A new bill pending in the Utah State Legislature would allow students to opt out of coursework that conflicts with their religious beliefs. Critics of the bill are concerned about infringement on academic freedom, but Professor Robin Fretwell Wilson, who helped craft the legislation, believes the bill will function as a mechanism for faculty to more carefully consider the experience of their students when creating assignments. She argued that “a public battle—or a student quietly suffering moral discomfort
—is less likely if there’s a process in place to handle these types of student objections.”
