Dean of Undergraduates: Guidelines for Religious Accommodations

Both Rice's policy of non-discrimination on the basis of religion and our core values of diversity and inclusion require instructors to make reasonable accommodations to help students avoid negative academic consequences with their religious obligations conflict with academic requirements.

Every reasonable effort should be made to allow members of the university community to observe their religious holidays without jeopardizing the fulfillment of their academic obligations. It is never acceptable for an instructor to compel a student to choose between religious observation and academic work.

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 the absence. It is the obligation of students to provide faculty with reasonable notice of the dates of religious holidays on which they will be absent.

Dates Religion Holiday
8/26/2025 Hindi Ganesh Chaturthi
9/1/2025 Labor Day
9/4/2025-9/5/2025 Islamic Mawlid al-Nabi (birthday of Mohammad)
9/22/2025-9/24/2025 Jewish Rosh Hashanah (New Year)
9/22/2025-10/2/2025 Hindu Navaratri/Dussehra
10/1/2025-10/2/2025 Jewish Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement)
10/6/2025-10/13/2025 Jewish Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles)
10/13/2025 Indigenous Peoples Day
10/13/2025-10/15/2025 Jewish Shemini Atzeret
10/14/2025-10/15/2025 Jewish Simchat Torah
10/20/2025 Hindu Diwali
11/11/2025 Veterans Day
11/27/2025 Thanksgiving
11/28/2025 Native American Heritage Day
12/14/2025-12/22/2025 Jewish Hanukkah (Chanukah)
12/25/2025 Christian Christmas Day
1/1/2025 New Years Day
1/7/2026 Christian Orthodox Orthodox Christmas
1/19/2026 Martin Luther King Jr. Day
2/15/2026 Hindu Maha Shivaratri
2/16/2026 President's Day
2/17/2026 Lunar New Year
2/17/2026-3/19/2026* Islamic Ramadan
2/18/2026 Christian Ash Wednesday
2/23/2026-4/11/2026 Christian Orthodox Orthodox Lent
3/2/2026-3/3/2026 Jewish Purim
3/4/2026 Hindu Holi
3/13/2025-3/14/2025 Jewish Purim
3/16/2026 Islamic Lailat al-Qadr
3/19/2026-3/20/2026* Islamic Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan)
3/26/2026 Hindu Rama Navami
4/1/2026-4/9/2026 Jewish Passover (Pesach)
4/3/2026 Christian Good Friday
4/5/2026 Christian Easter
4/10/2026 Christian Orthodox Orthodox Good Friday
4/12/2026 Christian Orthodox Orthodox Easter
5/25/2026 Memorial Day
5/21/2026-5/23/2026 Jewish Shavuot
5/26/2026-5/27/2026 Islamic Eid al-Adha
6/19/2026 Juneteenth
6/26/2026 Islamic Muharram (Al Hijrah New Year)
7/4/2026 Independence Day

* Dates tentative, based on lunar cycle

This list is not a complete listing of religious holidays. If you would like a religious holiday added to the list, please provide the information via email to ugdean@rice.edu.