The college adopted a policy in July for students who wish to reschedule assignment deadlines or miss class to observe religious holidays or practice their faith.
School officials expanded an existing religious accommodation policy to include a plan for designating prayer rooms on all campuses.
Cole Popov, a second-year journalism student, said he looks forward to what officials are calling the “serenity spaces,” because, he said, “some people don’t really have a space to really practice.”
The updated policy offers students guidelines to follow when they face religious conflicts with their academic assignments. This complies with a new Maryland law.
Nicole Williams, chair of the Human Services department, said faculty have raised concerns about students filing for accommodations.
“This is where we do feel like it does violate our academic freedoms,” Williams, the former president of The Faculty Organization, said. “We have the right to, of course, teach the curriculum, you know, as we see fit, in a way that’s appropriate and ethical.” She added: “We’re not trying to force beliefs on students. That’s what academia is not about. Academia is about exposing students to the variety of philosophies, beliefs, religions, values, norms, cultures that exist. We expose you; that’s it.”
Ellianna Shields, a second-year nursing student, said she has taken advantage of accommodations to honor her religious beliefs.
Shields said she got a religious accommodation after feeling uncomfortable answering questions on a quiz.
“So basically it was a homework assignment that was, you know, talking about transgender [people],” Shields said. “It sort of goes against my religious beliefs that I held my entire life.”
Kellie McCants-Price, AACC’s chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer, said the college will get input from students and faculty before enforcing the new policy.
“I think we’ll be able to not only listen to both sides, but also figure out sort of where we have middle ground,” McCants-Price said.
Students wanting an accommodation start by filling out a form from the Office of the Dean of Student Development and getting the professor’s approval.
Popov, who is Jewish, said he has never asked for a religious accommodation but said he’s glad he could if he needed to.
Juwayriah Okedeyi, a second-year undecided student, said the prayer rooms will make it easier for her to complete her daily prayers as part of her Muslim faith.
Okedeyi said she typically prays in “random classrooms or even just, like, small spaces behind a desk or something. And it was always kind of embarrassing because you felt kind of that fear that someone could walk in on you.”