Religious Accommodations

Kirkwood Community College is committed to strengthening equity and inclusion practices, pedagogy and policies that foster belonging and a supportive community for all students, staff and faculty. The College does not discriminate against individuals involved in its educational programs and activities on the basis of religion, require or prohibit any religious association as a condition of employment or participation in our educational programs or activities, or permit religious harassment. The College provides reasonable accommodations, as required by law, to individuals whose sincerely held religious beliefs, practices, and observances conflict with work or class requirements, unless the accommodation could create an undue hardship. 

Definitions

Religious Beliefs

Religious Beliefs include theistic beliefs (i.e. those that include a belief in any god) as well as non-theistic moral or ethical beliefs about right and wrong that are sincerely held by an individual, regardless of whether they are part of an organized religion.

Religious Accommodation

A Religious Accommodation is any adjustment to an environment, practice, or process that allows an individual to practice their religion. The need for religious accommodation may arise where an individual’s religious beliefs, observances, or practices conflict with a specific task or requirement of a class, schedule, workplace responsibility, assignment, or position.

Undue Hardship

An accommodation that causes an Undue Hardship includes but is not limited to an accommodation that: compromises essential requirements of a course, program, job or activity; is requested retroactively or in an untimely manner; causes an undue administrative or financial hardship for the College; jeopardizes the safety of an individual who requires the accommodations or others; infringes on the rights of other employees, including those rights set forth in a collective bargaining agreement or other policy or law; or imposes an unreasonable burden on other employees or students.  

Process for Requesting Religious Accommodation

Employees and prospective employees requesting religious accommodation should make the request in writing to their direct supervisor or Human Resources.

Students requesting religious accommodation should complete a Request for Religious Accommodation Form and submit it to the Dean of Students Office at deanofstudents@kirkwood.edu or 3034 Iowa Hall.

The request for accommodation may trigger an interactive process, particularly if more information is needed in order to develop a reasonable accommodation that does not cause undue hardship.

Examples of religious accommodations may include: an exception to dress and grooming requirements; a schedule modification, including flexible arrival or departure times; a work reassignment or position change; alternative menu options/modifications for dietary requirements; excused absence from work or classes; allocation of private space for the purposes of observance or practice of religious beliefs; modification of workplace or class practices, policies and procedures.

Appeal Procedure

An employee who believes they have a qualifying condition that is not being reasonably accommodated by the College should contact the Office of Human Resources at Kirkwood Community College, 313 Kirkwood Hall, 6301 Kirkwood Blvd SW, Cedar Rapids, IA 52404; 319-398-5572; equity@kirkwood.edu.

An applicant or student can submit an appeal of the offered reasonable accommodation to the Accommodation Services Equity Committee if the matter cannot be resolved after:

1. Discussing the rejection with their Accommodations Access Advocate.

2. Discussing the rejection with the Dean of Students or other designee with supervisory responsibility

3. In cases where a resolution is not reached, then an applicant or student can submit a written appeal to the Accommodation Services Equity Committee, which will make final determination on the appeal.

Student appeals must be submitted to the Accommodation Services Equity Committee, Attn: Dean of Students, 3034 Iowa Hall, 6301 Kirkwood Blvd SW, Cedar Rapids, IA 52404, or via email to deanofstudents@kirkwood.edu

If you have questions or complaints related to compliance with the policy, please contact the Vice President of Human Resources at Kirkwood Community College, 313 Kirkwood Hall, 6301 Kirkwood Blvd. SW, Cedar Rapids, IA 52404, Telephone: 319-398-5572, Email: equity@kirkwood.edu, or the Director of the Office for Civil Rights U.S. Department of Education, John C. Kluczynski Federal Building, 230 S. Dearborn Street, 37th Floor, Chicago, IL 60604-7204, Telephone: 312-730-1560, Fax: 312-730-1576, Email: OCR.Chicago@ed.gov.