Religious Holidays & Cultural Observances

2010 Calendar

This calendar lists major religious holidays and cultural observances which require scheduling consideration. Some are work-restricted and others are not work-restricted. This list is not all-encompassing. Faculty, staff, students, and administrators at Cal Poly Pomona may use this reference to aid in making reasonable accommodations in the scheduling of tests or examinations* and campus events.

NOTE: California State Polytechnic University, Pomona will remain open on most of the holidays listed below. This is not to be construed as an academic or employee work calendar.

A link to the various campus calendars can be found at: http://www.csupomona.edu/calendar.php and included there is the Holiday Observance Calendar for our campus.

All information was taken from the 2009 Multicultural Calendar from Creative Cultural Communications www.multiculturalcalendar.com. Please contact the Office of Student Life & Cultural Centers at osl@csupomona.edu if you have additional reference materials to offer.

*392.4.4 The California State Education Code, as law, supersedes all campus policies. In particular, section 89320 states:

The Trustees of the California State University shall require each state university, in administering any test or examination, to permit any student who is eligible to undergo the test or examination to do so, without penalty, at a time when that activity would not violate the student's religious creed. This requirement shall not apply in the event that administering the test or examination at an alternate time would impose an undue hardship which could not reasonably have been avoided. In any court proceeding in which the existence of an undue hardship which could not reasonably have been avoided is an issue, the burden of proof shall be upon the institution.

Work Restricted

How might the observance of this holiday affect students?

Many dates in this calendar are recognized as denominational, sacred or holy.  These dates are observed by persons or groups who are required—through a set or system of religious beliefs, law/doctrines, tenets, canons or theology—to restrict or limit work and/or physical or mental activity directed towards the production or accomplishment of something; toil; labor.  This definition may include academic endeavors (e.g. examinations, classroom activities and research, or out-of-classroom learning experiences).

Regulations governing observance for worships depend on regional customs. Observance and practices vary from culture to culture within and across denominations. Often, Saturday and Sunday are widely observed as a day of worship for many faith traditions.

There is a distinction between religious holy days, sectarian holidays, and ethnic holidays and festivals which are routinely celebrated in the United States of America, i.e. Christmas, New Year, etc., and religious work-restricted holy days which are based upon religious tenets, laws, and/or doctrine, i.e. Yom Kippur. Individuals who observe and/or follow these religions work-restricted holy days are not permitted to engage in day-to-day occupations, work, or attend school, including taking examinations or performing other routine commitments.

Baha’i Holidays: How does this affect students?
Students observing the Birth of Baha’u’llah and the Birth of the Báb are not able attend classes, take examinations, or perform other class requirements because of the injunction that all kinds of occupations should be suspended.

Christian Holidays: How does this affect students?
There are no work-restricted holy days within the Christian faith by tenet. By custom, in the United States, Easter and Christmas are considered to be non-work days.

Islamic Holidays: How does this affect students?
Islamic dates are approximate. The official days can be plus/minus one day and depend upon the official physical sighting of the moon. Fasting occurs during Ramadan from sunrise to sunset. Work is not forbidden, but because of the fast, exams may be easier to take in the morning or evening.

Jewish Holidays: How does this affect students?
Jewish holy days are major religious observances. They involve attendance and participation in services at a synagogue and at home with one’s family. On major holidays, such as Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, work of any kind including writing, driving, and handling money, is prohibited. Due to the prohibitions students are not able to attend classes, take examinations, or perform other class requirements. They will also be unable to attend classes or take examinations the evening following Yom Kippur, because they will have been fasting for 24 hours.

Not Work-Restricted

Many religious holidays and observances are NOT work-restricted by definition but may involve a special worship or observance in which a faculty, staff, or student may feel compelled to participate. Campus community members should be sensitive to requests for accommodating these special observances.

Christian Holidays: How does this affect students?
There are no work-restricted holy days within the Christian faith by tenet. By custom, in the United States, Easter and Christmas are considered to be non-work days.

Islamic Holidays: How does this affect students?
Islamic dates are approximate. The official days can be plus/minus one day and depend upon the official physical sighting of the moon. Fasting occurs during Ramadan from sunrise to sunset. Work is not forbidden, but because of the fast, exams may be easier to take in the morning or evening.

Reasonable Accommodations

Every reasonable effort should be made to allow members of the University community to observe their religious holidays without academic penalty. Campus community members should be sensitive to religious observances in the construction of class schedules, syllabi, campus events, and work schedules and also be willing to make reasonable accommodations.

Absence from classes or examinations for religious reasons does not relieve students from responsibility for any part of the course work required during the period of absence. Students who expect to miss classes, examinations, or other assignments as a consequence of their religious observance shall be provided with a reasonable alternative opportunity to complete such academic responsibilities, provided it does not create an unreasonable burden upon the University. It is the obligation of the student to provide faculty with reasonable notice of the dates of major religious holidays on which they will be absent.

Cal Poly Pomona would like to thank George Mason University, Indiana University, University of Arizona, University of Louisville, and the University of Washington for providing information for our website. These campuses provided descriptions of work-related and non-work-related holidays, how the holidays affect students, and information about reasonable accommodations.