The Faculty Senate Executive Committee (FSEC) proposed holding classes on the Jewish holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur and maintaining no classes on Labor Day.
The Faculty Senate was unable to vote on the decision during its meeting on March 5 because there were not enough voting members present. On April 3, the FSEC voted against a proposal to have classes on Labor Day, with a 7-12 vote, and in favor of a proposal to have classes on the Jewish Holidays, with a 13-6 vote.
President Satish Tripathi received the Faculty Senate recommendation, and he and Provost Charles Zukoski will seek public feedback for consideration, according to UB Spokesman John Della Contrada. Members of the campus community will be given opportunity to voice opinions during the public comment period, which is expected to begin soon, and Tripathi and Zukoski will reach and announce a decision by the end of the spring semester, Della Contrada said.
Ann Marie Landel, chair of the Professional Staff Senate, said the Senate asked other SUNY schools how they choose to handle the three holidays.
Out of the 23 SUNY institutions that responded, 15 universities observe Labor Day while eight do not, and four universities observe the Jewish holidays while 19 do not.
Many of the Jewish students who chose to go to UB felt they would be able to celebrate the high holidays without a conflict in their education, according to Director of Hillel of Buffalo Laura Hemlock.
"They chose to go here because they know that in the SUNY system, there are not as many schools that offer the high holidays off," Hemlock said. "So they saw this as a place they could go where they know their traditions would be respected."
One week prior to the discussion on April 3, students in Hillel of Buffalo started a petition to the Executive Committee that listed reasons students felt the Jewish holidays should be days off from school. Jewish and non-Jewish students signed the petition.
Professors are not allowed to give exams or have projects due on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, according to New York State Law. Teachers are still allowed to hold class and teach new material during lecture on these days.
Some students are worried professors will not show leniency for Jewish students who miss class, according to Jonathan Grunin, a senior and Student Association Senate chair and member of the Jewish Student Union.
There are about 3,000 Jewish undergraduates at UB, according to Grunin. Students must maintain the traditions for their holidays, such as fasting and not showering, he said. Grunin feels traditions can conflict with academic performance if classes are held.
Secretary for the Faculty Senate Edward Herman said UB should not show preference for one religion and New York State law guaranteeing students and staff the right to have time off for their religious observances can be a problem for the discussion.
"A university like ours (and all public institutions) ought to be neutral toward all religions," Herman said in an email. "I state this as a Jew who observes the high holidays charging the time off to annual leave."
Some of UB's faculty felt Labor Day should be recognized as a day the Labor Union created for families and not recognizing the holiday would send the wrong message, according to Barbara Rittner, an associate professor and associate dean for development in the School of Social Work.
"You try and find a babysitter to come to classes on Labor Day," Rittner emphasized. "It would put the faculty with children and students with children in an impossible situation."
Raymond Dannenhoffer, associate dean for support services, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, said Labor Day is a holiday that celebrates the end of the summer and gives families time to spend together and agreed it's not a day people with families can easily get to work.
He feels it would be "very inconvenient for employees to have to be at work on that day."
Labor Day, unlike Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah, is an official legal Federal holiday and there are workforce contracts that govern the holiday, according to Dannenhoffer.
Students like John Hanni, a freshman School of Management student, feel holding classes on the Jewish holidays helps UB "remain fair to all religions."
Landel agreed with that concept.
"To treat all religions equally, I think is what we're trying to do," Landel said. "And to educate the faculty, the staff and the students regarding how they can recognize religions and how they should."
As of now, the vote stands as a recommendation and the outcome depends on the decision of Tripathi. Tripathi and Zukoski will reach and announce a decision by the end of the spring semester, Della Contrada said.
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