UCCS faculty and staff should be mindful of religious holidays and particularly those celebrated by cultures and faiths different than their own.
Kee Warner, associate vice chancellor for diversity and inclusiveness, Academic Affairs, recently encouraged faculty and staff to be aware and respectful of the beliefs and customs of others. By policy, UCCS provides for accommodation when spiritual beliefs and ceremonial obligations conflict with work or academic schedules. Additionally, the UCCS policy says the campus will strive to avoid scheduling university-sponsored events with religious holidays.
Students should notify faculty, and staff should notify supervisors, as early as possible about potential conflicts.
The UCCS policy is available at http://www.uccs.edu/~vcaf/policies/100-008ReligiousObservance.pdf.
A partial list of holidays follows.
SEPTEMBER
| 1 | Ecclesiastical Year begins – Orthodox Christian |
| 8 | Nativity of Mary – Christian |
| 14 | Elevation of the Life Giving Cross – Holy Cross Day – Christian |
| 17-18 | Rosh HaShanah * – Judaism |
| 19 | Ganesh Chaturthi ** – Hindu |
| 20-29 | Paryushana Parva ** – Jain |
| 22 | Equinox Mabon * – Wicca/Pagan northern hemisphere Ostata * – Wicca/ Pagan southern hemisphere |
| 26 | Yom Kippur * – Judaism |
| 28 | Meskel – Ethiopian Orthodox Christian |
| 29 | Michael and All Angels – Christian |
OCTOBER
| 1-7 | (1-2 Primary Obligation Days) Sukkot * – Judaism |
| 4 | Saint Francis Day – Catholic Christian |
| 8 | Shemini Atzeret * – Judaism Thanksgiving – Canada – Interfaith |
| 9 | Simhat Torah *- Judaism |
| 16-23 | Navaratri ** – Hindu |
| 18 | Saint Luke – Apostle and Evangelist – Christian |
| 20 | Birth of the Báb * – Baha’i Installation of Scriptures as Gukru Granth – Sikh |
| 24 | Dasera ** – Hindu |
| 25 | Waqf al Arafa – Hajj Day * – Islam |
| 26-29 | Eid al Adha * ** – Islam |
| 28 | Milvian Bridge Day – Christian Reformation Day ** – Protestant Christian |
| 31 | All Hallows Eve – Christian |
NOVEMBER
| 1 | All Saint’s Day – Christian Samhain – Beltane * – Wicca/Pagan Northern and Southern hemispheres |
| 2 | All Soul’s Day – Catholic Christian |
| 11 | Jain New Year ** – Jain |
| 11-15 | Deepavali ** – Hindu |
| 12 | Birth of Baha’u’llah * – Bahai |
| 13 | Diwali – Deepavali ** – Hindu – Jain – Sikh |
| 15 | Hijra – New Year * ** – Islam Nativity Fast through 12-25 – Orthodox Christian |
| 22 | Thanksgiving USA – Interfaith |
| 21 | Yule – Christian |
| 24 | Ashura * ** – Islam Guru Tegh Bahadur Martyrdom – Sikh |
| 25 | Christ the King – Christian |
| 26 | Day of the Covenant * – Baha’i |
| 28 | Ascension of Abdu’l-Baha * – Baha’i Guru Nanak Dev Sahib birthday – Sikh |
| 30 | Saint Andrew’s Day – Christian |
DECEMBER
| 2 | Advent – First Sunday – Christian |
| 6 | Saint Nicholas Day – Christian |
| 8 | Rohatsu (Bodhi Day) ** – Buddhist Immaculate Conception of Mary – Catholic Christian |
| 9-16 | Hanukkah * – Judaism |
| 16-25 | Posadas Navidenas – Christian |
| 21 | Solstice Yule * – Wicca/Pagan northern hemisphere Litha * – Wicca/Pagan southern hemisphere Yule – Christian |
| 25 | Christmas * – Christian Feast of the Nativity ** – Orthodox Christians |
| 26 | Zarathosht Diso (Death of Prophet Zarathushtra ** – Zoroastrian |
| 28 | Holy Innocents – Christian |
| 30 | Feast of the Holy Family – Catholic Christian |
| 31 | Watch Night – Christian |
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