Student Accommodations for Ramadan

Dear Faculty and SLCC Community Members,

I want to take the opportunity to bring your attention to Ramadan, which started last week on Wednesday, February 18, and is expected to last until March 19 (exact date may vary by a day or so depending on the sighting of the moon).

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic Lunar Calendar. The month is 29 or 30 days depending on the sighting of the moon. Fasting during Ramadan is the fourth pillar of Islam. 

Here are things you need to know about how Ramadan will impact our practicing Muslim students:

• Practicing Muslim students will fast from dawn until dusk (if Sunni) or a bit later when the last redness of the sun disappears or at the sighting of the first star (if Shia). (around 6 am until 6:10 pm or 7:40 pm towards the end of the month and after daylight savings). 

• Fasting entails refraining from food, drink (including water), smoking, and sexual relations.

• Those fasting often wake up in early hours before dawn and before morning prayer to drink or eat.

• Ramadan means increased worship and prayers, so understand that students maybe staying up late to pray, which means they will have to adjust to a new sleeping schedule. Many students can also be more observant of prayer times during Ramadan. There are five prayers per day (dispersed throughout different parts of the day).

• Ramadan emphasizes increased charity and community involvement. This means students may be involved in carrying out charity events, feeding others who are fasting or cannot afford to eat, attending community iftars (breaking of the fast), and helping their mosques with their charity projects.

• Ramadan also involves spending more time with family and friends, praying, celebrating the reading of the Qur’an, and remembering those who’ve passed.

Bottom Line: Muslim students may be hungry (or hangry), tired, and dehydrated especially if they have classes late in the afternoon. 

In light of this, I urge you to be mindful of the following considerations during Ramadan:

1. Flexibility with Assignments and Exams:
• Recognize that fasting may impact students’ energy levels and concentration during the day.
• Consider offering flexibility with assignment deadlines and scheduling exams, allowing students the opportunity to perform at their best.
  
  
2. Awareness of Religious Observances:
• Be aware of the importance of prayer times throughout the day for Muslim students. Allow students to leave if they need to perform any of their five daily prayers.
• Understand that students may need to break their fast at specific times, which may coincide with class (especially evening classes) or activities
  
  
3. Respect for Dietary Restrictions:
• During Ramadan, fasting students abstain from food and drink during daylight hours. Please be considerate of this when organizing events or providing refreshments during class sessions. This in no way means you can’t eat or drink around fasting students; it only means you can consider providing fasting students with meal bags/boxes to take home for iftar as part of your event. MSA will be providing daily iftar bags that students can grab on their way home.
  
  
4. Creating Inclusive Learning Environments:
• Foster an atmosphere of respect and understanding among students from diverse religious backgrounds.
• Encourage open dialogue and support among classmates, promoting empathy and solidarity.

By being sensitive to the needs of our students during Ramadan, we demonstrate our commitment to SLCC’s vision to be a model for inclusivity and creating a supportive learning environment where all students can thrive.

If you have any questions or concerns about accommodating students during Ramadan, please don't hesitate to reach out. Together, we can ensure that all members of our academic community feel valued and respected.

Best,
Sahar Al-Shoubaki
Faculty Advisor for Muslim Student Association (MSA)

Adverse Weather / Emergency Closure Information for Employees

To ensure continuity of service to students and the public, it is the policy of the College to remain open. However, during extreme conditions due to severe weather, major utility failure, natural disaster, short-term emergency, or other reasons, the College may close all or part of its locations. 

Notifications will be sent by mass notification systems, or email. Updates and notices will be recorded on the Info Line (801) 957-4636.

The College President (or designee) may consult with various individuals on or off campus and ask for recommendations; however, the decision to open or close any location will be made by the College President. No one other than the required essential services personnel should be working in any location when it is closed due to an emergency or inclement weather. When the College President authorizes a release for employees from their work, employees may be given emergency leave with pay and are released from their normal work schedule. Release time not authorized by the President must be charged to vacation leave, compensatory time (for non-exempt employees) or leave without pay, unless alternate work arrangements or prior approval has been granted by the supervisor and department director. 

What are Essential Services? 

"Essential services" are those functions and personnel required to maintain or protect the health, safety, or physical well-being of campus personnel (students, staff, and faculty), academic mission, and facilities (including research projects), given the conditions of the emergency at hand. 

The Provost and Vice Presidents will determine which operations under their respective supervision should be designated as essential services (as defined above) and under what conditions specific individuals will be required to work during a general closing. The determination of essential services and personnel may vary depending on the emergency. Examples of emergency conditions include snow, ice, flood, power failure, explosion, or extreme heat or cold. Employees should contact their supervisors if they have questions about whether they are considered "essential services" personnel. 

Standard overtime rules will apply to non-exempt personnel that work over 40 hours per week, but emergency leave is not considered as hours worked for computing overtime. 

How is Employee Leave Handled During a Campus Closure? 

When the President decides to close or not open the campus, emergency leave is granted to full and part time employees for their scheduled work hours during the period of closure. Part-time employees are paid hourly, and those normally scheduled to work when a closure occurs are given emergency leave with pay for the scheduled work hours. This is submitted on the employee’s regular time sheet. Employees on approved vacation leave, sick, or other types of paid leave when a closure occurs are given emergency leave with pay for their scheduled work hours during the closure period. 

May Employees Take Time off During an Extreme Condition Prior to the Announcement of a Closure? 

Employees are urged to use their discretion in deciding whether they can safely commute to and from work. If personal health or safety is an issue in that decision, responsible judgment should be used. Employees may request time off before and without an official closure. With supervisor approval, employees must take vacation leave, compensatory time (for non-exempt employees), or leave without pay if no other leave is available. Supervisors are encouraged to be flexible in authorizing vacation leave for employees in these situations. 

What Should Faculty Do in a College Closure?

Faculty are encouraged to transition face-to-face and hybrid modality courses to a livestream format. Please monitor communications from the college and relay all relevant information to students via Canvas announcements or email. If students are scheduled for exams in Testing Centers, faculty should collaborate with Testing Services to determine the best plan for rescheduling.

 If you have further questions, please contact us at (801) 957-4210.