Muslim students can find meals for Ramadan during non-fasting hours at the Academic Testing Center. PHOTO CREDIT: ucf.edu
The University of Rhode Island’s Muslim Student Association (MSA) is working alongside the Academic Testing Center (ATC) to provide Muslim Students with accommodations during the month of Ramadan.
“Ramadan is a month-long observance that Muslims fast throughout,” Aminah Islam, volunteer coordinator of MSA, said. “Fasting is one of the five pillars in addition to affirming our faith, praying, charity and pilgrimage.”
Many Muslims celebrate the month of Ramadan by abstaining from food and drink during daylight hours. The MSA and ATC have been in contact since February so the administration can assess how to best support students during this month.
According to Lisa Macaruso, assistant director of the ATC, the testing center will open before sunrise every Tuesday in the month of April for students to take their exams. They will also provide Suhur, the meal consumed in the morning by Muslims before fasting during Ramadan, which will be an assortment of dates, fruits, nuts and water to have before they begin their testing station.
Students will be able to work with their professors to decide a date for their exams. Then, they can reach out to the ATC to set up their exam, as the center will only have adjusted hours for those celebrating Ramadan.
Islam has been a crucial person in aiding with communication between the ATC and the MSA and has been working to make sure the majority of students’ needs were met through the accommodations.
She sent out a poll to the general members of the MSA to better gauge what would work best to accommodate the majority of students. When asked whether they would rather have testing options and a meal in the morning or in the evening, a majority of the students chose the early session.
Macaruso said she is grateful that the MSA felt comfortable telling her the best way to support students and happy she was able to get a large number of students participating in the survey to best to represent the majority of these students.
“One of the main purposes of Ramadan, and why Muslims fast for one whole month, is to spiritually cleanse ourselves, allow us to have deeper contemplations/reflections and increase charity and generosity,” Islam said. “We often take a lot of things for granted, so taking the time to even appreciate food helps us to develop our internal self.”
Islam said that she appreciates the effort of the University to accommodate students and work with the MSA to find what the students need.
“It is really important to me that [the Muslim student] voice was telling the story of this initiative,” Macaruso said.
According to her, it is really important for the University to work directly with student organizations rather than making assumptions.
“What we are really trying to do is make an inclusive and supportive environment that amplifies the students’ voices,” Macaruso said.
In addition, the ATC dining services will also be making accommodations for Muslim students. Both Butterfield and Mainfare will be providing to-go packs for Suhoor and Halal dinner options upon request, according to the MSA.
There is also a new prayer room open for students to use which is located in room 318 in Morrill Hall. Anyone of any faith is welcome to use the prayer room, it is only asked that they clean up after themselves, according to Islam.
This is a pilot program and the first time the University is working to accommodate students for Ramadan, but both Macaruso and Islam are confident in the ability of the program to grow and continue in the future.
Students can find all information about the accommodations available by following @uri.msa on Instagram.