Scores of state and city legislators are demanding that the City University of New York change its final exam schedule, which, for the first time in recent history, coincides with the Jewish holiday of Shavous.
“CUNY continues to pride itself on cultural sensitivity,” Assemblyman Dov Hikind wrote in a recent letter to CUNY’s chancellor, Matthew Goldstein. “How is that possible when a holiday with the same religious status as Rosh Hashana is dismissed as insignificant, and thousands of students and faculty will be adversely affected?”
More than 50 state legislators and 14 members of the City Council signed the February 5 letter. Mr. Hikind, a Democrat of Brooklyn, told The New York Sun that he intends bring up the issue with Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Spitzer if the exam schedule is not changed.
In a letter to Mr. Hikind, the chancellor wrote that while he has no plans to alter the academic calendar, “the colleges have been reminded of the obligation to provide an accommodation to faculty and students who must be absent on days of religious observance.” State law requires such accommodations.
Not every professor is equally sensitive to students’ religious obligations, and students shouldn’t be forced to rely on the goodwill of instructors, the assemblyman said.
More than a quarter of Queens College and Brooklyn College students identify as Jews, according to “Hillel’s Guide to Jewish Life on Campus.” Jewish students make up 10% or more of campus populations at other CUNY schools, such as Manhattan’s Baruch College and Hunter College, the guide shows.
A CUNY spokesman, Michael Arena, yesterday told the NY Sun that the school system is sensitive to religious obligations, and vowed that students observing Shavuot would be allowed to sit for their exams on alternate dates.
(NY Sun)
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9 Responses
I believe its very good that someone is standing up to this i am effected by this schedule and hoped the college will do something maybe with some political preasure they will fold and change the schedule
Also where is Mr Sutton who just got on the cuny board a religious jew should help others out
1. Having faced a similar situation (a class regularly held on Shabbos in the CCNY School of Engineering, which they initially refused to re-schedule) forty years ago, I found that political pressure works.
2. The name of the CUNY chancellor, Goldstein, confirms that it is often more difficult to convince non-religious Jews of the legal obligation to accommodate our religious beliefs than to convince goyim.
First day Yom Tov or Second Day
Kudos to Dov Hikind! He always stands up and fights for the community that voted him in. You may not agree with his politics but he gets the job done!
If Mayor Bloomberg was behind this or is in the position to influence CUNY, I doubt he will. I unfortunately have seen a lot of his policies that seem to be biased toward the Orthodox Jewish community in New York City. Does anyone forget his remark from many years ago,” I would like to take the rabbis and shoot them.”? He is ashamed of being a Jew.
I teach at a CUNY college. My take on it:
A. If CUNY has to do a total reschedule for the Jews, then it has to do it for the Muslims as well. And the Buddhists. And the Hindus. And the Sikhs. And everyone else. If Dov Hikind succeeds in getting CUNY to do a total reschedule, then, like the spare wife for the Kohen Gadol, there is no end to the matter!
B. CUNY (like other schools) is required to make accommodation for the religious holidays of its students. I have done it in the past for my Hindu and Muslim students. It consists simply of scheduling an alternate exam date. ALL students whose exams fall on their Yom Tovim are entitled to it for the asking (provided that the Professor is given reasonable notice to make accomodative arrangements). Students are not “to rely on the goodwill of instructors.” If any instructor balks even the slightest, the student can — and should — bring the matter to the Department Chair (and if he/she gives any trouble, which is very very unlikely, go right to the Affirmative Action officer).
C. CUNY is likewise required to make accommodation for the religious observances of its faculty. If my Final Exams are scheduled for Yom Tov, I will make alternate arrangements.
D. The problem is really a non-problem. “Students observing Shavuot would be allowed to sit for their exams on alternate dates.” This should resolve the problem. If individual professors are slow on the uptake, then that is a problem for the Department Chair to remedy (which should take a maximum of 3 minutes); it is not a problem that should be kicked up to the Chancellor or the Governor or the Mayor. Methinks that Hikind is grandstanding to garner political attention.
Im a student in a Cuny school and all i can say is that they are the most accomodating schools possible.
Which other colleges coincide their spring break with passover, so the jews wont miss any school??!!
this is the first time that shvuos has occured during finals and there isnt much that can be done now.
i approached my professor’s the first week of classes and notified him of the issue on hand. He informed me that there will be alternate tests dates for those who cant attend.
dont jump to conclusions and accuse cuny of being bashfull towards jews when we should be lucky that they are there and accommodating us very well.
So sad when Jews think New York City in the Jewish Homeland.
Make Aliyah!
I attended CUNY (John Jay) years ago and all in all my experience at CUNY was very positive and I have found them extremely understanding.
I had a final exam scheduled for Shavuoth day 1. My Prof was most accommodating and allowed me to take it three days early. We agreed to meet at a specific time in his office where I would sit for the three hour final but when I arrived he was no where to be found. I called him and paged him but he never showed up. I finally reached him at home that night, he had completely forgotten about it and in a fit of guilt he wished me happy holidays and gave me an ‘A’ on the exam (and my final grade).
Let me say that in my day we were delighted if the college agreed to make arrangements for an alternate test day because of Yom Tov. On one occasion I approached Dr. L. Jay Oliva, who was the NYU ombudsman, on behalf of students who had conflicts with the final exam schedule, and he graciously agreed to make accommodations. Perhaps that was his zechus to ultimately become President of the Unviersity!
On another occasion a sociology professor, Dr. Daniel Wrong, was scheduling a mid-term which coincided with Acharon shel Pesach. I raised my hand to ask if a make-up exam could be arranged. He asked why, and I explained. Although there were at least 100 students in that class, and I was the only one to whom this mattered, he responded “Well – if it comes on Passover, we can’t hold the exam then…” and he scheduled it a week later. Contrast this with a Jewish physics professor who insisted on holding regular classes on Yom Kippur, although a third of his students were Jewish. So you see, a gentile sociology professor, who believed that humans are descended from apes, was able to show more sensitivity to an issue of religion than a Jewish atheist. Rachmona litzlan!
In summary may I suggest we lower the rhetoric, and if the college accommodates us, we should be more than pleased.