Campus Resources
Policy on Time Away for Religious Observances
Faculty, staff, and students who plan to be absent in observance of a religious or cultural holiday must request time away in accordance with the Policy on Time Away From Stevens’ Responsibilities for Religious Observance. Requests should be submitted as early as possible at the start of the semester and, whenever possible, at least 14 days in advance using the Religious Accommodation Request Form. Employees must also notify their supervisor, department chair, or dean to allow for planning and coverage. Faculty should note planned absences in their syllabi and make necessary arrangements for course activities. Students who anticipate being absent from class, athletics, or work-study assignments should inform their instructors, coaches, or supervisors at the start of the semester or as early as possible. Faculty and staff are expected, within the constraints of university policies, academic calendars, and course or program requirements, to work with students to identify reasonable accommodations. All requests will be reviewed in accordance with the Policy to determine whether they can be granted without creating an undue burden on academic or operational responsibilities.
Space for Prayer & Community Events
The Quiet Space on the Ground Floor of the Wellness Center is open for prayer and reflection 24/7
Student groups, including the Muslim Student Association, Stevens Hillel, Newman Catholic, Stevens Christian Fellowship and others, host prayer groups, services and community gatherings regularly during the academic year. See DuckLink for more information.
Students, faculty, staff and alumni are invited to connect, listen, and talk about faith each semester at the Winter and Spring Interfaith Summits. These events include representatives from many student faith-based organizations on campus and invited religious leaders from the local community. Contact [email protected] for more information.
Support for Religious Fasting
Academic Considerations
Give students who are fasting the option to take tests at a different time (early morning or late night vs. late afternoon).
Allow students to leave classes for 10 minutes of prayer if requested.
Meal Options
Dining Services has to-go containers available by request in Pierce Dining Hall to accommodate anyone who is fasting. Stevens meal plan required.
Empathy & Understanding
Expressing understanding for friends, students and colleagues can make a positive impact on their experience.
If you are unsure about how to support students or colleagues who are fasting, don’t hesitate to ask them privately if they need anything.
People of all identities are welcome to participate. Stevens does not discriminate against any person on the basis of sex, race, religion, disability, sexual orientation or gender expression, or any other basis prohibited by law.
Resources for Ramadan (February 17 - March 18, 2026)
Ramadan is a Muslim religious observation month that includes fasting (including no water) along with increased prayer, charity, reflection, goodwill and working towards being your best self. This month can be challenging for those who go through the day without eating or drinking. Fasting takes place from before dawn until dusk and can lead to exhaustion, as people will be adjusting to a lack of food, water, caffeine, and sugar in addition to adapting to a new sleep schedule and spending more time in prayer throughout the day. With this in mind, here are several events, resources and inclusive practices for the month of Ramadan:
Dining: Pierce Dining Hall sells Suhoor snacks and provides to-go containers for anyone fasting to accommodate your fasting schedule. Please ask the cashier for assistance.
To-Go Containers available to students observing Ramadan so food can be carried out for when students break their fast. These will be available upon request at the cashier station when students swipe in.
Halal Certified Chicken will be clearly labeled as "Halal" on menus within the main dining hall and served at our Delicious Without station. Other halal items will be clearly labeled as well upon availability. Halal Certified Chicken will also be available at the following UCC locations: Pom & Honey, Tu Taco.
Suhoor Snacks will be available for purchase in the Micromarket at Pierce
Academic Considerations*: If you need flexibility with a class (like needing time for prayer or taking a test at an alternate time due to fasting), reach out to your faculty member for assistance in advance.
Events: See all details and RSVP for the following events on Ducklink:
Prayers & Iftars: The Muslim Student Association hosts Jummah prayers every Friday from 1:00-2:00 p.m. and Taraweeh prayers on Monday-Thursday between 9:00-11:00 p.m. Iftars will also take place each week during the month.
Eid al-Fitr: Eid al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan and is a time for celebration after a month of fasting. The Office of Student Culture and Belonging and Muslim Student Association hosts an Eid Al-Fitr Community Dinner on Wednesday, April 1 from 3:30-7:00 p.m. All Stevens community members are welcome to attend.
The Quiet Space: Located in the lower level of the Wellness Center, the Quiet Space is available 24/7 for prayer and reflection
Empathy and Understanding:
If you are unsure about how to support someone during Ramadan, don’t hesitate to ask them privately if they need anything. This is the largest religious holiday in the Muslim faith, so it is appropriate to wish students and colleagues a blessed Ramadan or “Ramadan Mubarak”.
Holidays and Resources
Stevens is a diverse community representing many different religious and cultural groups. Every year, Stevens publishes a list of holidays on which university offices are closed and no classes are held. However, the university will not be closed on every date on which members of our community may have religious or cultural observances.
Certain religious and cultural observances (listed below) take place during the fall and spring semesters which may affect people in the Stevens community when the university is open. While the university will be open for business and classes on these days and many classes, meetings, events, and other activities will occur, we ask that you try to avoid scheduling institutional or departmental events (i.e., events which involve large groups of people) on these days, or assigning work, quizzes, exams or class presentations that are due upon these days.
While all are asked to keep these dates in mind and share them with others who are scheduling meetings and other events, any unintentional oversight of a date listed below should not be seen as indicative of bias.
Faculty and staff who are absent from work to observe these or other religious or cultural observances should consult the new Policy on Time Away from Stevens’ Responsibilities for Religious Observance to understand the vacation and personal day policies applicable to them and inform their supervisor or department chair (or dean) of any planned absences. Faculty should note such absences on their syllabus and work to make arrangements to reschedule classes and assignments, as appropriate.
Students who are absent from class for these or other religious or cultural observances should inform their faculty and work study supervisors in advance of their absence, preferably at the start of the semester. Faculty and supervising staff will work with such students to accommodate their religious or cultural observances to the extent possible within the academic calendar, Stevens’ policies and other requirements of the course or program.
2025
Rosh Hashanah – September 22-24; begins at sundown September 22
Mid-Autumn Festival – October 6
Yom Kippur – October 1-2; begins at sundown October 1
Diwali – October 20
2026
Lunar New Year – February 17
Ramadan – February 17-March 18
Holi* – March 4–5; begins at sundown March 4
Eid al-Fitr* – March 19–20; begins at sundown March 19
Passover – April 1–9; begins at sundown April 1
Good Friday – April 3
Easter Sunday – April 5
Eid al-Adha* – May 26–27; begins at sundown May 26
*Dates may vary by moon sighting, religious tradition or regional practice.
The Quiet Space offers a place for students, faculty and staff to meditate, pray or reflect. This space is located on the lower level of the Wellness Center and is open 24 hours, 7 days a week.
Retaliation against any employee or student who is absent from work or classes for a religious or cultural observance (as discussed in this memorandum) is prohibited by Stevens’ policies and should be reported to the Division of Human Resources or Division of Student Affairs, as applicable.
More Information
Questions? Email the Office of Student Culture and Belonging at [email protected].