University Under Fire for Forcing Students to Choose Between Celebrating Religious Holidays & Going to Class
- Posted on March 21, 2012 at 5:20pm by
Billy Hallowell
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Students and faculty who embrace personal faith at Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, New York, are in for some tough decisions when it comes to observing faith-based holidays that fall during school hours: Either attend school and forget observance of religious holidays or skip school and risk missing important work and information.
The public university has decided to ditch days off on these special days (aside from Christmas, causing some to charge anti-Jewish bias), leaving students and faculty, alike, with the aforementioned dilemma. Earlier this month, The Jewish Week reported:
To hear some parents, students and faculty members tell it, Stony Brook University’s new academic calendar in September is withdrawing the “welcome” mat to Jewish students. [...]
To ensure that some religions are not given preferential treatment, he said, the university is discarding the previously prepared calendar for next year and replacing it with one that keeps school open on Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur, Passover and Holy Week. The discarded calendar had the spring vacation coincide with Passover and Holy Week, wherever possible; the new calendar is crafted to have the spring break divide the second semester in half, no matter when Passover and Holy Week occur. As a result, the break next year occurs one week before the holidays.
Arthur Shertzer, president of United University Professions, which represents 2,500 faculty and staff, said he is mystified by the university’s actions. “The logic is that if we celebrate no one, we honor everyone,” he said.
Now, a debate is heating up both on the Stony Brook University campus and off of it. Norman Goodman, a sociology professor at the university, for one, didn’t hold his opinions back on the matter when asked to weigh in.
Dr. Charles Robbins on "FOX & Friends"
“It stinks. It was done without any input except from the administration — and it was done in secret,” he said. “It does not take into account the variety of needs of faculty and students, and it shows no respect for religion. I’m concerned that fellow faculty members and students who are observant will be put at an unnecessary disadvantage.”
But the school’s vice-provost, Dr. Charles Robbins, defended the decision as an element that would bring increased fairness to the entire student body. He also pledged that students who did take off for religious holidays would not be penalized for practicing their beliefs, going on to say that officials will ”…make sure that no exams or papers are due on these religious holidays.”
“Our goal is to maximize available class time for all of our students and to really make a calendar that’s predictable and standardized that makes the most sense academically,” Robbins said.
In a follow-up article, also published in Jewish Week, Robbins penned his own response to the original pieces, calling it “rife with inaccuracies.” He wrote, in part:
Indeed, the need to redesign Stony Brook’s academic calendar became obvious after the university’s administration received numerous complaints in the Spring 2011 semester when there was only one week between the end of classes and finals due to spring break being scheduled to coincide with Holy Week. The calendar was redesigned to provide maximum instruction time for students in a way that did not favor or punish any religious groups. Stony Brook has always been respectful of all religions, and we embrace and celebrate our diversity. [...]
The bottom line is that religious observance is, and must always be, a personal choice, not an institutional mandate.
Robbins claims that Christmas is off due to a union contract provision.
Below, watch a FOX News report that provides more on this debate as well as footage from an interview with the vice-provost:
(H/T: FOX News Insider)
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Comments (61)
tricia
Posted on March 21, 2012 at 7:19pm“ Fairness” is that the Obama Doctrine, Go ahead deny the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob his Holy Days, Go ahead deny Jesus’ Death and Resurrection observances. You and your mob will go the way of the Pharoahs of Egypt and the Roman Empire. Fairness is not GOODNESS, By their fruits you shall know them.
Report Post »ICRedifURBlue
Posted on March 22, 2012 at 12:05amIt’s also FAIR to teach or attend some other school…..hang ‘em out to dry, walk away with your money and go somewhere that religion is appreciated. I’d cut off the money and pull my kids out ASAP, let the trash have the place.
Report Post »StonyBurk
Posted on March 22, 2012 at 8:03amPaul Blanchard- “It think the most important factor moving us toward a secular society,has been the education factor.Our schools may not teach Johnny to read properly,but the fact that Johnny is in school until he is sixteen tends to lead toward elimination of religious superstition. The average American child now acquires a high school education,and this militates against Adam and Eve,and all the myths of alleged history.” Note 61 p.196 The Christian Legal Advisor ,John Eidsmoe Editor, Mott Media ,1980 Now in this case a New York Institution claims it is maximizing classroom education to benefit “all” students. and the student paying for their education must choose between attending class and participating in their family /religious celebration. In this case it appears certain Jews are claiming the school is biased in favor of Christians. When in fact the school suggested it is biased Against all Religion–and favors only Union rules.As it seeks to further militate against all religious sentiment.
