Executive Staff Policy Committee approves two new interim policies

Ohio University’s Executive Staff Policy Committee (ESPC) has announced its approval of two new interim policies.

Interim Banning Policy 02.002 – This policy identifies circumstances when an individual’s presence is prohibited from Ohio University property. The policy includes definitions of violations, authorized officials, banning procedure, and appeal process. 

Interim Reasonable Accommodations of Sincerely Held Religious Beliefs and Practices Policy 40.003 - On January 3, 2023, Governor DeWine signed Ohio House Bill 353, the Testing Your Faith Act. This legislation requires the university to adopt a policy that reasonably accommodates the sincerely held religious beliefs and practices of individual students with regard to all examinations or other academic requirements and absences for reasons of faith or religious or spiritual belief system. The interim policy spells out how and when students must request alternative accommodations when a student’s sincerely held religious belief or practice severely affects the student’s ability to take an examination or meet an academic requirements. Likewise, it requires instructors to include a syllabus statement regarding the policy. Further, it requires instructors to accept without question the sincerity of the student’s religious or spiritual belief system.

For additional information on these and other personnel policies, visit this Ohio University webpage.