Ohio State has had a longstanding practice of making reasonable academic accommodations for students’ religious beliefs and practices in accordance with applicable law. In 2023, Ohio State updated its practice to align with new state legislation. Under this new provision, students must be in early communication with their instructors regarding any known accommodation requests for religious beliefs and practices, providing notice of specific dates for which they request alternative accommodations within 14 days after the first instructional day of the course. Instructors in turn shall not question the sincerity of a student’s religious or spiritual belief system in reviewing such requests and shall keep requests for accommodations confidential.
With sufficient notice, instructors will provide students with reasonable alternative accommodations with regard to examinations and other academic requirements with respect to students’ sincerely held religious beliefs and practices by allowing up to three absences each semester for the student to attend or participate in religious activities. Examples of religious accommodations can include, but are not limited to, rescheduling an exam, altering the time of a student’s presentation, allowing make-up assignments to substitute for missed class work, or flexibility in due dates or research responsibilities. If concerns arise about a requested accommodation, instructors are to consult their tenure initiating unit head for assistance.
A student’s request for time off shall be provided if the student’s sincerely held religious belief or practice severely affects the student’s ability to take an exam or meet an academic requirement and the student has notified their instructor, in writing during the first 14 days after the course begins, of the date of each absence. Although students are required to provide notice within the first 14 days after a course begins, instructors are strongly encouraged to work with the student to provide a reasonable accommodation if a request is made outside the notice period. A student may not be penalized for an absence approved under this policy.
If students have questions or disputes related to academic accommodations, they should contact their course instructor, and then their department or college office. For questions or to report discrimination or harassment based on religion, individuals should contact the Office of Institutional Equity.
Pursuant to Ohio Revised Code 3345.026, the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) developed the following non-exhaustive list of major religious holidays or festivals. The list of major religious holidays and festivals included below is non-exhaustive and is not intended to purposefully exclude any religious holidays or festivals.
Non-exhaustive List of Religious Holidays/Holy Days (January-December 2023)
Judaism
- Tu BiShvat in February
- Purim (March 6-7)
- Yom HaShoah in April
- Lag B’Omer in April
- Pesach (Passover) (April 5-13)
- Yom HaSho’ah (April 17-18)
- Yom Ha’Azmaut in May
- Shavuot (May 25-27)
- Tisha B’Av (July 26-27)
- Rosh Hashanah (September 15-17)
- Yom Kippur (September 24-25)
- Sukkot (September 29 – October 6)
- Shemini Atzerat (October 6-8)
- Simchat Torah (October 7-8)
- Hanukkah (December 7-15)
Christianity
- Feast of Mary Mother of God (January 1)
- Christmas – Eastern Orthodox (January 7)
- Epiphany (January 8)
- Ash Wednesday (February 22)
- Lent (Feb 22-April 6)
- Orthodox Lent (Feb 27-April 8)
- Feast of the Annunciation (March 25)
- Palm Sunday (April 2)
- Holy Thursday (April 6)
- Good Friday (April 7)
- Easter (April 9)
- Pascha/Easter (Eastern Orthodox) (April 16)
- Feast of the Ascension (May 18)
- Pentecost (May 28)
- Trinity Sunday (June 4)
- Corpus Christi Sunday (June 8)
- Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (June 16)
- Nativity of St. John the Baptist (June 24)
- Feast of Saints Peter and Paul (June 29)
- Feast of St. Ignatius Loyola (July 31)
- Feast of the Assumption of Mary (August 15)
- All Saints Day (November 1)
- All Souls Day (November 2)
- Dia de los Muertos (November 1-2)
- Feast of Christ the King (November 26)
- Advent Season (December 3)
- Feast of St. Francis Xavier (December 3)
- Feast of the Immaculate Conception (December 8)
- Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (December 12)
- Christmas (December 25)
Islam
- Sabe-Miraj or Lailatul Me’raj (February 18)
- Sabe Barat (March 7)
- Ramadan (March 22-April 21)
- Lailatul Qadr (April 18)
- Eid al-Fitr (April 21-22)
- Day of Arafa/Haj/Waqf of Arafa (June 28)
- Eid-ul Adha (June 28-29)
- Islamic New Year (July 19-20)
- Ashura (July 27-28)
- Mawlid-al-Nabi (September 26-27)
Hinduism
- Maha Shivaratri (February 18)
- Shri Ramakrishna Jayanti (February 21)
- Holi (March 18)
- Rama Navami (March 30)
- Mahavir-Jayanti (April 4)
- Raksha Bandhan (August 30)
- Krishna Janmashtami (September 6-7)
- Navaratri (October 15-23)
- Diwali (November 12)
Buddhism
- Bodhi Day (January 10)
- Lunar New Year (January 22)
- Magha Puja Day (March 30)
- Vesak (April 8)
- Buddha Day/Visakha Puja (May 5)
- Diwali (November 12)
Sikh
- Birthday of Guru Gobind Singh Sahib (January 5)
- Mahavir-Jayanti (April 4)
- Vaisakhi (April 14)
- Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Sahib (June 16)
- Diwali (November 12)
- Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib (November 24)
- Birthday of Guru Nanak Dev Sahib (November 27)
Baháʼí
- ‘Alá’ (Loftiness) (March 2-20)
- Naw-Rúz (March 21-22)
- Ridván (April 21-May 2)
- Declaration of the Bab (May 23-24)
- Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh (May 29-30)
- Martyrdom of the Bab (July 9)
- Birth of the Bab (October 26-27)
- Birth of Baháúllah (October 27-28)
- Ascension of ’Abdu’l-Bahá (November 28)
Shinto
- Gantan-sai (January 1)
- Setsubum-sai (February 3)
Other
- Kwanzaa (December 26 – Jan 1, 2024)
- Lunar New Year (January 22)