Religious Observance Policy

The Faculty Senate has set guidelines pertaining to the observation of religious holidays. These have become university policy and are as follows:

1. Students must notify faculty during the first week of the semester as early as possible, but no later than three weeks prior to the absence, of their intention to be absent from class on their day(s) of religious observance. If the day falls in the first three weeks of class, the student must inform the faculty within the first week of the semester that they are enrolled in the course.
    
2. To the greatest extent possible, faculty must continue to extend to these students the courtesy of absence without penalty on such occasions, including permission to make up examinations.
    
3. Faculty who intend to observe a religious holiday must arrange at the beginning of the semester to reschedule missed classes or to make other provisions for their course- related activities.
    
4. Prior to each semester, the administration must circulate to faculty a schedule of religious observance days most frequently observed by GW students.
    
5. Student members of all religious groups are entitled to the same courtesies and accommodations.
    
6. The administration conveys this policy to students by including it in the Schedule of Classes and other places as deemed appropriate.
    

Final Examination Conflict Policy

1. There must be written regulation affirming the University policy to have one final examination rescheduled if a student has three or more final examinations scheduled on the same day.
    
2. To the greatest extent possible and without interfering with the integrity of the exam, students who are observing a religious holiday during the final examination period shall be allowed to have any examination rescheduled that conflicts with their day(s) of religious observance. In the case that a student is observing a religious holiday that coincides with the entirety of the examination period, the student shall be allowed to reschedule necessary examinations to alternative days/times to eliminate the need to take more than one final exam on a given day.
    
3. The rescheduling must take place at least three weeks prior to the last day of classes and, whenever possible, the make-up examination be rescheduled during the examination period.
    
4. The rescheduling must be achieved in consultation with the instructors involved and, whenever possible, the student selects which examination to reschedule.