The Spiritual Life Center recognizes there is a diversity of religious observances, holy days, and festivals not formally observed in the University Calendar. Because of this, the Spiritual Life Center has created a Religious Holiday Observance Policy.

One of the ways we can respect, honor, and include all students, faculty, and staff on campus is to recognize the religious and holy days of various religious and secular traditions celebrated on our campus. Many traditions observe holy days that may require participants to ask for accommodations, such as time off from work or classes. Because of this, we have created an Interfaith Holiday Calendar that includes holy days, religious holidays, and festivals that many people within our community might celebrate.

Religious Holiday Observance and Syllabi Statement

To observe a day not formally included on the University calendar, students are encouraged to work directly with their professors, alert them to any absence, and prepare any work required ahead of time to make up for their absence in class. Students are encouraged to reference the Interfaith Holiday Calendar. If your holiday is not present on this calendar, please contact [email protected].

The following Religious Holiday Observance Syllabi statement was approved by the Vice President of Academic Affairs and circulated to all faculty members.

The University of Lynchburg recognizes the value of religious diversity and inclusivity while striving to accommodate students’ commitment to their religious or secular traditions whenever possible. When conflicts between holy days or other religious practices and academic scheduling arise, every effort should be made to allow students to adhere to their tradition, including, when possible, excusing class absences and allowing make-up work. A student anticipating the need to miss a class for religious reasons should alert the faculty member within the first two weeks of the semester, and the two of them should determine the next course of action. Any unresolved difficulty should be referred to the University Chaplain in the Spiritual Life Center, where any questions, concerns, or support are always available via [email protected].