Religious Accommodations
Washington State University is committed to promoting and maintaining an inclusive community that aligns with civil rights obligations. We are committed to the university’s goals to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion, create a welcoming in-person and online community, and support a sense of value and belonging for all students.
What is a reasonable religious accommodation?
“A reasonable religious accommodation is a modification to a policy or practice within an academic, housing, or extracurricular environment to enable students to avoid conflict with their sincerely held religious beliefs or practices. A religious accommodation is reasonable if it does not cause undue hardship to WSU operations; factors include safety, cost, efficiency, academic requirements, business needs, and the rights of others. Reasonable religious accommodations are individualized to the needs of the students who request them and the settings for which they are requested.”
Process for students requesting religious accommodations
- The student submits a religious accommodation request.
- Requests must be submitted as soon as possible and cannot be applied retroactively.
- Religious accommodations are reviewed by the Office of the Dean of Students.
- Approval or denial of the request will be emailed to the student’s WSU email address within 3-5 business days.
- If a student has concerns about their request or denial, they should contact the Office of Compliance and Civil Rights.
- If reasonable accommodations are approved, faculty and/or other relevant departments or parties are notified by the Office of the Dean of Students via email of the respective accommodations.
- If faculty or staff have questions or concerns about the accommodation(s), they can contact the Office of the Dean of Students.
Faculty and Staff Roles in Religious Accommodations for Students
Ensuring access and providing reasonable religious accommodations for students is a shared responsibility. Students, faculty, and the Office of the Dean of Students work collaboratively to meet university obligations to provide equal access to educational opportunities.
Compliance is necessary to ensure equity in our students' educational experience. If an approved accommodation is believed to compromise the learning objectives of a course, working with the Office of the Dean of Students to discuss reasonable adjustments will be necessary.
Faculty and Staff Requesting Religious Accommodations
For faculty and staff that need to request religious accommodations, there is a separate process that is facilitated through Human Resource Services (HRS). Faculty and staff are encouraged to contact HRS for follow up information as well as questions by visiting hrs.wsu.edu.