POLICY PURPOSE:

Colorado State University Pueblo is committed to providing a learning and working environment that is respectful of the religious beliefs of its students, faculty and staff.  As part of this commitment, the University will make good faith efforts to provide reasonable accommodation for an employee’s or student’s Religious Practice, unless such an accommodation would create an Undue Hardship for the school/department.

The purpose of this policy is to establish practices for accommodating students and employees when Religious Practices, including religious holidays and observances, may conflict with scheduled academic events such as classes, labs and examinations, or with work obligations.

POLICY APPLIES TO (Persons affected by):

This policy applies to all students in attendance at CSU Pueblo and to all employees.

DEFINITIONS:

Religious Practice: An activity or event that, according to a sincerely held faith or religious belief, encourages the observer to avoid work or learning activities for a specified period.

Undue Hardship: A substantial burden on the University’s business, academic, or operating functions that results in substantial increased costs in light of the University’s budget or a serious disruption of activities, or that endangers workplace safety.

POLICY STATEMENT:

Individuals at CSU Pueblo may not be discriminated against because of their Religious Practices or beliefs, or because they lack religious beliefs or practices. Anyone who believes that they have been discriminated or retaliated against in connection with their request for a religious accommodation should contact the Office of Institutional Equity.

To avoid religious discrimination, the University has an obligation to make reasonable, good faith efforts to accommodate students and employees of all faiths. To observe their faith, some students must be absent from classes or miss scheduled exams from time to time, and employees may need time away from their duties. Faculty and supervisors are required to make reasonable accommodations to allow individuals to take time away to observe a religious practice, holiday or observance when doing so does not result in an Undue Hardship to the University. Reasonable accommodations may include, but are not limited to, providing individuals with leave for Religious Practices, such as holidays or observances, providing a time and/or place to pray, providing the flexibility to wear religious attire, and permitting flexible scheduling or adjustments to work schedules. The request for accommodations must be submitted to and approved by the responsible faculty member or supervisor in advance.

Accommodations for Students

A student must request an accommodation from the class instructor in a timely manner, which typically means early in the semester (see Responsibilities below).

Accommodations will be granted when it is reasonable to do so. Some key principles in determining the reasonableness of the request include:

• Whether the request will compromise the academic integrity of the course and/or program.
• How equitable the accommodation will be with respect to requirements other students are held to.
• Whether the accommodation will lead to the student missing a significant part of the regularly scheduled course activities for the semester.

In most cases, students should be given the opportunity to complete the work in question in another way and/or on a different day and/or at a different time.

Reasonable accommodations will be determined on a case-by-case basis after discussion with the student. Factors that are considered in this determination include the nature of the accommodation requested, the duration of the request, alternative means of accomplishing the academic goals, and the impact on the class or the department.

When a faculty member determines that a reasonable accommodation for religious reasons cannot be made, the matter must be referred to the responsible Dean for review and a final determination in consultation with the Office of the General Counsel.

Accommodations for Employees

Colorado State University Pueblo employees may request a religious accommodation by notifying their supervisor or completing and submitting the Religious Accommodation Form. For assistance, contact the Office of Human Resources and Institutional Equity at 719.549.2441 or by emailing hr@csupueblo.edu.

A reasonable religious accommodation is any adjustment to the work environment that will allow the employee to practice their religious tradition. Breaks, flexible scheduling, and use of accrued leave are examples of such accommodations. Requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis to determine whether Undue Hardship to the University would result from the accommodation.

When a supervisor and their department head determine that reasonable accommodations cannot be made, the matter must be referred to the Office of Institutional Equity for review. If the matter cannot be resolved by OIE, a final determination will be made by the Senior Director of Human Resources and Institutional Equity.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Faculty and Instructors

Teaching faculty and instructors should be aware of major religious holidays when planning events and exams. A calendar of many of these holidays is provided for your reference, although it is not an exhaustive list.

Teaching faculty and instructors must permit students to be absent to observe a Religious Practice, holiday or observance without suffering a penalty or lost opportunity to submit work, take an examination, or otherwise meet the requirements of the course, when it is reasonable to do so.

Students

Students also have responsibilities. Some of these include:

In cases where the Religious Practice is a scheduled one, students have the responsibility to notify the instructor at the beginning of the course and to submit a completed Religious Accommodation Form.

For Religious Practices that cannot be known in advance, students have the responsibility to notify the instructor as soon as practicable and to submit a completed Religious Accommodation Form.

In cases where the Religious Practice is a recurring one, students have the responsibility to sign up for course sections and labs that do not conflict with predictable and recurring observances, etc., if available.

Office of Institutional Equity (OIE)

OIE will assist employees and supervisors in making approved accommodations for employees who wish to observe a Religious Practice.

Employees

Employees have the responsibility to notify their supervisors of the need for an accommodation well in advance and to submit a completed Religious Accommodation Form. Most religious holidays and observances are regularly recurring events that can be calendared in advance.

RELATED LAWS, POLICIES & PROCEDURES:

CSU Pueblo Policy on Discrimination, Protected Class Harassment and Retaliation

FORMS:

Religious Accommodation Form

APPROVALS

Approved by Timothy Mottet, President, 12/05/2023