22 | MARCH 28 • 2024
J
N
I
n life, timing is everything.
Unfortunately, the clash
of Passover falling during
Michigan State University’s
schedule of finals and April
26-28 graduation weekend
is causing the MSU Jewish
community to have to juggle
their religious observances
with final projects and
exams and crossing the
commencement ceremony
stages.
Jewish students, families and
faculty at MSU pointed out
this calendar clash over one
year ago when the 2023-2024
calendar was released. Though
no changes were made in the
schedule, the MSU provost’s
office, MSU Hillel and the
Michael and Elaine Serling
Institute for Jewish Studies
and Modern Israel have put
out multiple communications
on how Jewish students,
faculty and staff can best be
supported.
In February, MSU Hillel
sent out an email to the
on-campus Jewish community
with information from
the MSU interim provost
detailing steps students and
faculty would need to take
to inform their professors or
departments of any scheduling
conflicts that would arise due
to the confluence of Passover
and finals.
Faculty and students
needed to fill out a religious
accommodation form
and inform professors or
departments no later than
April 5.
The MSU provost’s office
stated that faculty members
needed to “work supportively
with students who request
a religious accommodation
for any final exam you
may be administering this
semester. Students will
also receive information
regarding how to request
such an accommodation and
to assist them in navigating
this process. We will also
be mindful that no student
should be expected to take
more than two comprehensive
final exams in a single day.”
Students were addressed
with a similar message with
an emphasis that the earlier
arrangements could be made
with professors, the better.
MSU senior Laela Saulson
is studying
communications
and arts
and cultural
management
and is extremely
disappointed
that the
university administration
could not have changed the
graduation or finals schedule
to accommodate its Jewish
students and faculty “during
one of the most major Jewish
holidays of the year.”
“When I saw the finals and
graduation schedule, I just
couldn’t believe it because
Passover is one of the most
important Jewish holidays of
the year,” said Saulson, 21, of
Franklin. “It was negligent of
the university to overlook a
major Jewish holiday, and it
would have been so simple
to just check the calendar.
Judaism is just not included
in the university’s Diversity,
Equity and Inclusion policy.
It’s just so obvious and has
become even more obvious
since Oct. 7..”
Fortunately, for Saulson,
all her final work is project-
based, so she plans to finish
early so she can be at home
with her family for seder. She
said she knows several Jewish
classmates who will have to
take their finals on the first
two days of Passover and
will most likely be staying on
campus and attending Hillel
seders instead of going home.
She is not aware if
they have already made
advanced arrangements for
accommodations with their
professors. Though she was
looking forward to going
out for a nice meal after
graduation, she and her family
Attend Final Exams or
Passover with Family?
That’s the choice faced by students at
Michigan State University this year.
STACY GITTLEMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
OUR COMMUNITY
Laela
Saulson
Michigan State
University’s
Wells Hall
BY ISWZO