Accommodation of Religious Beliefs

I. Declaration of Policy

It is the policy of the board of regents that students’ sincerely held religious beliefs shall be reasonably accommodated with respect to all examinations and other academic requirements. The board of regents adopts this chapter in order to ensure that all institutions of the university of Wisconsin system have in place appropriate mechanisms for ensuring the reasonable accommodation of students’ sincerely held beliefs, and for appeals related to these matters. University Faculty, Staff, and Administration are asked to consult the Interfaith Religious Calendar (as provided by the Provost’s Office) when scheduling events.

II. Accommodation of religious beliefs

1. A student shall be permitted to make up an examination or other academic requirement at another time or by an alternative method, without any prejudicial effect, where:
   1. There is a scheduling conflict between the student’s sincerely held religious beliefs and taking the examination or meeting the academic requirements; and
   2. The student has notified the instructor, within the first three weeks of the beginning of classes (within the first week of summer session and short courses), of the specific days or dates on which the student will request relief from an examination or academic requirement.
2. Instructors may schedule a make-up examination or other academic requirement before or after the regularly scheduled examination or other academic requirement.
3. Instructors shall accept, at face value, the sincerity of students’ religious beliefs.
4. Student notification of instructors and requests for relief under sub. (1) shall be kept confidential.
5. Complaints of failure to provide reasonable accommodation of a student’s sincerely held religious beliefs as required by this rule may be filed under SAAP 05-01 Discriminatory Conduct and Consensual Relationships.
6. The chancellor shall, through appropriate institutional publications (to include at a minimum the Schedule of Classes and Bulletin), provide notification to students and instructors of the rules for accommodation of religious beliefs, and of the procedure and appropriate office for filing complaints.

February 1, 1998

Original

January 30, 2014

Editorially revised

January 22, 2016

Reviewed