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Academic accommodations for religious observance, letter to students

January 6, 2025

Dear students,

Northwestern’s diverse community includes people who celebrate many religions and traditions. We write today to remind you of Northwestern’s Policy on Academic Accommodations for Religious Observance and provide information to facilitate requests for such accommodations.

The Religious & Spiritual Life office maintains a robust list of holidays including Ramadan, which begins at the end of February and overlaps with the Winter Quarter final exam period, as well as Eid and Passover, which occur in the Spring terms.

Northwestern’s Policy on Academic Accommodations for Religious Observance invites students to seek accommodations when religious observance conflicts with academic obligations. To plan accordingly, we encourage you to do the following:

  • Review course syllabi as soon as they are distributed.
  • Consult your instructors by the end of the second week of the terms (for students on the quarter system: Jan. 17 in the Winter Quarter and April 11 in the Spring Quarter; for students on the semester system: Jan. 24 in the Spring Semester) regarding conflicts due to religious observances. Be prepared to provide information about the obligations entailed in any religious observance for which you seek accommodation.
  • Undergraduates who seek academic accommodations for religious observance for a common midterm or final exam are asked to fill out the Office of the Provost’s religious accommodation request form by the end of the second week of the terms.

If you require assistance in requesting an academic accommodation for religious observance, please reach out to Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education Miriam Sherin. If you feel you are being deprived of the opportunity to access your academic program due to the lack of a religious accommodation, report the matter to the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance.

Sincerely,

Emily Babb
Associate Vice President for Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance

Jaci Casazza
Assistant Provost and University Registrar

Mona Dugo
Assistant Vice President of Wellness and Dean of Students

Miriam Sherin
Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education