweigh any negatives.

“I think respecting people’s religious beliefs is good,” Marks said. “I give NIU credit for that, both NIU and ACRO recognize there are belief systems that are not the major ones that deserve respect and recognition. Their beliefs may be different, but respecting them as part of the community is important,” Marks said.

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