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Guidelines for the Respect of Religious and Spiritual Diversity at KSC

Keene State College seeks to support and foster an atmosphere in which all community members may know that they are safe, welcome, and respected. To this end, the College is committed to providing diversity in our curriculum and in our community. The programs of KSC are thereby governed by principles of equal opportunity, access to resources, just treatment of all, and respect for one another. We also support opportunities for all members of the community to engage in practices that lead to physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellness.

In order to demonstrate our commitment to providing an environment that respects and acknowledges the whole individual (beyond the academic and social wellbeing), students, faculty and staff are permitted by Keene State College policy to be absent from class and work to observe religious and spiritual holidays without penalty.

Students are required to notify professors of their absence in observance of a religious holiday at the beginning of the semester. Since religious and spiritual holidays are scheduled in advance, students will be responsible for any work missed or assignments due on the holiday. If the holiday falls on a date an assignment is due, or examination is scheduled, students will be required to complete the course expectation according to an agreed upon process by the professor. Students may reschedule, without penalty, examinations that conflict with the observance of their religious tradition.

Faculty and Staff are required to contact their supervisors and make reasonable arrangements to cover their responsibilities to students and other tasks at the college. As with students, faculty and staff will be required to make this notification at the beginning of the semester or at a time designated by the supervisor. Employees could trade the holiday off for a campus “floating” holiday or take personal vacation time.

Religious Holidays

Even though classes will not be cancelled, individuals responsible for planning major Keene State College events are expected to make every effort not to hold events on dates associated with significant religious holidays. Where conflicts are unavoidable, it is college policy to excuse the absence of students and employees that result from their attendance at religious observances or to these religious obligations without penalty.

To aid in planning efforts, the Associate Vice President for Institutional Equity and Diversity will provide a list of major religious holidays for a variety of world religions that occur when classes are being held during the academic year. This list will be sent to members of the campus community in late March or early April of each year. The list will be developed in consultation with the campus ministry and other individuals at the College who have knowledge of major religious holidays.

The Administration of the College realizes there are a variety of religious traditions observed by our diverse community and this list does not reflect all religious holidays.

Baha’i
Birth of Bab Wednesday, October 26, 2022
Birth of Baha’u’llah Thursday, October 27, 2022
Ayyam-i-Ha Sunday, February 26 – Wednesday, March 1, 2023
Naw Ruz (New Year) Tuesday, March 21, 2023
First Day of Ridvan Friday, April 21, 2023
Declaration of the Bab Wednesday, May 24, 2023
Ascension of Baha’u’llah Monday, May 29, 2023
Buddhist*
Parinirvana Day/Nirvana Day Wednesday, February 15, 2023
Buddha’s birthday Friday, May 26, 2023
Christian
All Saints Day Tuesday, November 1, 2022
Immaculate Conception (Roman Catholic) Tuesday, December 8, 2022
Christmas** Sunday, December 25, 2022
Ash Wednesday Wednesday, February 22, 2023
Maundy Thursday Thursday, April 6, 2023
Good Friday Friday, April 7, 2023
Easter Sunday, April 9, 2023
Hindu*
Diwali Monday, October 24, 2022
Holi Wednesday, March 3, 2023
Islamic Holidays*
Eid el Adha ( or Eid al Kabir) Sundown Sunday, July 9 – Sundown Monday, July 10 , 2022
Hajj (Muslim Pilgrimage) days Sundown Thursday, July 7 – Sundown, Tuesday, July 12, 2022
Ramadan Sundown Wednesday, March 22 – Sundown Friday, April 21, 2023
Eid al-Fitr Sundown Friday, April 21 – Sundown, Saturday, April 22, 2023
Jewish Holidays***
Rosh Hashanah Sundown Sunday, September 25 – Sundown Tuesday, September 27, 2022
Yom Kippur Sundown Tuesday, October 4 – Sundown Wednesday, October 5, 2022
Sukkot Sundown Sunday, October 9 – Sundown Sunday, October 16 , 2022
Hanukkah Sunday, December 18 - Monday, December 26, 2022
Passover Sundown Wednesday, April 5 – Sundown Thursday, April 13, 2023
Shavuot Sundown Thursday, May 25 – Sundown Saturday, May 27 , 2023
Wiccan/Pagan
Lughnassad Monday, August 1, 2022
Autumn Equinox Thursday, September 22, 2022
Samhain Evening Evening Monday, October 31 – Evening Tuesday, November 1, 2022
Winter Solstice Wednesday, December 21, 2022
Imbolc Thursday, February 2, 2023
Spring Equinox Monday, March 20, 2023
Beltane Monday, May 1, 2023
Summer Solstice Wednesday, June 21, 2023

