Email to faculty and students: Religious Accommodations in the Classroom

The following email was sent to faculty and students on January 8, 2026. It is published here for your convenience.

Dear Faculty and Students,

The University of Michigan is committed to equitable access to education through supportive, inclusive academic practices that enable students to fulfill their academic requirements and honor their religious obligations. The university affirms each student’s right to observe their faith traditions and spiritual practices without academic penalty and is dedicated to supporting them through reasonable accommodation.

For many years, we have asked instructors and students to be mindful of the university’s religious accommodation guidelines, which are distributed at the beginning of the Fall and Winter terms each year.

Last fall, the university communicated about a new Religious Accommodations in the Classroom Policy to center equitable access to education in a way that is transparent and easily understood. This is the result of the thoughtful work of a task team of faculty, staff, religious leaders, and academic administrators, and has been accepted by university leadership.

This email serves as a reminder of the major elements of the policy, consistent with previous guidance and institutional practice, and updates on progress toward full implementation.

Guidelines

All faculty and students are expected to act in good faith to uphold the principles of religious inclusion and equitable access to academic success without intrusive inquiry. Different levels of observance exist within religious traditions. Religious accommodations are to be implemented in a timely, respectful, and confidential manner. Religious accommodations support, rather than conflict with, academic excellence and inclusive education.

Reasonable Accommodations

Reasonable accommodations that can be explored and implemented include, but are not limited to:

Rescheduling exams, presentations, or due dates.
Excused absences with no academic penalty.
Alternative assignments or flexible participation options.
Modified exam times during fasting or holy periods.

Faculty

Faculty are not required to compromise essential academic standards but are expected to make equitable efforts to support students’ religious commitments.
Should an instructor and student be unable to reach agreement on a reasonable accommodation, the chair/director, dean, or designee has the right to provide a reasonable accommodation appropriate to the circumstances.

Student Responsibilities

Students who anticipate a conflict between academic requirements and religious observances should:

Notify instructors in writing as early as possible and, when the calendar permits, no later than two weeks before the anticipated conflict.
Provide their name, course number, the nature of the religious observance, specific dates impacted, and a brief request for accommodation.
Students remain responsible for completing any missed coursework in coordination with faculty and within a mutually agreed-upon timeline.

Institutional Resources and Support

As we move toward full implementation of the policy, we are pleased to share resources available on the Provost’s website to help students and faculty navigate religious accommodations. We are also pleased to introduce Student Life’s new Religious, Secular & Spiritual Life website, which is home to a variety of resources for our community. These pages will be updated throughout the Winter 2026 semester as our implementation efforts progress.

Vice President for Student Life Martino Harmon and I are also appointing a campus-wide advisory group that will support implementation of the policy through monitoring, feedback, and continuous improvement. This will be a standing advisory group consisting of faculty and staff representing schools, colleges, and units with expertise and perspectives that can offer valuable advice as implementation evolves and matters arise.

We are grateful for the work so many in our community are doing to ensure that students can meet both their academic and religious obligations through reasonable accommodation.

Any questions or concerns can continue to be directed to your department chair, the dean’s office, or the Registrar’s Office. You may also write to [email protected].

By working together, we can uphold our shared commitment to academic excellence and religious inclusion for all members of our community.