Religious Inclusion and Accommodation | Campus Ministry

PLU Religious Inclusion & Accommodation Policy

(Students: for quick access, here is the initial request form described below)

A Statement related to Religious and Spiritual Identities and Practices

(for Students, Faculty, and Staff)

As a University rooted in the tradition of Lutheran Higher Education, enacting a mission of critical inquiry, service, leadership, and care, and committed to Diversity, Justice, and Sustainability, Pacific Lutheran University values the multiple religious and spiritual traditions and practices within our campus community and supports faculty, staff, and students in living them out. This also includes supporting community members in the process of exploration and asking critical questions with regard to faith and spirituality.

Additionally, the following policy seeks to put PLU in compliance with the Washington State law regarding religious accommodations, RCW 28B.137.010 Reasonable accommodation for religious holidays.

Resources to Support Religious & Spiritual Life at PLU

Multi-Faith Meditation & Prayer Space: All members of the PLU community have access to our Multi-Faith Meditation & Prayer Space, located on the main floor of the Anderson University Center, and are invited to use this space for their personal practice.

Interfaith Working Groups: Campus Ministry pulls together ad hoc groups of students, faculty, and staff to work on various interfaith projects, events, and policies.

Student Clubs: Several religious and secular student clubs are currently active. If you would like to start a religious student club, please consult the Associate Director for Campus Life.

Community Chapel: Chapel takes place on Tuesdays from 1:15-1:45pm. Consult the Chapel website for current semester offerings.

Calendar and Scheduling

Interfaith Calendar: Members of the campus community are asked to avoid scheduling meetings and events on widely-practiced religious holidays; calendars for consultation are linked below. We recognize that the variety of traditions and related observances present on campus cannot be represented in a list, and note that important dates may vary across traditions and countries, including through the use of lunar calendars. Our Interfaith Calendar of widely-practiced religious holidays is HERE, and a comprehensive Interfaith Calendar, with additional holidays, can be found HERE.

Meetings and Events: Students, faculty, and staff should make efforts to avoid scheduling meetings or events at times that would exclude faculty, staff, or students who are observing a religious holiday from participation.

Accommodations - Academics & Employment

The University values the religious and spiritual life of its students, faculty, and staff and seeks to provide reasonable support and accommodation for religious observances across campus as described below. Religious accommodation includes practices that affect both attendance and dress. All are encouraged to communicate with Campus Ministry as needed for support of religious and spiritual accommodations.

Academics

Students: PLU values the religious and spiritual life of its students and seeks to provide reasonable support and accommodation for religious observances. To begin the process of requesting an academic religious accommodation, complete this brief form. Pastor Jen Rude will follow up within 3 business days with additional instructions and resources to guide your communications with your instructors. Students are responsible for reviewing their syllabi each semester and communicating with their course instructors about religious observances that are likely to create a significant hardship and/or conflict with academic coursework, assignments, and/or course attendance policies. There will be no costs or fees for seeking reasonable religious accommodations.

As per state law, written notice should be provided by the student to the instructor within the first two weeks of the course “of the specific dates the student requests accommodations.” All are encouraged to communicate with PLU’s Dean of Inclusive Excellence Jen Smith (jennifer.smith@plu.edu or 535-7811) or University Pastor Jen Rude (rudejl@plu.edu or 535-7465) as needed for support of religious and spiritual accommodations.

Determining “Reasonable” Accommodations (factors instructors consider)

What percentage of the total number of [labs, rehearsals, classes] are impacted?
What is the process for “make up” if a student is sick/injured, etc. and were being accommodated? Can this approach to “make up” also be provided for a student needing a religious accommodation?
Can students still meet the learning outcomes of the course with this accommodation?

Examples of Reasonable Accommodations:

For a lecture-based course: Having a classmate record a lecture so the accommodated student can “make up” participation by listening to that recording. Or, instructor provides a lecture/content to the student in another form that has already been created.
Ability to turn in an assignment early, prior to a due date that conflicts with religious observation. This may include faculty providing assignment prompts early, adjusting Sakai assignment open dates, and other tasks to make early completion of assignments possible.
Ability to adjust the date of an exam due to conflict with a religious observation on a particular date.
Ability to reschedule a required activity that is necessary for completion of the course or program due to conflict with a religious observation on a particular date.
Ability to complete alternative assignments to demonstrate engagement that may have occurred during in-class participation.

Reasons for an instructor to Deny a Request

Travel is not a religious accommodation. If a student chooses to travel, the days that fall outside the required religious observance are not part of the religious accommodation.
If the absences prevent the student from meeting the learning objectives of the course and there are not comparable alternatives to meeting those learning objectives.
If the request would require the instructor to change course requirements and/or content due to the student’s absence.
If the student is asking for accommodation to extend outside the dates of their religious observance or holiday.

