  {"id":53181,"date":"2020-12-08T21:40:21","date_gmt":"2020-12-08T21:40:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/interfaith\/?p=53181"},"modified":"2022-10-20T15:36:21","modified_gmt":"2022-10-20T15:36:21","slug":"augsburg-university-religious-holiday-policy-and-procedure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/interfaith\/2020\/12\/08\/augsburg-university-religious-holiday-policy-and-procedure\/","title":{"rendered":"Augsburg University Religious Holiday Policy and Procedure"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As an academic community, Augsburg University embraces the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/download.elca.org\/ELCA%20Resource%20Repository\/Rooted_and_Open.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Network of ELCA Colleges &amp; Universities\u2019 (NECU) mission to be \u201crooted\u201d and \u201copen\u201d<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> so that all may flourish. This necessitates that we regularly reassess the familiar and consider new options. A community of caring mentors and colleagues makes possible each student\u2019s intellectual growth, personal maturation, and vocational discernment.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The following policy and procedure for the observance of recognized holy days is consistent with the university\u2019s mission.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Policy<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In recognition that observance of\u00a0recognized religious holidays may affect students\u2019 classroom attendance and the submission of graded work in courses, Augsburg University accommodates\u00a0 religious observances and holidays of diverse religious traditions.\u00a0 This policy reflects the university\u2019s commitment to being responsive to our students\u2019 diverse religious beliefs and to encourage students\u2019 spiritual development. In accordance with the policy, students who miss class to observe a religious holiday are required to make prior arrangements with individual instructors for how any work missed during an absence will be completed. Absence from\u00a0class due to observance of a religious holiday is normally excused according to university policy; however, students are expected to make up the work they miss, and the University understands that there may be extenuating circumstances, specific to a particular course, that make it difficult or impossible for a faculty member to grant such a request.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Faculty are encouraged to consider recognized religious holidays when establishing course deadlines and assigning course work and to support students in their religious practices by observing this policy.\u00a0 To support faculty in accommodating the religious practices and commitments of our students, Augsburg has established procedures to be followed by students: students are responsible for notifying\u00a0their instructors of a planned absence\u00a0due to an observance and\/or holiday.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Procedure<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The religious holiday observance notification procedure is based on the assumption and expectation that students will act in accordance with the\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/1U4qII7Luw6L3BYro3Ov-gM-RmcLwmVAkYnkIkl10KRk\/edit\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Augsburg Standards of Conduct<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The procedure and subsequent guidelines for<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">students missing class to observe religious holidays are as follows:<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Students are expected to formally notify their instructors at least two weeks in advance that they will miss class in order to observe a religious holiday. Students are to complete the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/cm.maxient.com\/reportingform.php?AugsburgUniv&amp;layout_id=7\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Religious Observance Notification Form<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Religious Observance Notification Form must be submitted online.\u00a0 It is routed to the faculty member <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0faculty member and the University Pastors in the Campus Ministry Office<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0Should either of these parties raise questions about the request, they will contact the student or the faculty member\u2019s academic dean.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This procedure can only be used to notify an instructor of an absence from class necessitated by observance on a religious holiday.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Students are required to make prior arrangements with individual instructors for completion of any work missed during an absence.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Students are encouraged to file their Religious Observance Notification Form as early in the semester or term as possible, but must submit it no later than two weeks prior to the religious holiday to ensure that instructors make every effort to accommodate the request.\u00a0 Instructors have no obligation to honor requests made within two weeks of a planned absence as a result of a religious holiday.\u00a0 Absences may be considered \u201cunexcused\u201d if the form is not filed in accordance with this provision.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If a student has a question regarding the Religious Holiday Observance Policy, they should contact <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Babette Chatman, University Pastor, at <\/span><a href=\"&#x6d;a&#x69;&#108;&#x74;&#111;:&#x63;&#104;&#x61;&#116;m&#x61;&#110;&#x62;&#64;a&#x75;g&#x73;&#98;&#x75;&#x72;g&#x2e;&#101;&#x64;&#117;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#x63;h&#x61;t&#x6d;&#97;&#x6e;&#98;&#64;&#x61;u&#x67;&#115;&#x62;&#117;&#x72;&#103;&#46;&#x65;d&#x75;<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0 or Mark Hanson, Director of the Augsburg Interfaith Institute, at <\/span><a href=\"&#x6d;a&#x69;l&#x74;&#111;&#x3a;&#104;a&#x6e;s&#x6f;&#110;&#x6d;&#115;&#x40;&#97;u&#x67;s&#x62;&#117;&#x72;&#103;&#x2e;&#x65;d&#x75;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">h&#97;&#x6e;&#x73;o&#110;&#109;&#x73;&#x40;a&#117;&#x67;&#x73;b&#117;&#114;&#x67;&#x2e;e&#100;&#x75;<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Students may wish to consult with the Chief Inclusion Officer or the faculty member\u2019s academic dean if an instructor is unable or unwilling to grant their request.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>NOTES<\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1) Because students are required to make prior arrangements with individual instructors for completion of any work missed during an absence and instructors may want to use the same exercise that the rest of the class has completed, students are obligated to avoid obtaining any information about that graded exercise that would give an unfair advantage over other students taking the course.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2) In the event that a religious holiday should fall during exam\u00a0week, students should contact\u00a0their instructor during the first week of the course to make sure a work around is possible. If one is not possible, or there is a special circumstance like a performance or a concert that cannot be made up, the student may be advised to take that specific course during a different semester.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3) Student Conduct Code\u00a0<\/span><em> [from the Augsburg Student Handbook]<\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The University has adopted standards of behavior and policies which require students and their organizations to lead in matters of behavior with ethical and moral integrity. Augsburg strives to provide a community that protects each student&#8217;s freedom to learn and that seeks the orderly resolution of human problems while honoring the fundamental rights of all. It is the goal of Augsburg University to create and maintain a respectful environment for members of the University community: students, staff, faculty, administration, and visitors. Such an environment is congruent with the University mission and values and, as such, serves to enhance the teaching- learning process.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As an academic community, Augsburg University embraces the Network of ELCA Colleges &amp; Universities\u2019 (NECU) mission to be \u201crooted\u201d and &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":326,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-53181","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/interfaith\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53181","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/interfaith\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/interfaith\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/interfaith\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/326"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/interfaith\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=53181"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/interfaith\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53181\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":53277,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/interfaith\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53181\/revisions\/53277"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/interfaith\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53181"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/interfaith\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=53181"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/interfaith\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=53181"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}