Campus colleagues,
This school year, the Muslim holy month of Ramadan (roughly May 5 to June 5, 2019) overlaps with the end of spring semester, and falls entirely within the spring quarter (ending just before finals).
Ramadan is a holy month of fasting, introspection and prayer for Muslims, the followers of Islam. Fasting is one of the five fundamental principles of Islam. Each day during Ramadan, Muslims do not eat or drink from sunrise to sunset. Muslims break their daily fasts by sharing meals with family and friends, and the end of Ramadan is celebrated with a three-day festival known as Eid al-Fitr, one of Islam’s major holidays. www.history.com/topics/holidays/ramadan
Those able to fast abstain from all food or drink (including water), and many more are involved in community events through the month–all of which can impact energy levels, attention spans and more, especially later in the day and cumulatively, later in the month. While there’s no need to presume or ask who’s fasting, please be mindful of this possibility in your classes, offices, meetings, and events. Visit the OTL Inclusive Teaching Practices Portal to learn tips and tricks on intentionally leading courses during this holiday.
Valentina Iturbe-LaGrave, Ph.D.
Associate Director for Inclusive Teaching Practices
University of Denver
Office of Teaching and Learning
Photo by Ahmed Aqtai from Pexels
