Should non-religious universities change class schedules to accomodate student prayer schedules?

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Muslim university students want lectures to be rescheduled to fit in with prayer timetables and separate male and female eating and recreational areas established on Australian campuses.

International Muslim students, predominantly from Saudi Arabia, have asked universities in Melbourne to change class times so they can attend congregational prayers. They also want a female-only area for Muslim students to eat and relax.

But at least one institution has rejected their demands, arguing that the university is secular and it does not want to set a precedent for requests granted in the name of religious beliefs.

La Trobe University International chief officer John Molony said several students had approached the Bundoora institution about rearranging class times to fit in with daily prayers.

...

La Trobe University International College director Martin Van Run said that although it was involved in discussions with the Muslim students who had made the requests, the university was not planning to change any timetables.

...

"We are a secular institution ... and we need to have a structured timetable."

Mr Van Run said that Saudi students were fully aware that the university was secular before coming to study there. "They know well in advance the class times," he said.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story...from=public_rss

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

The university is secular. So no.

Surely this is something to think about when deciding which uni to apply for...

[♥Sora_9_Dam3a♥ 0]

i agree ^^ ...it's a secular university...the only thing, maybe professors can be a little understanding if a student wants to step out for a few minutes--but actually changing the entire system, then it wouldn't be a secualr university...

[pedroh 21]

no

university is secular..

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Will Saudi Arabian Universities make accommodations for any religion other than Islam? hmmm funny how it's a one way street.

[Amby 490]

I didn't even read it and I said NO! if your classes interrupt your prayer time take a different class

[Scott & Lai 12]

Will Saudi Arabian Universities make accommodations for any religion other than Islam? hmmm funny how it's a one way street.

Surely you jest

[♥Sora_9_Dam3a♥ 0]

Will Saudi Arabian Universities make accommodations for any religion other than Islam? hmmm funny how it's a one way street.

With all due respect...no one said it's a one way street...Saudi Arabia didn't ask them to do that...some random Muslim students, half way across the world, decided that they would be more comfortable if these changes were made---and the university does not have to agree....and if they don't, they don't...it's a secular university...

[junglee069 0]

the prayer times change throughout the course of the year. very difficult to schedule classes around a moving target.

besides, many of the prayer times last for hours. the only short lived prayer times are the morning prayers - at sunrise, and the evening prayers, at sunset. typically, i doubt anyone is offering classes at sunrise - maybe at sunset. you can always excuse yourself from class and conduct your prayers..takes a few minutes, or wait til after class is done.

i don't understand why people expect the masses to change for them instead of changing themselves. got nothing to do with being saudi, muslim, or a secular university.

the masses shouldn't have to change to accomdate the few..unles it's reserved parking for handicapped people. that's much more important.....

[Alex+R 0]

Yeah, get in line, ladies. We Jews don't get days off; we just get lenience in making up stuff we missed at work or school. And if the Jews can't get the world to bend to our will, nobody can.

But anyway, I don't think giving them time off (however completely impossible that may be) would mean they were no longer secular. The schools give off holidayds Christians celebrate, because they're a majority. At my school, in my department, there were enough Jews to merit rescheduling exams on Jewish holidays, but not class. Not enough Muslims for that sort of thing, though. It's just numbers.

[Jenn! 918]

Will Saudi Arabian Universities make accommodations for any religion other than Islam? hmmm funny how it's a one way street.

With all due respect...no one said it's a one way street...Saudi Arabia didn't ask them to do that...some random Muslim students, half way across the world, decided that they would be more comfortable if these changes were made---and the university does not have to agree....and if they don't, they don't...it's a secular university...

[♥Sora_9_Dam3a♥ 0]

yeah, i completely agree.

my college has a muslim club, a christian club, a jewish club, etc. that provides a place on campus where people can pray...prayer doesn't take any longer than a few minutes and it can be done quickly on the way to class...or, as everyone mentioned [even in the article], the prayer times last for hours...

[Sofiyya 1,687]

SECULAR - that should always be a big hint . . .

[almaty 19]

i also, thin k there should be no change...

[Caladan 19]

As an instructor, I would not want the secular university to reschedule my class around a religious obligation not espoused by the university. But I would also not have a problem with a student non-disruptively wandering in a few minutes late (or excusing themselves for a few minutes. It's immaterial to me whether it's a bathroom break or a prayer break), just as I don't penalize Christian kids who skip on Good Friday or Jewish kids who miss on Yom Kippur or ask to have their tests rescheduled.

Alex is right that it's a numbers thing, based on how many students I'd have to schedule for a make-up, where the standard is 'at what point is it more of a headache to reschedule than it is to run make-ups'

I may be mistaken, but isn't the time at which a prayer can be offered the sort of thing that has a couple hours' window? And that universities have many courses that allow students to schedule around work and sports and extracurriculars? And classes are usually scheduled such that there is a break at noon and there are fifteen minutes between each class?