Religious Holiday Observance Policy

According to the Oberlin College Faculty Guide and by approval of the General Faculty, students wishing to observe recognized religious holidays are excused automatically from classes that occur on these dates and faculty are to make it possible for students observing recognized religious holidays to make up any work they miss, provided arrangements are made in advance. 

Students wishing to provide support for requesting religious holiday observance absences and opportunities to make up work may contact the Director of the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life. Such contact should be made as early as possible in the semester, and no later than one week in advance of the holiday in question. The policy below is excerpted from the Oberlin College Faculty Guide, page 36.

OBERLIN COLLEGE
FACULTY GUIDE
(June 2010)

III. CLASSROOM AND ACADEMIC RESPONSIBILITIES

A. Conduct of Classes

3. Attendance: Students are expected to make full use of their educational opportunities by  regular class attendance and to assume the academic risk of absences. An instructor, however,  may set such standards of attendance as he or she feels are necessary for the satisfactory conduct  of a given course. It is the responsibility of students to meet those standards, and of the  instructor to determine whether absences may be excused. Classes, rehearsals, and performances  are generally not held on Yom Kippur and the previous evening.

The General Faculty has approved the following regulations: 

i) Students wishing to observe recognized religious holidays are excused automatically from classes that occur on these dates. 
ii) Faculty are to make it possible for students observing recognized holidays to make up any work they miss, provided arrangements have been made in advance.