Student Holidays for Reasons of Faith Or Conscience

Student Holidays for Reasons of Faith Or Conscience

North Seattle College

Student Holidays for Reasons of Faith or Conscience

(Substitute Senate Bill 5173, Section 4)

SSB5173, Section 4 states that“Institutions of Higher Education must develop policies to accommodate student absences for up to two days per academic year, to allow students to take holidays for reasons of faith or conscience or for organized activities conducted under the auspices of a religious denominations, church, or religious organization, so that students’ grades are not adversely impacted by the absences.

As the college district is in the process of developing new policies to address this Bill, the following guidelines are to be applied:

Guidelines and Procedures:

  1. Students have the right to take absences from classes up to twodaysper academic year(July-June) for reasons of faith or conscience.
  2. Notice of SSB5173, Section 4, is not required to be included in course syllabi.
  3. When a student approaches his/her Grammar/Writing teacher about this, print out the form (under “forms” on the IEP website). Have the student fill it out and you sign it. Immediately put it in Anne’s box. If there are any issues, email Anne immediately.
  4. Students intending to take an absence from classes for reasons of faith or conscience must submit anAbsence Notification Form to the Grammar/Writing instructortwo weeksin advance.
  5. If a student fails to notify his/her Grammar/Writing instructor of an authorized absence two weeks in advance of the absence, the instructors and International Program are not obligated to make any accommodations for the student’s absence or treat the absence as authorized unless it is an exception (see #6).
  6. Exceptions to the ‘two weeks in advance’ could include the holiday falling within two weeks of start of quarter or in the case of a family emergency. If this takes place, don’t sign the form. Put it in Anne’s box and email Anne immediately. Anne will let you know whether this will be accepted.
  7. Students must talk with each instructor to make arrangements; however, only the Grammar/Writing instructor needs to sign the Absence Notification Form.
  8. If the student’s desired absence date is on a day when a test has been scheduled or an assignment is due, the instructor may require that the student take the test or submit the assignment before or after the originally scheduled date as long as the student is not penalized by the arrangement.
  9. Regardless of an instructor’s’ class expectations or grading policies, authorized absences shall not adversely impact a student’s grade.
  10. These absences do not count in their total number of absences in the class.

Absence NotificationForm

Student Holidays for Reasons of Faith or Conscience

Instructions:

  1. You must give this Absence Notification Form to your Grammar/Writing teacher at least two weeks before your absence. If you do not do this, your absence will not be approved.
  2. Talk to all of your teachers and make plans for school work or tests before you are absent.

Student Name:
Student ID Number:
Date of Absence:
Student’sSignature:

To be completed by Grammar/Writing Instructor

Grammar/Writing Class Level / Name of Instructor / Instructor’s signature / Date form was submitted to instructor