Religious Accommodation and Observance

Religious Accommodation

In accordance with California State Education Code section 92640, it is UCSB policy that an instructor will make a reasonable attempt to accommodate to your needs in the case of serious incompatibility between your religious creed and a scheduled test or examination. If you look at the course calendar and find a scheduling incompatibility, keep in mind of the following:

1. Accommodation for alternative examination dates will be worked out directly and on an individual basis between you and the instructor involved.
2. You should make a religious accommodation request during the first two weeks of an academic term, or as soon as possible after a particular examination date is announced by the instructor.
3. Students or faculty with questions may contact the associate dean of the appropriate school.

Religious Observance

You may also observe religious holidays that are not official university holidays. Observance of these holidays may impact your test or examination schedule. When looking over your course's calendar, it is important to note that the date(s) religious holidays fall on may vary by year. Particularly with Muslim Holy Days, observance begins at sundown on the preceding day. Although Muslim Holy Days are always on the same day of the Islamic calendar, the date on the Gregorian calendar varies from year to year (since the Gregorian calendar is a solar calendar and the Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar). This difference in calendars means Muslim Holy Days move in the Gregorian calendar approximately 11 days every year. The date of a Muslim Holy Day may also vary from country to country, depending on whether the moon has been sighted or not.