Chapter UWS 22

Chapter UWS 22

ACCOMMODATION OF RELIGIOUS BELIEFS

UWS 22.01   Declaration of policy.

UWS 22.02   Definitions.

UWS 22.03   Accommodation of religious beliefs.

UWS 22.01 UWS 22.01 Declaration of policy. It is the policy of the Board of Regents that students’ sincerely held religious beliefs shall be reasonably accommodated with respect to all examinations and other academic requirements. The Board of Regents adopts this chapter in order to ensure that all institutions of the University of Wisconsin System have in place appropriate mechanisms for ensuring the reasonable accommodation of students’ sincerely held religious beliefs, and for appeals related to these matters.

UWS 22.01 History History: Cr. Register, August, 1993, No. 452, eff. 9-1-93; 2015 Wis. Act 330 s. 20: am. Register April 2016 No. 724, eff. 5-1-16.

UWS 22.02 UWS 22.02 Definitions. In this chapter:

UWS 22.02(1) (1) “Board of Regents” or “board” has the meaning given under s. UWS 1.02.

UWS 22.02(2) (2) “Chancellor” means the chief executive officer of an institution.

UWS 22.02(3) (3) “Examination or other academic requirement” means any course requirement established by an instructor which will be considered in awarding the student’s grade in the course.

UWS 22.02(4) (4) “Institution” has the meaning given under s. UWS 1.06.

UWS 22.02(5) (5) “Instructor” has the meaning given under s. UWS 14.02 (11).

UWS 22.02(6) (6) “Student” means any person who is registered for study in an institution of the University of Wisconsin System for the current academic period.

UWS 22.02 History History: Cr. Register, August, 1993, No. 452, eff. 9-1-93; 2015 Wis. Act 330 ss. 19, 20: am. (1), (2), (6) Register April 2016 No. 724, eff. 5-1-16.

UWS 22.03 UWS 22.03 Accommodation of religious beliefs.

UWS 22.03(1) (1) A student shall be permitted to make up an examination or other academic requirement at another time or by an alternative method, without any prejudicial effect, where:

UWS 22.03(1)(a) (a) There is a scheduling conflict between the student’s sincerely held religious beliefs and taking the examination or meeting the academic requirements; and

UWS 22.03(1)(b) (b) The student has notified the instructor, within the first 3 weeks of the beginning of classes (within the first week of summer session and short courses), of the specific days or dates on which he or she will request relief from an examination or academic requirement.

UWS 22.03(2) (2) Instructors may schedule a make-up examination or other academic requirement before or after the regularly scheduled examination or other academic requirement.

UWS 22.03(3) (3) Instructors shall accept, at face value, the sincerity of students’ religious beliefs.

UWS 22.03(4) (4) Student notification of instructors and requests for relief under sub. (1) shall be kept confidential.

UWS 22.03(5) (5) Complaints of failure to provide reasonable accommodation of a student’s sincerely held religious beliefs as required by this rule may be filed under institutional complaint and grievance procedures adopted pursuant to chs. UWS 6 and 13.

UWS 22.03(6) (6) The chancellor of each institution shall, through appropriate institutional publications (to include at a minimum the timetable and catalog), provide notification to students and instructors of the rules for accommodation of religious beliefs, and of the procedure and appropriate office for filing complaints.

UWS 22.03 History History: Cr. Register, August, 1993, No. 452, eff. 9-1-93.