Report Post »BBReggie
Posted on March 21, 2012 at 7:10pmTypical leftist view of fairness; everybody must be exactly the same – poor with no individual freedom. Next up, distribution of Mao uniforms for all the students to wear; bread and water served in all cafeterias; no grades on tests; etc. Leftist policy ensures universal dearth.
Report Post »HorseCrazy
Posted on March 21, 2012 at 8:22pmyes that about sums it up
Report Post »cuinsong
Posted on March 21, 2012 at 7:09pmWhen my frustration gets to high I write song’s
Report Post »and this song is about the disharmony I see and feel.
http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/song_9134749
RamonPreston
Posted on March 21, 2012 at 7:05pmSomeone must go to classes. These new laptops have video/audio recording capabilities. Get one of your friends to record the classes you miss and burn them to DVDs for you. They didn’t have them when I went to college and had to take time off for religious obligations. I graduated with a 3.0 GPA.
Report Post »hi
Posted on March 21, 2012 at 6:43pmThis has been going on for years at grade school. Kids are allowed to make up the work at Stony, so I don’t have a problem. If a teacher punishes that student, then I do have a problem.
If everyone starts going to religious universities, the secular ones will be defunded…law of supply and demand.
Report Post »Diane TX
Posted on March 21, 2012 at 6:51pmIf everyone starts going to religious universities, the secular ones will be defunded…law of supply and demand.
_______________________________________
EXACTLY!
Report Post »Diane TX
Posted on March 21, 2012 at 6:33pmGood! Maybe this will force many more PRIVATE, religious Universities and Colleges. The less PUBLIC education, the better, since they’re insidious factories of indoctrination for our youth.
Report Post »XScramblerX
Posted on March 21, 2012 at 9:12pmAmen!
Report Post »momprayn
Posted on March 21, 2012 at 6:21pm” Either attend school and forget observance of religious holidays or skip school and risk missing important work and information.”
Report Post »WHAT “important” work and “information” ??????!!!!!! It‘s BETTER if they DON’t hear the liberal/Communist indoctrination talking points !!
I pray that people are waking up to what is going on in these colleges, public schools — as other Consv. commentators have stated, it’s not about educating our kids for good jobs, etc. – they’ve become indoctrination centers or cranking out future lib/Marxist/Communist sheeple. I just learned they are teaching that “critical race theory” of radical Prof. Bell that Obama worshiped in his youth in the public schools in Illinois. Who knows where else. My sister-in-law is trying to get involved and start a Hillsdale Charter school in her area. And if it’s not the Commie stuff, it’s also the Islamic stuff – Muslims have also infiltrated and trying to convert/indoctrinate. We MUST wake up and start doing what we can.
Gramma Penny
Posted on March 21, 2012 at 8:21pmTwo words: HOME SCHOOL!!
Report Post »HorseCrazy
Posted on March 21, 2012 at 8:25pmthis year at my sons school they learned all about the muslim holidays during our Jewish Festuval of Lights. These schools are all nuts. We are on our way too homeschooling now it is just too crazy to send your kids to any of these schools elementary, middle, highschool or college. Heaven help me when college comes around we are faced with the private Christian college bills.
Report Post »COFemale
Posted on March 21, 2012 at 6:14pmMy college did not celebrate Martin Luther King Day this year. So it is not just this college.
Report Post »COFemale
Posted on March 21, 2012 at 6:13pmI don’t know why they bother. I have students now that attend class when they want. I’ve had several miss class today because Spring break for us starts this coming Monday. They started early. They don’t care. I allow students to take exams open book and they still fail. Tell me who fails an open book exam? Students who don’t give a rats patooty. I have students argue with me on questions they answer incorrectly and I show them where in the book that has the exact same wording as the question and they say Yeah But… No yeah buts. You answered wrong, live with it. It is called READ THE BOOK. I can cover how to do something in class step by step and when they get to the homework, they are too lazy to use the book to see how to do, they want me to come over and do it for them. At first, I did this, Now I tell them. the book tells you how to do the steps look it up.
