New University Policy 1205: Religious Accommodations
George Mason has adopted University Policy 1205 – Reasonable Accommodation on the Basis of Religion, which applies to employees, students, applicants, visitors, and others who interact with the university. The accommodation process is coordinated by the Office of Access, Compliance, and Community (OACC).
Key Points to Note
- The university has a legal obligation to provide reasonable religious accommodations where needed to exercise religious practices, beliefs, or observations.
- Requests for religious accommodations generally should be referred to OACC and may be submitted via the Religious Accommodations Request Form.
- Requests to miss work or class for religious reasons can be approved by supervisors or instructors without involving OACC and should generally be allowed, absent from extraordinary circumstances. However, a request to miss work or class for religious reasons cannot be denied without consulting OACC.
- Religion includes all aspects of religious observance, beliefs, and practices. Religion is not limited to traditional, organized religions. In general, the university will not question the sincerity of a claimed religious belief, observance, or practice.
- OACC facilitates the interactive accommodation process and makes final determinations when needed.
Full policy details can be viewed on the University Policy website.
For questions, please contact oacc@gmu.edu.