Supporting Students During Ramadan
April 9, 2021
Dear Faculty,We are writing to remind you that Ramadan begins on the evening of Monday, April 12th and ends on the evening of Wednesday, May 12th. For our Muslim students, Ramadan is a time of self reflection and a renewed engagement to Islam. Many students who observe Ramadan observe a fast from sunrise (6:19 a.m. in Boston) to sunset (7:14 p.m. in Boston), with the days getting longer as spring progresses.
As a result of fasting, students may have decreased levels of in-class participation, ask to be excused from class at sundown in order to observe evening prayers and/or break the fast, and may ask for rescheduling of exams or assignments. We recognize that every class and its pedagogical structure is different, and some classes adapt more easily to these requests than others. Whenever possible, we ask that you support our students who are observing Ramadan.
Sincerely,
Carol A. Fierke, PhD’84
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
Eric Chasalow
Dean, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Kathryn Graddy
Dean, Brandeis International Business School
Dorothy Hodgson
Dean, School of Arts and Sciences
David Weil
Dean, Heller School for Social Policy and Management