UF Religious Observances Policy

Scott Angle, Interim Provost and Senior Vice President

Please assure that every faculty member in your college is familiar with the policy specified below and complies with its provisions as they relate to accommodating students’ religious observances. 

Students and faculty must work together to allow students the opportunity to observe the holy days of their faith. A student needs to inform the faculty member of the religious observances of their faith that will conflict with class attendance, with tests or examinations, or with other class activities prior to the class or occurrence of that test or activity. The faculty member is obligated to accommodate that particular student’s religious observances. Because our students represent a myriad of cultures and many faiths, the University of Florida is not able to assure that scheduled academic activities do not conflict with the holy days of all religious groups. We, therefore, rely on individual students to make their need for an excused absence known in advance of the scheduled activities. 

The UF Religious Holidays Policy is available at: https://catalog.ufl.edu/UGRD/academic-regulations/attendance-policies/#religiousholidaystext.

For University of Florida Students, the following guidelines apply:  Students, upon prior notification of their instructors, shall be excused from class or other scheduled academic activity to observe a religious holy day of their faith. Students shall be permitted a reasonable amount of time to make up the material or activities covered in their absence. Students shall not be penalized due to absence from class or other scheduled academic activity because of religious observances. 

If a faculty member is informed or is aware that a significant number of students are likely to be absent from class because of a religious observance, the faculty member should not schedule a major exam or other academic event at that time. Of special note in the early Fall 2023 semester are Rosh Hashana (September 15 –September 17), Yom Kippur (September 24 –September 25), and Sukkot (September 29-October 6).  You may anticipate many of our students requesting an excused absence on selected days in these times for observance.

A student who is to be excused from class for a religious observance is not required to provide a second party certification of the reason for the absence. Furthermore, a student who believes that he or she has been unreasonably denied an education benefit due to religious beliefs or practices may seek redress through the student grievance procedure. 

Thank you for your cooperation with this policy.