Spotlight on a Religious Accommodation Policy

The University of North Carolina — Chapel Hill has a committee under the Equal Opportunity and Compliance (EOC) Office called the Religious Accommodations Advisory Committee (RAAC) , which is responsible for addressing all student religious accommodation requests. This group is composed of various university community members from a number of religious, spiritual, and secular traditions. On its own, the existence of this dedicated committee puts the UNC-CH policy above what exists at most universities. Based on my readings, there is often a lack of clarity as to what office is in charge of overseeing religious accommodations, and there is rarely a body with expertise or unique knowledge dedicated to the task of managing the requests. More often than not, the work of requesting, approving, and arranging accommodations is entirely placed on the requesting student and their applicable professors. There are a multitude of issues in placing the responsibility of accommodations entirely on students and their professors, not the least of which is the influence of the power dynamics between the two parties. The UNC-CH process allows a student to fill out and submit a religious accommodation request form online directly to the RAAC, without ever having to directly confront their professor(s) — a potentially intimidating task.

On the topic of conflict with professors, there is another key feature of the UNC-CH policy — an appeals process. It may seem obvious that there should be an appeals process for cases where students feel their accommodations requests were denied unfairly, but we found that the inclusion of an appeals process is not ubiquitous within university religious accommodation policies for students. This is an essential and simple fix that institutions can implement — simply provide students with contact information for proper channels where they can file a grievance or a complaint.

Another positive element of the UNC-CH policy is the breadth of accommodations included under the policy. Something interesting that we found through reading through so many policies is that they were largely limited in scope to the classroom, only accounting for class absences and possibly extended assignment deadlines. The UNC-CH policy is deliberately broad, providing a number of potential accommodation examples — access to prayer space, for example — and specifically noting that available accommodations are “not limited to” the included list. If a student has an accommodation need related to the use of candles in their dorm room, for instance, this policy allows them to make that request. Other policies that are more rigid in their parameters might not provide an avenue to make such a request.

I verify that my Religious Beliefs are sincerely held and that I am motivated by a religious purpose to request this Religious Accommodation. I understand that in determining whether to grant this request the University may inquire as to the sincerity of my beliefs as well as the purpose for my request. The University may also be limited in its ability to provide an accommodation that presents an Undue Hardship to the University.

For those from a Christian socialized background, this statement might just read like a trivial formality. However, there are some major issues with requiring a validity statement like this in order for a student to be accommodated. For instance, it is not unreasonable for a student who identifies with multiple religious traditions, follows an individualistic belief set, or is a member of a small minority religious or spiritual group to worry about how they would prove the validity of their beliefs if pressed by a suspicious authority figure from the college. There is also an insidious element of Christian hegemony to require this kind of documentation — Christian holidays like Christmas are largely already accommodated in university calendars in the United States, meaning that Christians are far less likely to need to attest to the validity of their beliefs. The societal privileges for Christians and their practices in the United States mean that primarily students from marginalized spiritual and religious backgrounds would need to sign their name to verify the validity of their beliefs. Colleges would do well to note the implications and reconsider the utility of these verification statements, or at least put some more critical thought into the ramifications of how they are worded for students seeking accommodation.

I hope that this quick spotlight on the student religious accommodation policy at the University of North Carolina — Chapel Hill is helpful for administrators, faculty, or staff out there who are interested in implementing more critically conscious and equitable accommodation policies at their institutions. For everyone involved with Convergence, we want the diverse spectrum of religious, secular, and spiritual identities and backgrounds to thrive and be accommodated at higher education institutions, and improving institutional policies is a key step to the brighter and more equitable future we are striving for.

Gordon Maples is a Ph.D student in Educational Leadership, Policy, and Human Development at North Carolina State University, where he serves as a Research Associate for the Interfaith Diversity Experiences and Attitudes Longitudinal Survey and Graduate Assistant for the Higher Education program. He holds an M.Ed in Higher Education Administration from Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College of Education, and is the former Senior Campus Organizer for the Secular Student Alliance. He is on the Board of Directors of Convergence On Campus, and also sits on the Directorate Board of ACPA’s Commission for Spirituality, Faith, Religion, and Meaning. He can be reached by email at gwmaple2@ncsu.edu .

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