Accessing Services
The primary role of the Student Development & Counseling Center in the provision of disability services is to verify the existence and limiting nature of a disabling condition. However, faculty are encouraged to utilize the Student Development & Counseling Center to verify the legitimacy of an accommodation request, provide information on disabilities, and assist in the design of accommodations.General Policy & Eligibility
Disclosure of a disability is always voluntary. However, should the student seek a University-administered accommodation, he or she must self-identify as having a disability and follow these policies and procedures. Students seeking University-administered accommodations based upon disability are advised to submit documentation to the Assistant Director of Student Development & Counseling Center prior to the beginning of the term so that a determination of eligibility can be made and accommodations arranged. The students are further required to return to the Student Development & Counseling Center prior to the beginning of each new term, so that appropriate accommodations may be continued or new accommodations arranged.
The decision of a student not to self-identify does not constitute a permanent renouncement of the right to University-administered accommodation. However, the student is responsible for his/her performance for as long as he/she self-accommodates. If a student chooses not to self-identify and/or request accommodation, the University does not assume responsibility for any disability-related problems which may arise. Students are not provided retroactive accommodation.
Therefore, any student who self-discloses and/or provides documentation to an instructor should be directed to the Student Development & Counseling Center. At the Student Development and Counseling Center, an application for services and an intake interview will be completed. Sufficient documentation of the disabling condition and related needs will also be requested and reviewed. This information will be used to document a student’s functional limitations in the educational setting and to determine reasonable accommodations. Students who are found to be without substantial limitations in one or more major life activities are referred to other campus and community resources for assistance.
Documentation
Appropriate documentation will not only verify the existence of a disability, but also clarify the substantial limitation of a major life activity and justify requests for accommodation, academic adjustments, and/or auxiliary aids. Sufficient documentation varies according to the specific disabling condition. However, general guidelines include: recency of documentation, appropriate clinical documentation to substantiate the condition, description of the functional limitation in the academic setting, a rationale supporting the need for accommodation, and qualifications of the evaluator. Documentation requirements for specific disabilities are available from the Counseling Center.
Accommodations
Receiving accommodations should not be regarded as receiving “special privileges.” Rather, accommodations are designed to minimize the impact of the disability to the greatest extent possible. It is important to remember that the same academic performance is expected from all students, regardless of disability. It is also important to remember that providing an accommodation does not ensure success on the part of the student. Provision of the accommodation is intended to mediate the impact of the disability and ensure access (not success). The ADA and Section 504 did not intend that universities pass students because of a disability.
Decisions regarding appropriate accommodations are based upon the particular facts of each case, including the student interview, documentation, and information regarding the essential requirements of the specific academic courses. It is the responsibility of the Assistant Director of the Student Development & Counseling Center to make recommendations regarding accommodations and to be available to answer questions regarding the disability’s impact. The recommended accommodations are written on a service contract and a letter of verification. It is the responsibility of the student to deliver letters of verification to the appropriate faculty/staff. It is the responsibility of the faculty and student to coordinate the implementation of the accommodation within the classroom or learning environment in a manner that is consistent with the spirit of accessibility, academic standards, and the particular functions of the course.
Accommodations may include physical adaptations and classroom modifications. Physical adaptations include classroom arrangements, preferential seating, and accessible parking. Classroom modifications may occur in one or more of the following areas: environment, presentation, materials, requirements, and testing. Academic assistance is also available through resources such as, the Learning & Resource Center, the Math Help Lab, and adaptive technology.
Some common accommodations (and the rationale) in higher education include:
- Extended testing time: This accommodation is most frequently provided for students with learning disabilities, but may also be appropriate for attention deficits and physical impairments. Learning disabilities are characterized by below average language processing (slower reading rates and poor comprehension). Allowing additional time allows the student to fully process the questions and formulate answers. Additionally, students with attention deficits may have a hard time focusing on a test. Extra time permits the student to be distracted and then re-focus.
