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