Students can now take three days off for religious or spiritual ceremonies after the new Ohio House Bill 353 was signed into law, allowing college students more religious rights.
The new section of allowable religious accommodations has been added to the syllabus this academic school year.
“What the law boils down to is that students can take up to three days off without penalty (including) holidays that are not accounted for by the (school’s) calendar,” said political science Professor David Jackson.
“But it’s sort of a dual-edged concept that’s going on there in that the students have the right to three days off, but they have the obligation to notify the faculty member within 14 days of the first day of class,” said Jackson.
Before this bill passed in April students were given unexcused absences if they wanted or needed to miss class for a religious ceremony or event.
Professors are not allowed to impose academic penalties on students who miss class because of religious events or practices, must supply students with alternative assignments or exams, keep all requests for alternative accommodations confidential, provide students with an alternative date if they miss an exam or quiz and must accept all religious or spiritual belief systems without question.
Students must provide written notice to instructors no later than 14 days after the course has started and can pursue religious accommodations if their religious or spiritual belief affects ability to meet an academic requirement or attend and take exams.
Jackson explained, in his opinion, why he believes the bill was written the way it was.
“Basically what it’s designed to do is make sure the system isn’t abused in any way. So if in the eighth week of the semester, there’s a midterm that a student may not be ready for, the temptation may be there for some students, probably not very many to say, ‘Oh I need a religious accommodation.’”
Jackson doesn’t think that there would be an abuse of the new bill but believes that adding these new accommodations, even with the boundaries, helps a lot of BGSU students.
Fourth-year psychology student Jordan St. Julian said the new accommodations are necessary and beneficial.
“I think that it’s great that BG is becoming more accommodating and allowing more people to partake in their religious activities with nothing to hold them back from school,” St. Julian said.
“I think the more they can accommodate, the happier students will be.”
Students have until Monday, Sept. 4 to give out their written notice to their instructors.
“I think the way it’s constructed is a balanced approach to the question of simultaneously respecting students’ religious freedom while also maintaining the integrity of our courses,” said Jackson.
