To most students, school on Christmas seems a little inappropriate. But then again, to many University students, so does holding classes on Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Ramadan and numerous other religious holidays. The simple fact is that there are numerous religions practiced by members of the University community, and not everyone celebrates their most important holidays in late December or early April.
The University is known for its incredibly diverse - both ethnically and religiously - community. It attempts to treat members from all backgrounds with respect. But unless school is cancelled for each of these important non-Christian holidays, someone is going to have to miss class - and that can be academically and socially trying.
At present, the University does have a policy in place that allows students to miss class for religious purposes. But it a long way from making missing class comfortable and easy. As it stands, students who plan to miss class in order to observe one of their religious holidays must notify their professors of the dates of absence as soon as possible. Assignments missed are allowed to be handed in late with no penalty and tests can be made up at another time (unless it will be an "unreasonable burden for the faculty").
True, the policy makes it acceptable to miss class. But as it is structured, a student who misses class remains a subject of their teacher's own policies. Some professors count attendance as a part of the course grade. If, for example, each absence deducts a certain number of percentage from the total grade, a Jewish student that observes the high holy days may find him or herself in dire academic straits, especially in courses that are graded on a curve. Some professors make an adjustment by allowing a limited number of absences per semester without consequence. But what if after using these class periods for religious reasons, the same student later gets sick. So far, the best answer to this situation has been to simply schedule a meeting with the professor the day after the holiday.
There is no reason it should not be easy to miss classes in order to observe a religion. It is up to professors, students and the administration to make it so. Up until now, for all intents and purposes, missing class for a religious holiday has been treated no differently than a sick day. Maybe the working world will not account for every religion, but the University's policies should be a model for the outside world, not a model of it. The University must continue that tradition and make students of every religion capable of achieving their best.