Fair treatment for students of faith

During the first few weeks of school, many of our classmates observe major religious holidays: Jewish students the High Holy Days, and Muslim students Ramadan. These holidays can prevent people from attending classes or hinder their ability to focus on academics. We expect that Columbia, as a religiously diverse and self-avowedly tolerant institution, will accommodate these students’ needs.

We have heard some reports of professors making demands that conflict with students’ religious requirements, or burdening observant students by requiring them to turn in assignments in advance. These professors should take Columbia’s promise that “it is the policy of the University to respect its members’ religious beliefs” more seriously. Students who cannot attend class for religious reasons should not have their absences counted against them, and those who have assignments due on holidays should be able to get extensions.

Some departments, such as psychology at Barnard, allow a certain number of absences per semester but do not ask students to provide explanations. While we appreciate these departments’ attempts to protect students’ privacy, we do not believe absences for religious holidays should be treated the same as other absences.

According to Columbia’s website, a student who observes a religious holiday “will be given an equivalent opportunity to register for classes or make up any examination, study, or work requirements that he or she may have missed because of such absence on any particular day or days. No student will be penalized for absence due to religious beliefs.” While a few professors have been inflexible, we are happy to report that, on the whole, the University is adhering to its own policies and living up to its ideals of religious tolerance.

The students with whom we spoke seemed, for the most part, content with their treatment. Most professors have been flexible with assignments and understanding about absences, and we commend them for working to ensure that observant students are treated fairly.

We also recognize the potential for abuse of the University’s policy on religious holidays. Professors have no way of knowing whether students who claim to be observant actually are. Students must act in good faith on this front.

But even if there are a few freeloaders, adherence to the official policy remains essential. Students get extensions or excused absences for all kinds of reasons, many of which are far more trivial than religious holidays.

It is up to students to inform their professors about their religious obligations, but professors should make it easy for students to meet both their academic and religious obligations.

We’re glad to see Columbia walking the walk on religious tolerance this year, and we hope it will do even better in future years.

To Jews, Muslims, and everyone else out there: Shana Tova and Eid Mubarak.