The University of Saskatchewan is committed to establishing and maintaining a learning environment that fosters equitable opportunities for academic success and personal development without discrimination or harassment based on religion or creed.
The institution's duty to accommodate, up to the point of undue hardship, is legislated by the Code and failure to provide reasonable accommodation under the Saskatchewan's Human Rights Code can be considered discriminatory. The process for determining reasonable accommodation is a collaborative process whereby the student and the institution must both engage in the accommodation process.
Considerations for instructors and staff
Remember to review the Academic Courses Policy on Class Delivery, Examinations, and Assessment of Student Learning when creating your syllabus.
According to this policy, "Students may also request special accommodation with regard to attendance, availability of study materials, and assessment requirements (including mid-term and final examinations) for religious reasons."
For example:
- Final exam conflicts: If a student approaches you regarding an exam conflict, advise them to apply for exam accommodations by registering with Access and Equity Services prior to the relevant exam accommodation deadlines. If they have registered with AES, they can speak with their AES advisor for more information.
- Exams and events outside of regular class times: Be mindful when scheduling exams or events outside of regular class times that students may need accommodation for prayer times/observations. For example: If you are scheduling a mandatory field trip for students outside of class times, this information should be included in the syllabus or communicated to the class as early as the event is scheduled.
- Serving food/drink: If your class is participating in an event where food/drink is being served, request that students send dietary restriction needs, such as halal or kosher options, and always offer non-alcoholic alternatives.
- Dress code: Students may adhere to a specific dress code as a tenant of their faith. If this may present an issue in your course, please contact AES to discuss.
Please note these examples are not exhaustive and faculty is encouraged to be open and consider alternative options when approached with a religious accommodation request. Instructors can contact AES@usask.ca for any questions.
Important dates
Instructors can consult the interfaith calendar for significant dates where they may see students requesting accommodation. The dates of some holidays are not static and may change yearly. Definitions of holidays can be found here.
The following dates outline holidays that may have significant work disruption for students. However, please, note:
- Holidays that are officially recognized at the USask or occur during periods when the university is closed are not included.
- This calendar may not be all encompassing and professors should be prepared to provide accommodations for dates not listed on this calendar.
| 2022 | Holiday | Faith | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 9-10, 2022 | Eid al-Adha | Islam | *May change according to lunar calendar |
| Sept 25-27, 2022 | Rosh Hashana | Jewish | |
| Oct 4-5, 2022 | Yom Kippur | Jewish | |
| Oct 9-16, 2022 | Sukkot | Jewish | |
| Oct 16-18, 2022 | Shemini Atzeret | Jewish | |
| Oct 17-18, 2022 | Simchat Torah | Jewish | |
| Oct 26-27, 2022 | Birth of Bahá'u'lláh | Baha'i | |
| Oct 24, 2022 | Diwali | Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, Jain | |
| Nov 8, 2022 | Guru Nanak Gurpurb | Sikh | *Date changes every year |
| Dec 29, 2022 | Guru Gobind Sing Parkash Divas | Sikh | *Date changes every year |
| 2023 | Holiday | Faith | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 7, 2023 | Christmas | Eastern Orthodox Christian | |
| Jan 22, 2023 | Chinese New Year | Confucian, Taoist, Buddhist | |
| Apr 5-13, 2023 | Passover | Jewish | |
| Apr 13, 2023 | Vaisakhi/Khala Diwas | Sikh | |
| Mar 22-Apr 21, 2023 | Ramadan | Islam | Students will be fasting during daylight hours *May change according to lunar calendar |
| Apr 21-22, 2023 | Eid al-Fitr | Islam | *May change according to lunar calendar |
| May 25-27, 2023 | Shavout | Jewish |
Duty to accommodate
The University of Saskatchewan is committed to establishing and maintaining a learning environment that fosters equitable opportunities for academic success and personal development without discrimination or harassment.
The University is committed to the provision of reasonable accommodation for students that experience barriers to their education based on a prohibited ground(s). Prohibited grounds are identified by the Saskatchewan's Human Rights Code (hereafter referred to as the "Code"). The duty to accommodate students who require accommodation under the Code is a legal requirement at all post-secondary institutions.
The institution's duty to accommodate, up to the point of undue hardship, is legislated by the Code and failure to provide reasonable accommodation under the Code can be considered discriminatory. The process for determining reasonable accommodation is a collaborative process whereby the student and the institution must both engage in the accommodation process.
USask has a responsibility to provide accommodations based on Religion or Creed. The prohibited ground of religion is defined by the Code, c S-24.2 as: "all aspects of religious observance and practice as well as beliefs". Creed is defined as "religious creed" (c S-24.2).