Religious Observances Calendar

FIU prohibits discrimination on the basis of religion and is committed to providing an educational, work, and living environment that is respectful and inclusive of religious observances, practices, and beliefs. As part of this commitment, FIU makes good faith efforts to provide reasonable religious accommodations where sincerely held religious observances or beliefs conflict with University policy or other requirements, unless such an accommodation would create an undue hardship.

The Office of Civil Rights Compliance and Accessibility (CRCA) serves as a resource for FIU Students and Employees who are seeking a reasonable accommodation or modification due to their sincerely held religious observance, practice, or belief. Students and Employees should direct any religious accommodation requests directly to CRCA at (305) 348-2785 or ocrca@fiu.edu.

This calendar is not an exhaustive list either of religious traditions or of the holidays observed in those traditions. If we have not included a religious tradition or major religious holiday of significance to you, please email us at ace@fiu.edu so that it might be included in future editions of this calendar.

While we have made extensive efforts to verify the accuracy of the information included here, some inaccuracies may remain. Please bring to our attention any you notice. The dates of some holidays, particularly those that are calculated according to a lunar calendar and rely on sightings of the New Moon (e.g., Islamic holidays), vary according to region; other traditions calculate most of their holidays as stretching from sundown to sundown (e.g., Jewish holidays); and other observances and dates (e.g., Buddhist holidays) vary greatly across cultures and strand of a tradition.

FIU-2504 Student Religious Observances, Practices, and Beliefs
FIU-2504 Student Religious Observances, Practices, and Beliefs
1. Florida International University (“University”) recognizes and values students’ rights to
  observe and practice their religious beliefs. The University will reasonably accommodate
  the religious observances, practices, and beliefs of students in regard to admissions, class attendance, and coursework such as class exams, class assignments, and class events.
2. Class instructors are required to reasonably accommodate students in class attendance and course work because of religious observances, practices, and beliefs.
  1. Students are responsible for any material covered or tested during an excused
    absence, but shall be given a reasonable amount of time to complete coursework
    including course exams and course assignments missed during their prior
    approved absence. The approved make-up assignment and examination must be equivalent in content, type, and grading scale to the missed coursework.
  2. Students who desire to be excused from class or coursework to observe or
    practice their religious beliefs should notify all instructors preferably upon receipt or access to the syllabus, but in no case later than two (2) weeks before the religious observance or practice.
  3. A student who has requested to be excused from class or coursework for a
    religious observance or practice is not required to provide a second party
    certification of the reason for the absence.
3. The University does not consider religious observances, practices, or beliefs in
  determining admission to University undergraduate, graduate and professional programs. If a prospective or current student believes their religious observances, practices, or beliefs were considered in admission, the student must timely submit a written statement which includes any information to be considered regarding an accommodation to their religious observances, practices, or beliefs to one of the following. A second party certification of the student’s religious observance, practice, or belief is not required:
  1. The Admission Petition and Appeals Committee for appeals of admission to
    undergraduate degree programs;
  2. The graduate program director for appeals of admission to graduate degree
    programs; or
  3. The applicable professional school admissions director for appeals of admission
    to professional degree programs.
  4. The Office of Civil Rights Compliance and Accessibility, through the University’s reporting page: report.fiu.edu
4. Students who believe their religious observances, practices, or beliefs were not
  reasonably accommodated in accordance with this Regulation may seek redress by filing a grievance with the Office of Civil Rights Compliance and Accessibility, through the University’s reporting page: report.fiu.edu. All grievances will be processed in accordance with the University’s regulations and policies regarding alleged discrimination.

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Religious Observances Calendar