Accomodations

Pregnancy Accommodations

PPM3-32 (5.0) provides: "Faculty and staff will reasonably accommodate students and employees who are pregnant, in accordance with the law. Students' absences due to medical conditions relating to pregnancy will be excused for as long as deemed medically necessary by a student's doctor, and students will be given a reasonable opportunity to make up missed work."

Religious Accommodations

Under PPM 3-32, Discrimination, Harassment, and Sexual Misconduct (including Title IX), Weber State University prohibits illegal discrimination or harassment based on religious beliefs or other core beliefs. In addition, individuals may receive religious accommodations, as permitted by law, Utah Board of Higher Education policy, and university policy, including Utah Code Ann. 53B-27-405. Retaliation is prohibited against an individual who has requested or is recieving an accommodation based on a sincerely held religious or core belief. If a student or employee feels the policy is being violated or they have not recieved appropriate accomodations, please contact the OEO office, who will work through options and the process outlined in PPM 3-32.

Sincerely Held Religious or Core Beliefs

A sincerely held religious or core belief includes a religious, non-religious, theistic, or not-theistic moral or ethical belief that is held so deeply and sincerely  that it matches the strength of traditional religious views, typically concerning ultimate ideas of life, purpose, and death. This does not include social, political, or economical philosophies, or mere personal preferences.

Employee Religious Accommodations

An employee should ask their supervisor if they are in need of a religious accommodation due to an undue hardship created by their sincerely held religious or core beliefs. If unable to work through a religious accommodation through their immediate supervisor, employees who need to request a religious accommodation should contact Human Resources or the Office of Equal Opportunity.

Student Religious Accomodations

Student Sincerely Held Religious or Core Beliefs Policy and Procedure

According to PPM 6-22 and PPM 9-5, students are to determine before the last day to drop courses without penalty if any course requirements conflict with a student’s core beliefs. If after reading the syllabus and class program a student expects such a conflict, the student should consider withdrawing from the class. If the student finds this solution unworkable, the student may request a resolution from the instructor. This policy does not obligate the instructor to grant the request, except in those cases when a denial would be arbitrary and capricious or illegal. The student needs to make this request to the instructor in writing and with a copy to the department chair. The student’s request must explain the burden the class requirement would place on the student’s beliefs. If the student is not satisfied with the instructor’s resolution, the student should contact the Office of Equal Opportunity.

Scheduling an Exam or Other Academic Requirement

Students who need to request to reschedule an exam or other academic requirement because it creates an undue hardship on their sincerely held religious or core beliefs should provide written notice of the undue hardship and consult with their faculty member at the outset of the class or as soon as possible upon notification of the conflict. A list of religious holidays for which there may be a need for a religious accommodation has been provided by the Board of Higher Education. This list is not inclusive. 

A religious accommodation may include, but is not limited to, rescheduling or providing a make-up exam, rescheduling a student’s in-class presentation, allowing a make-up assignment to substitute for missed class work, changing a course assignment’s due date, or excusing an absence from the course.

A faculty member who approves an accommodation is required to keep the student’s request for an accommodation confidential.

Questions or concerns about accommodations or religious discrimination should be directed to the Equal Opportunity Office.