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Accessibility Services Policies

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    • Accessibility Services protects the confidentiality of student's disability-related records according to the guidelines of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). These records are maintained in the Academic Support Center, separate from students' academic records.
    • Eligible students who wish to utilize accommodations must request accommodations each semester. This process is discussed during the intake meeting with the Director of Academic Support Services.
    • Faculty and staff reserve the right to refuse academic accommodations to any student who has not registered with Accessibility Services.
    • Once an accommodation letter has been sent to a faculty/staff member, Federal law enjoins the faculty/staff member to provide accommodations requested within the specified time-frame.
    • Accommodations offered by Accessibility Services must by Federal law be initiated by the student in a timely manner and do not apply retroactively. Accessibility Services is not responsible for negative academic repercussions that may arise from a student's failure to use his/her academic accommodations over the course of a semester, nor that may arise from a student's mismanagement of the time necessary to coordinate accommodations (e.g., failure to submit test proctoring form to Accessibility Services within specified time-frame or failure to notify Accessibility Services of issues related to coordinating accommodations with a faculty member).
    • Eligible student interested in utilizing alternative testing accommodations must complete and return the Test Proctoring form at least three (3) business days before the date by which the instructor indicates the test it to be taken. This ensures that the test proctor and instructor have sufficient notice for the Test Proctor Assistant to coordinate the exam. Failure to return the form according to this time-frame may mean that Accessibility Services will be unable to provide proctoring services for that test. A more comprehensive list of rules and policies applicable to test proctoring may be found on reverse side of theTest Proctoring form.
    • Students interested in requesting accommodations for online consortium classes should contact the Director of Academic Support Services, who will then coordinate services with the provider school. As the process for coordinating services can sometimes be lengthy, it is advised that the student make this request no later than two weeks prior to the term start.

Dispute Resolution Procedures

Disputes Regarding Eligibility for Disability-Related Services

The following procedure has been established in the event a student wishes to appeal a decision made by the Director of Academic Support Services regarding eligibility for services or eligibility for a specific accommodation:

  1. Request an appointment to meet with the Director of Academic Support Services who has reviewed the documentation and made the original determination.
  2. If the student is still dissatisfied after this meeting, he/she may request an appointment to meet with the Associate Vice President and Dean of Academic Administration, whose decision and action are final.

Disputes Regarding Faculty/Staff Delivery of Disability-Related Services

Students are encouraged to proactively communicate with faculty and Accessibility Services to coordinate accommodations. The following procedure has been established in the event a student wishes to file a complaint because he/she feels that a faculty or staff member who has received an accommodation letter is unfairly denying the student the accommodation:

  1. Student must contact the Director of Academic Support Services to request a meeting to discuss the concern. The Director of Academic Support Services will discuss the issue with both the student and the instructor with the intent of resolving the issue as soon as possible. If the concern cannot be resolved at this level, initiate Step #2.
  2. If the student and/or instructor are dissatisfied with the result, the Director of Academic Support Services will contact the Dean, Division Chair, or Program Director in which the instructor teaches with the intent of resolving the issue. If, after this consultation, the situation is not rectified to the student’s satisfaction, initiate Step #3.
  3. The Director of Academic Support Services will contact the Associate Vice President and Dean of Academic Administration who will collect input from both the student and the instructor. The decision and action of the Associate Vice President and Dean of Academic Administration is final.