Ramadan is here, and University students must once again endeavor to reconcile their academic schedule and their religious one. Ramadan is a time for Muslims worldwide to reflect on themselves by refraining from drinking or eating from sunrise to sundown and prioritizing spirituality over materialism. For students, managing this schedule during classes, extracurricular activities and exams leaves little room for the reflection and community which Ramadan should intrinsically bring. Ultimately, the University must better institutionally support Muslim students by implementing greater academic flexibility, enabling Muslim students to fully observe Ramadan without compromising their education or well-being.
Last year, I faced significant challenges balancing late exams for my science courses and attending classes while observing Ramadan. Exams and classes often coincided with the time to break fast, forcing me to delay eating until much later. Studying while fasting drained my energy, yet limited academic flexibility left me hesitant to advocate for myself for fear of seeming less committed to my education than my non-Muslim peers. While the University provides food accommodations, securing religious academic accommodations remains arduous. By failing to provide sufficient academic accommodations during Ramadan, the University implicitly asks Muslim students to sacrifice either their education or their religious practices.
This year, the University has made strides in providing food accommodations for Muslim students during Ramadan, with meal pickup options allowing students to access morning suhoor meals and evening iftar meals from Za’atar. While these steps address the physical and nutritional needs of fasting students, they fail to acknowledge the broader challenges that Muslim students face during Ramadan. Muslim students are scheduled to break their fast in the evening, which directly conflicts with evening exams, discussions, and lectures, particularly in science, engineering, and math courses. In this way, accommodating fasting schedules without addressing the academic burdens placed on students during this time leaves a critical gap that forces students to navigate exams, coursework and attendance policies without institutional flexibility that truly supports their religious observance.
The University’s lack of institutional recognition for Ramadan extends beyond scheduling conflicts. Students are not currently allowed to eat in most classrooms, forcing those with evening classes to choose between breaking their fast and their education. A recent Student Council bill called on the University to implement policies that support Muslim students, including implementing excused absences, schedule adjustments and designated spaces for breaking fast. Rather than relying on student organizations to fill the gaps, the University must take meaningful action to ensure Ramadan is a time of reflection and community—not added stress.
Students are often required to take exams at the same time they should be breaking their fast, placing them at a disadvantage while also depriving them of the communal experience of iftar, a central aspect of Ramadan. The internal conflict of being both Muslim and academically driven in this environment forces students to choose between these two identities, positing them as incompatible.
The University can improve its accommodations by looking at institutions that have set strong examples. Universities like Georgetown and Duke demonstrate how small but meaningful changes — such as allowing alternative testing times for Muslim students earlier in the day or providing additional breaks and designated spaces for students to eat during longer exams — can create a more supportive environment. In doing so, Muslim students will not only feel institutional support but will also be able to invest time and energy into their classes and their faith
One key step would be ensuring that the iftars provided by MSA, ASO and other organizations do not overlap with major academic obligations, such as exams or mandatory evening classes. While student organizations are responsible for selecting appropriate times for these gatherings, the timing of iftar and subsequent prayer is non-negotiable for those observing Ramadan. In contrast, the University has the flexibility to adjust course schedules and exam times, making it imperative that academic structures accommodate religious commitments rather than the other way around.
Ramadan is meant to foster a deep connection to faith, yet I was forced to choose between academic success and spiritual growth. It was an unfair tradeoff exacerbated by the lack of institutional recognition and accommodations that I, unfortunately, did not experience alone. Thus, the University must take meaningful steps to support Muslim students better during this time. Ramadan at the University should not be a time in which students must choose between academic success and religious observance. A university prioritizing all students would ensure that I would not have to worry about practicing my faith while upholding my religious obligations.
Ayat Younis is an opinion columnist who writes about academics for The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at opinion@cavalierdaily.com.
The opinions expressed in this column are not necessarily those of The Cavalier Daily. Columns represent the views of the authors alone.
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