Report Post »SpeckledPup
Posted on March 21, 2012 at 6:10pmin other words, these obamacommunists are preparing these kids for full-blown obamacommunism.
Report Post »MAMMY_NUNN
Posted on March 21, 2012 at 8:08pmAnd it seems University of California, Berkeley only produces radicals.
Report Post »lisalake
Posted on March 21, 2012 at 6:09pmIf students and parents and teacher don‘t put a stop to this immediately it’s their own undoing— if you will allow a school to mandate your religion, you will get what you deserve– there should be an IMMEDIATE blow-back here— NO ONE should step a foot in this school, or make a tuition payment until this is OFF the table. Let’s see who takes a stand…
Report Post »neverending
Posted on March 21, 2012 at 5:55pmMore and more of the same – they are just pouring it on as fast as possible. What barry doesn‘t think of these sorry sob’s do but then what can we expect when they are in the ballpark.
Report Post »Robert-CA
Posted on March 21, 2012 at 5:52pmYour goal is to destroy Christianity that’s what your goal is .
Report Post »kangaroo
Posted on March 21, 2012 at 5:50pmHey go to Georgetown you can screw all you want on account of your free obama ****. Hell you may even get a call from the annoited one.
Report Post »waspanglosaxon
Posted on March 21, 2012 at 5:48pmHey, the jews-media can put on “Good Christian B****hes” on TV, outlaw the nativity scene in front of the White House and elsewhere and spit on Christianity all they want, but when someone won’t grant them special privileges (under the cloak of religion), it’s “Anti-sheeeenyism!”
Report Post »TheObamanation
Posted on March 21, 2012 at 5:48pmThey should get rid of spring break … so the students could finish the semester a few weeks earliar.
Report Post »COFemale
Posted on March 21, 2012 at 6:15pmSpring Break is not for the kids – its for the teachers, like me, who have to recoup from all the student bull crap they pull the first half of the semester. SO BITE YOUR TONGUE.
Report Post »Mark0331
Posted on March 21, 2012 at 6:16pmBingo…thats the only realistic thing to do…but then the kids might strike/sit ins etc. because their ‘rights were infringed upon’….
Report Post »pcg646
Posted on March 21, 2012 at 5:45pmAnother leftist attempt to break down America’s traditions. Like BHO eliminating separation of church and state, trying to make big govt both. It has gotten so out of hand we soon we won’t recognize our country. Wake Up America!!!!!!!!!!
Report Post »XScramblerX
Posted on March 21, 2012 at 9:22pmyea I smell something wrong here….
Report Post »maybe it’s just BO?
Joisey
Posted on March 21, 2012 at 5:41pm“Welcome to Stonybrook University! Now Jew Free!”
Report Post »kangaroo
Posted on March 21, 2012 at 5:40pmYep no holidays for any religion then. Find another school. Let the bastids go broke
Report Post »BBEV
Posted on March 21, 2012 at 6:08pmI put one though college and if it where today and they tried something like this she would have been changing schools. It is still free choice and there choice from what I see is to go broke
Report Post »spirited
Posted on March 21, 2012 at 5:38pmAhhh,
>Change
Report Post »cookcountypatriot
Posted on March 21, 2012 at 5:32pmits up to the students…are they gonna take this nazi hate from the school or make a stand…we shall see
Report Post »bpodlesnik
Posted on March 21, 2012 at 5:31pmHeard about this from Rush this morning. Shows no respect for not just the students, but any teachers that may be religious as well.
Report Post »hidden_lion
Posted on March 21, 2012 at 5:38pmIf the students really care about the change, they should enroll at another school. Vote with their money, the only effective way to protest this kind of thing.
Report Post »bigmel754
Posted on March 21, 2012 at 5:31pmJust how do you word that in your brochure? I think this is a violation of recruiting incentives! Quick, lets enroll before all the good classes are gone!
Report Post »Etch_uh_Sketch
Posted on March 21, 2012 at 5:30pmThose smart kids could be smited if they go to class on such a holiday. Don’t they know Santorum thinks they are losers for pursuing higher education.
Report Post »heavyduty
Posted on March 21, 2012 at 5:29pmDon‘t let the Muslims take off for their holiday’s either. That should stop this controversy in its tracks. Bet they won’t do that!
Report Post »hi
Posted on March 21, 2012 at 5:36pmYou mean the 9-11 Muslim Holiday?
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