Extended testing time is coordinated between the student and the instructor. The student has the responsibility to contact the instructor prior to the test date to make arrangements. As the student or the instructor may have conflicts on the formal test day, the student and the instructor should be prepared to test on another day and/or time. - Alternate testing location: This accommodation is most frequently provided for a student with an attention deficit as they may be highly distracted by other activities in the classroom (either visual, auditory, or physical). However, students with certain psychological or psychiatric disorders (i.e., Anxiety Disorders) may also experience distractibility related to the disability. By allowing these students to take a test in a quiet office or separate classroom, he or she can concentrate on the material rather then on the distractions.
Alternate testing locations are coordinated between the student, the instructor, and the department. The Student Development & Counseling Center does not have a testing center and will not serve as an alternative testing location. The student has the responsibility to contact the instructor prior to the test date to make arrangements. - Use of a notetaker: Access to a peer notetaker is appropriate for students with hearing impairments as well as students with learning/attention deficits and certain physical impairments. A student with a hearing impairment may need to maintain eye contact with the lecturer or interpreter throughout a lecture. Taking notes while maintaining eye contact is not possible. Having access to a peer’s notes allows the student to follow the lecture and still study the material later. Additionally, a student with a learning or attention deficit may have a difficult time processing the auditory input of a lecture and at the same time writing cohesive notes. Having access to a peer’s notes allows the student to focus on one task at a time.
Under most circumstances, students with disabilities are quite able and in the best position to manage their own note takers. While the instructor can serve as an important liaison and support to both the student and volunteer, it is the student’s responsibility to initiate the process, maintain contact with the volunteer, and inform the instructor of any problems. The following procedures in securing a notetaker are recommended as guidelines for faculty.
LSUS utilizes a volunteer notetaker system. This system can be coordinated in several ways. Students who have been granted this accommodation are first encouraged to locate another student within the class who is willing to share his/her notes. It is helpful if the student with a disability looks for a student who demonstrates regular attendance, attention in class, and a genuine interest in his/her education.
When the student with a disability is not familiar with any student or not wanting to reveal his/her disability, the instructor may also be of assistance in locating and/or recommending a good student. In such cases, it is appropriate for the instructor to make an anonymous announcement in class about a notetaker being needed. The student with a disability is also asked to meet with the volunteer to express his/her needs in the classroom and to check over the shared notes with the instructor. - Hand scored tests: A student with a learning disability or visual impairment may have difficulty filling in the appropriate “bubbles” on computer scored tests. Allowing the student to write on the test booklet and have the answers scored by hand (or having the student’s answers transferred to a scantron) prevents them from being marked off for errors related to their disability.
- Alternative to print materials: A student with visual impairments (or some severe learning disabilities) cannot access typical print materials, such as books, handouts, tests, power point presentations etc. As a result, these students have very restricted access to information. Arranging for the reproduction of these materials to Braille, tape, enlarged format, or electronic format gives them equal access to the information.
The Student Development & Counseling Center and the student have the responsibility to arrange for the reproduction of class materials into alternative formats. The reproduction of alternate materials is very time consuming. Instructors will be notified of this need as soon as possible and will need to provide materials, preferably in electronic format, (such as handouts, tests, syllabus, etc) for reproduction well in advance of their use in class.
Course substitution
Students with disabilities requesting a course substitution are informed that these policies are not determined (nor waived) by the Student Development & Counseling Center. Rather, substituting/waiving a course is an academic decision, which will likely require input from the Student Development & Counseling Center regarding the impact of the disability. These students are further informed that course substitution/waiver is not an appropriate consideration if the course or content is found to be essential to the area of study and making a substitution would require “substantial change in an essential element of the curriculum.” It is the university’s responsibility to show that a certain class or area is essential to a certain course of study and if there were any changes in the curriculum, it would substantially alter the curriculum. This determination will be made on a case-by-case basis through the following procedures.
