Dead Birds Don't Sing
But Witching Rods Talk

Hi Dr. Tom,

Hope you are feeling better.  I understand that a throat virus knocked you down a bit. 

 I am pursuing the scheduling problem I encountered with Saturday classes (Saturday is my Sabbath).  The paper I wrote for my Ethics class dealt with this and you made several comments to which I will respond briefly.  I will also send the paper and comments on to Dr. Hiebert and the Human Resources department for review.  I am hoping for a quick reply so that we can see if this problem can be easily resolved.

I did not notice that the weekend practicum seminars require me to attend four days of Saturday classes[UoC1] .  [UoC1] and this appears to be where the misunderstanding/disagreement hinges for you with the program’s administration..

Response: I did not realize that there were any weekends, period.  The scheduling is not apparent unless you examine each and every component.   There was no conflict this first year. It is not a problem until well into the 2^nd year.  The three-week period this summer presented no weekend conflict.  However, the very small future components could prevent me from finishing this course.

How can I meet the student’s needs while at the same time honor the program that Campus Alberta has set up[UoC2] ? [UoC2] in this case, like many other universities that offer weekend programming, it would seem the best way to do this is to make students aware of the impending conflict should the student want to choose a program that involves weekend classes.

Response: Yes, that is probably true.  I would not have become involved had I known about the conflict.  However, if the conflict can be easily resolved then there should still be no great problem.  There is some responsibility on the educational institution to accommodate as far as possible, regardless.  This is true especially in a counselling class that teaches how to recognize and integrate diversity.  The code of ethics, which we studied last semester, stresses over and over the responsibility of this profession to do just that.

Is there a way for the university to help this student meet her requirements for this program and at the same time allow her to maintain her religious practices?[UoC3]  [UoC3] there is a larger issue perhaps worth pursuing here Linda about programming by universities that does not occur on weekends. Generally, such programs have been set up this way to accommodate people who can’t attend classes during the week.

Response: Yes, however the longest period away from home (3-weeks) had no weekend conflict whatsoever.  Students were able to attend campus while still maintaining jobs at home.  Since this is a distance-learning program, other options may be available even in this course.

The company said that they could not be accommodated but the court said that they had to be accommodated.  [UoC4] 
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[UoC4] Yes, and a legal framework for examining this is a different approach. Asking if it is legal to offer programming on the weekends, or if someone consents to such programming but raises objections to it later, is different from asking if the programming, as offered, is ethical.

Response:  For me, this was not a case where I knew the course requirements and raised objections later.  But whether or not that is the case, I believe the law says that there is a responsibility to accommodate, regardless (See Simon Fraser University’s policy)

Regardless of our expertise and training, we can continue to learn from others the importance of their value systems.  [UoC5]  
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[UoC5] Agreed, and what you are contesting is what should happen on the basis of that learning.

Response: Yes, this is a case where both the University and the student (myself) have encountered an unforeseen problem.  What are we going to do about it?  The solution could be as simple as offering a weekday alternative.  Web cam is another suggestion.  Are there other solutions?  If the administration does not see a solution, maybe the students could think of some.

Diversity is what this country is all about[UoC6] . 
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[UoC6] yes, some could use this broad argument to say that the program should be offered in their native language, or that it be taught according to their cultural or religious customs.

Response: I am aware of no court cases dealing with issues as broad as this suggestion.  However, there are many legal precedents dealing with conflicts such as the one we are discussing.  And as I mentioned in my paper, my church owns and operates 5,605 schools designed to meet the very needs that you mention.  We can be thankful to live in a country that allows private education.  Some educators think that all education should be in the public domain.  That would present an even bigger problem.  We are talking about issues that completely exclude certain segments of the population.  In this case, I happen to be one of those examples.

SFU's position on this matter would be to comply fully with the law[UoC7]   [UoC7] We’re back to this language here for considering this issue.
Response: Yes, it seems to me that Simon Fraser University is applying the code and the law to all of its course offerings.  This is the University’s language; the language of the courts is similar but as I have pointed out, I am uncomfortable with pursuing my ‘rights’ to the point of being ‘onerous’ on the University.  However, I want those involved to understand that this issue cannot be simply dismissed at whim. It is extremely important to me and extends to a larger segment of society than many realize.

Final thought: As a hypothetical counsellor, I followed the code of ethics as I was instructed to do.  I am most interested to see what happens when a hypothetical situation becomes reality.  I believe this is the dilemma we face.