A resolution strongly urging faculty to not schedule exams on holidays celebrated by any religion was passed Tuesday by AUSA Senate by a vote of 13-3.

“If it’s not something [the faculty] doesn’t want to carry out, they don’t have to, it’s up to them,” said John McMahon, an off-campus senator.

Although the resolution was passed through the Senate, it is ultimately up to each individual professor to decide to abide by it.

The resolution also states that if it is absolutely necessary for a professor to schedule an exam on a day coinciding with any religion’s holy day, there should be no penalty for being unable to take the exam imposed by the instructor on the students who observe the holiday.

An opportunity to make up the exam must be provided.

“By nature of the quarter system, it’s hard to schedule exams around religious holidays,” said Vice-President Antoine Perretta.

The new resolution builds upon an existing university policy known as the Religious Accommodations Policy.

The policy makes it incumbent on the student to raise concerns about school work conflicting with religious holidays within the first week of class, according to University Rev. Gary Brower.

This resolution, he believes, puts Senate’s “seal of approval,” on the existing policy.

“I don’t think that things have been scheduled intentionally to coincide with important religious holidays,” he said.

“I think that, if it happens, it is due to other scheduling constraints or, more likely, unawareness of the holiday in [the professor’s] planning.”

During the senate’s discussion of the resolution, it was suggested that a list be sent out to faculty prior to the start of each quarter, which would note the dates of various religious holidays during that quarter, allowing professors to schedule exams accordingly.

Brower sent out a memo in August to the deans alerting them to the major holidays occurring in the fall.

“Whether the deans forwarded that information on to their faculty, I don’t know,” he said.

The list discussed by Senate would include only holidays that prevented students from attending class, and taking exams, and exclude holidays that would not prevent students from partaking in these activities.”

Rachel Lavine, a sophomore, said this resolution is a great idea and will be very helpful.

This year she missed a quiz in her Natural Sciences class because it was scheduled on Yom Kippur.

The professor was very understanding and allowed her to make it up.

However, she stated that in the past professors have questioned her about specific reasons why she was missing the class.

“I’m glad that they’re finally putting all of this into writing in the form of a resolution because some of my professors have not been understanding about the holidays this year,” she said.