* All Islamic and certain Hindu and Buddhist holidays are calculated on a lunar calendar and are approximate.
** Christmas occurs during campus shutdown
***Traditional Jewish people also observe a work-free Sabbath, beginning every Friday night shortly before sunset, and lasting for 25 hours.

Also, note: In addition to some Jewish people having a Sabbath on Friday evening to Saturday evening, Seventh Day Adventists do this as well.


2022

July
Eid el Adha ( or Eid al Kabir) Sundown Monday, July 9 – Sundown Tuesday, July 10, 2022
Hajj (Muslim Pilgrimage) days Sundown Saturday, July 7 – Sundown, Thursday, July 12, 2022
August
Physically Challenged Awareness Month
Lughnassad Monday, August 1, 2022
September
Hispanic/Latino Heritage Month (Wednesday, September 15 – Friday, October 15)
Autumn Equinox Thursday, September 22, 2022
Rosh Hashanah Sundown Sunday, September 25 – Sundown Tuesday, September 27, 2022
October
Diversity Awareness Month
LGBTQ History Month
Yom Kippur Sundown Tuesday, October 4 – Sundown Wednesday, October 5, 2022
Sukkot Sundown Sunday, October 9 – Sundown Sunday, October 16, 2022
Diwali Monday, October 24, 2022
Birth of Bab Wednesday, October 26, 2022
Birth of Baha’u’llah Thursday, October 27, 2022
Samhain Evening Evening Monday, October 31 – Evening Tuesday, November 1, 2022
November
American Indian/Native American History Month
All Saints Day Tuesday, November 1, 2022
December
Universal Human Rights Month
Immaculate Conception (Roman Catholic) Tuesday, December 8, 2022
Hanukkah Sunday, December 18 - Monday, December 26, 2022
Winter Solstice Wednesday, December 21, 2022
Christmas Sunday, December 25, 2022

2023

February
Black/African History Month
Imbolc Thursday, February 2, 2023
Parinirvana Day/Nirvana Day Wednesday, February 15, 2023
Ash Wednesday Wednesday, February 22, 2023
Ayyam-i-Ha Sunday, February 26 – Wednesday, March 1, 2023
March
Women’s History Month
Holi Wednesday, March 3, 2023
Spring Equinox Monday, March 20, 2023
Naw Ruz (New Year) Tuesday, March 21, 2023
Ramadan Sundown Wednesday, March 22 – Sundown Friday, April 21, 2023
April
Genocide Awareness Month
Passover Sundown Wednesday, April 5 – Sundown Thursday, April 13, 2023
Maundy Thursday Thursday, April 6, 2023
Good Friday Friday, April 7, 2023
Easter Sunday, April 9, 2023
First Day of Ridvan Friday, April 21, 2023
Eid al-Fitr Sundown Friday, April 21 – Sundown, Saturday, April 22, 2023
May
Asian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Declaration of the Bab Wednesday, May 24, 2023
Shavuot Sundown Thursday, May 25 – Sundown Saturday, May 27, 2023
Buddha’s birthday Friday, May 26, 2023
Ascension of Baha’u’llah Monday, May 29, 2023
June
LGBTQ Pride Month
Summer Solstice Wednesday, June 21, 2023

Contact Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

Dottie Morris
Associate Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion
dmorris@keene.edu
☎ 603-358-2206
Hale Building 103A
Mailstop: M/S 1501