Procedure

The religious observance notification procedure is based on the operating principle that students will act in accordance with the Elon University Honor Code. This procedure can only be used to notify an instructor of an absence from class necessitated by observance on a religious holiday.

Students who will miss classes in order to observe a religious holiday must notify their instructors in advance of the holiday and within the first three weeks of the semester by completing the secure online Religious Observance Notification Form. Students are required to send an additional notification to the instructor at least one class before each absence.

Students are required to make prior arrangements with the instructor for completion of any work missed during their absence. Since the instructor may want to use the same exercise that the rest of the class has completed, students who are absent are obligated to avoid obtaining any information about that graded exercise that would provide them an unfair advantage over other students taking the course.

Note: When students submit the Religious Observance Notification Form, the instructor will be notified by email, and copies will be sent to the student and to the student’s academic Dean. In completing the form, students may find it useful to consult OnTrack, where they may view their class schedule to obtain the name and the number of the course and the name of the course instructor. The student’s actual or electronic signature on the form affirms his or her compliance with the Elon University Honor Code.

Given the time limitations inherent in completing end-of-semester assignments or making up a missed final exam, this procedure cannot be used during the final exam period. All students are expected to take final examinations at the scheduled times and to complete end-of-semester work by the deadlines set by the instructor. In the event that a religious holiday should fall during exam week, students should contact their academic Dean as soon as possible, before the scheduled assignments or exam. There may be certain circumstances (a concert or a performance for example) which cannot be made up. In this case, the student may be advised to take that specific course during another school semester.