Guide to Secularism at the University

On Secularism Day, December 9, France Universités released a fully updated and revised version of its Guide to Secularism. This guide is intended to assist staff in applying the principle of secularism within the specific context of the university by balancing respect for individual freedoms with the principle of neutrality in public services—a task that is not always easy. Vincent THOMAS, President of the University of Burgundy, secularism advisor for France Universités, and the main architect of the guide—of which he is a co-author—will lead a conference-debate on the guide and secularism in higher education.

Download the Guide to Secularism from the France Université website

Beyond the personal interpretations each of us may have, the principle of secularism is based on a set of specific legal rules. Some situations are not easy to untangle. To whom does the requirement of neutrality in public services strictly apply? Are there limits to the right to religious expression for university students? To what extent do interpretation of the rules and relevant case law come into play? Drawing on the guide, the conference-debate will strive to provide clear and concrete answers to these questions.

Following a presentation of the new edition of the guide—and in particular the updates it contains—Vincent THOMAS will answer questions from participants. In preparation for this discussion and Q&A session, please feel free to think about the questions you would like to ask the speaker and to share with us any challenges or concerns that may have arisen in your professional work at the university. You can list them at the end of the registration form.

Speaker:

• Vincent THOMAS, Secularism Advisor for France Universités and President of the University of Burgundy.

For further reading

Free online module for public officials:

• “The fundamentals of secularism” on the MENTOR platform

Resources produced by the Observatory on Secularism:

• Video, in a nutshell: What is secularism?
• Secularism in the Civil Service: Civil Servant Fact Sheet
• Public service users: user profile