Students who have disabilities which may prevent them from completing a required course may petition for a course substitution. The request will be submitted to the Assistant Director of the Student Development & Counseling Center who then forwards the request to a committee consisting of the Chair (or representative) from the student’s major, the Chair (or representative) from the discipline in which a substitution is requested, and the Assistant Director of Student Development & Counseling. The chair of the committee will rotate among the academic deans and in all cases, the Committee Chair will be a dean unaffected by the request. The committee will consider the student’s written statement and supporting documentation as well as the specific course in question and its relationship to the program of instruction being pursued by the student or its direct relation to licensing requirements. Written recommendations to the student’s dean will be made within two weeks of receipt of a request. Committee decisions regarding substitutions may be appealed to the Provost by either the student or his/her dean.
Attendance
Students at LSUS, with or without disabilities, are expected to give their academic responsibilities first consideration and to attend class regularly and punctually. An absence, avoidable or unavoidable, does not relieve the student from responsibility for course requirements.
Students with disabilities are informed that class attendance policies are not determined (nor waived) by the Student Development & Counseling Center. Because attendance may be integral to the academic goals of the class, these policies are set by faculty at the college, departmental or individual level. Therefore, attendance requirements may vary according to the department or course. In some cases, attendance is fundamental to course objectives; for example, students may be required to interact with others in the class, to demonstrate the ability to think and argue critically, or to participate in group projects. In other instances, faculty may determine that students can master course content despite some or many absences.
Similarly, students with disabilities are made aware that faculty also determine policies regarding make-up work and missed quizzes and exams. Faculty are not required to lower or effect substantial modifications of standards for accommodation purposes. So that arrangements for absences can be made, students are encouraged to contact instructors prior to an absence or to remain in close contact when classes have been missed.
The Student Development & Counseling Center recommends that students with disabilities know the requirements of a class and fully consider the impact of their disability prior to registering. When students may be prevented from attending class on a regular basis based upon disability, “consideration for absences” may be requested as a formal academic accommodation. This consideration is only applicable when class attendance is not an essential element of the course (as determined by the faculty) and when the absence is directly related to the documented disability. This accommodation is not applied retroactively and is not a waiver of attendance requirements. Class attendance is extremely important and while a student may have legitimate absences, there is a point at which there may be too many missed classes to make up the work and other options must be considered. When a disabling condition significantly impacts a student=s attendance and “consideration of absences” is no longer appropriate, the student is advised to contact the course instructor, an academic advisor or the Assistant Director of Counseling and consider the following options:
- Dropping from the class - courses may be dropped in accordance with the dates indicated on the Academic Calendar. During the first 15 days of class of a regular term, no record of the dropped course is maintained. During the next seven weeks, a W (withdrawal) is assigned for courses dropped. During the final five weeks, no withdrawal is permitted except as authorized by the student’s dean.
- Resignation from the university - With the approval of a student’s dean, a student may resign (drop from all classes) in accordance with the dates indicated on the Academic Calendar. During the first 15 days of class of a regular term, no record of the dropped course is maintained. During the next seven weeks, a W (withdrawal) is assigned for courses dropped. During the final five weeks, no withdrawal is permitted except as authorized by the student’s dean.
- Incomplete (I) grade - An “I” is granted for work which is of passing quality but, which because of circumstances beyond the student’s control, is not complete. An instructor may consider an “I” only with written authorization from the student’s dean. It is the responsibility of the student to initiate the action. All work shall be completed before the add date of the next regular semester.
Confidentiality
Information regarding disability status is considered, by law, confidential medical information. As such, the Assistant Director of Student Development & Counseling is required to keep all disability information gained from examinations on separate forms and in separate files from the student’s academic or counseling records. This information may be shared on a “need to know” basis regarding the necessity of accommodations, first aid, safety for emergency purposes, and government officials investigating compliance with nondiscrimination laws.
Send all questions to sdcc@lsus.edu
Copyright © 2006. All Rights Reserved. LSUS is an equal opportunity educator and employer. The statements found on this page are for informational purposes only. While every effort is made to ensure that this information is up-to-date and accurate, for official information please consult a printed University publication.