Faculty: Guidelines for supporting students’ religious observances can be found under “Students – Academics” above. Per RCW 28B.137.010 passed during the 2019 regular session, PLU’s policy “must require faculty to reasonably accommodate students who, due to the observance of religious holidays, expect to be absent or endure a significant hardship during certain days of the course or program. ‘Reasonably accommodate’ means coordinating with the student on scheduling examinations or other activities necessary for completion of the program and includes rescheduling examinations or activities or offering different times for examinations or activities.” Faculty are encouraged to see the above criteria and/or consult with the Dean of Inclusive Excellence or Campus Ministry for support in providing accommodations.

*Required by law*: Faculty members must have a link to PLU’s Religious Inclusion & Accommodation Policy in their syllabi. Below is a suggested statement faculty can include on their syllabi that includes the required link:

Example Syllabus Statement for Religious Accommodations:

As a University rooted in the tradition of Lutheran Higher Education –enacting a mission of critical inquiry, service, leadership, and care, and committed to Diversity, Justice, and Sustainability –Pacific Lutheran University values the many religious and spiritual traditions and practices within our campus community and supports faculty, staff, and students in living them out. This also includes supporting community members in the process of exploration and asking critical questions with regard to faith and spirituality.

To begin the process of requesting an academic religious accommodation, please complete this brief form. I will make every effort to provide reasonable accommodations for any of you who, because of religious observances, have conflicts with scheduled exams, assignments, or attendance in our class. To help me in doing this, please review the course schedule at the beginning of the semester to see if there are any dates when you would need accommodation. Please submit the online form at least three weeks before the date impacted by the accommodation to begin the process. Ideally, please submit the form at the beginning of the term. You can also find more information about resources and other religious accommodations you can request related to employment, athletics, etc. here.

Employment

Faculty: When faculty miss scheduled class time due to a religious observance, appropriate alternative arrangements should be made and communicated with students, with the goal of minimizing impact on student learning. For additional information, see “Class Attendance–Faculty” in the Faculty Handbook.

Students: The University encourages students to schedule time off and to request accommodations as needed to observe religious holidays and practices. Supervisors are encouraged to support student workers in fulfilling religious observances and practices. For more information, see Student Workers Handbook.

Staff: Policies regarding vacation and paid time off are outlined in the Personnel Manual. The University encourages staff to schedule time off and to request accommodations as needed to observe religious holidays and practices. Supervisors are encouraged to support staff in fulfilling religious observances and practices. Staff supervisors of student workers may consult the Student Employment Supervisor Handbook or reach out to Student Employment staff (stuemp@plu.edu).

Living and Eating on Campus

Residence Halls: Campus Life is committed to care and inclusion. Incoming or continuing students with particular needs or requests related to religious or spiritual identity or practice while living on campus are encouraged to review this website for instructions and complete the online Accessibility Application through eRezLife.

Examples of religious accommodations for housing may include limited ability to light candles for a religious holiday, ceremonial smudging as part of a religious practice, living on a single gender wing, access to cooking facilities to prepare meals in line with religious needs, etc.

Hospitality Services & Campus Restaurants: If you have special dietary requirements or preferences – for health, medical, allergy, religious, ethical, or lifestyle reasons – we are dedicated to assisting you to the best of our ability. Campus Restaurants staff members work closely with PLU’s Office of Accessibility and Accommodation to provide appropriate menus for students with dietary restrictions. To help you make healthy food choices at PLU, The Commons marks menu items with the 9 major allergens, as well as vegan or vegetarian. Pork and alcohol are clearly marked when contained in a dish. For additional assistance in finding food to fit into dietary requirements, please fill out a form to meet with an administrator. During Ramadan, The Commons will extend dinner hours an extra half hour to help accommodate fasting.

Athletics: Student-athletes are encouraged to look ahead in the season and talk with their coaches about any religious accommodations or needs they anticipate, including missing practice or missing a game due to a religious holiday or observance. Students may also contact Mike Snyder, Director of Athletics and Recreation (mike.snyder@plu.edu), to request accommodations or to have further conversation.

Appeal Process

If students, faculty, or staff feel as though their request for accommodations is not being met appropriately, they may contact Dr. Angie Hambrick, Title VI Coordinator, to begin an appeal (hambriaz@plu.edu). The appeal must be submitted within 14 days of notification of the accommodations decision. Student appeals related to the classroom will be reviewed by an Academic Dean and Associate Vice President for Diversity, Justice, and Sustainability. Student appeals related to incidents outside the classroom will be reviewed by the Vice President of Student Life and the Associate Vice President for Diversity, Justice, and Sustainability. Faculty/Staff appeals will be reviewed by the Director of HR and the Associate Vice President for Diversity, Justice, and Sustainability. Their decisions are final.