This policy applies to students, faculty, staff, patients, visitors, third parties and other community members.
Tufts University is committed to providing an academic and work environment that is respectful of the religious beliefs of its students, employees, patients, visitors and community members. As part of this commitment, Tufts will make good faith efforts to provide reasonable religious accommodations to those in our community whose sincerely held religious beliefs conflict with a university policy, procedure, or other academic or employment requirement unless such an accommodation would create an undue hardship or would fundamentally alter our work, program and/or mission.
There are a number of terms specific to the religious accommodations process. Use the information below to better understand these terms.
Includes traditional, organized religions but also sincerely held religious beliefs, including those that are new, uncommon, not part of a formal church or sect. All aspects of religious belief and observance that are sincerely held will be considered as part of this policy.
A reasonable change in the work or academic environment that enables a student or employee to practice or otherwise observe a sincerely held religious practice or belief without undue hardship or fundamentally altering the educational, workplace or mission of the university.
A reasonable religious accommodation may include but is not limited to:
Significant difficulty or expense based on the university’s resources and circumstances in relationship to the cost or difficulty of providing a specific accommodation. Undue hardship may refer to financial difficulty in providing an accommodation or accommodations that are unduly expensive, substantial, disruptive, or that would fundamentally alter academic requirements, the nature or operation of the university’s business, or the essential functions of a job.
Accommodations which interfere with the safe and efficient operation of the workplace or campus or with a bona fide seniority system will often present an undue hardship.
To learn more about how to request a religious accommodation, visit the Request Accommodations page.