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An appropriate academic adjustment is an accommodation necessary to ensure complete access to and full participation in the educational process for students with disabilities. An institution must make reasonable accommodations in order to provide the student with a disability an equal opportunity to participate in the institution’s courses, programs, and activities. This does not include such services as personal care, special academic advisement, workshops, support groups or tutoring. In order to arrange for academic accommodations on the basis of disability, students must follow the subsequent procedure.
- Self-Disclosure : It is the student’s responsibility to initiate contact with the office of Disability Resource Center and to request accommodations and services in a timely manner.
- Documentation : The student must present comprehensive documentation of a disability from a physician, psychologist, and/or learning specialist as appropriate for that disability. Documentation must provide a diagnosis and explanation for how the condition may manifest itself in an academic setting. Empirical data, when appropriate, should be provided. Recommendations for academic accommodations may be included in the documentation. Specific guidelines for each disability condition are available. It is the student’s obligation to provide documentation of a disability in order to establish eligibility for support services and any reasonable and appropriate accommodations.
- Meet your Counselor : The student must make an appointment with his or her assigned DRC counselor. Together, the documentation will be carefully reviewed, needs will be assessed, and appropriate accommodations will be determined. In order to receive approval from Disability Resource Center, the accommodations requested must match the academic needs described in the documentation. Accommodations cannot alter the fundamental nature of the course.
- Notify Faculty : At the beginning of each semester the student will need to log in to AIM to submit a request for accommodations. Once this process is completed the student’s DRC Counselor will review and approve. A letter stating the student’s name and accommodations requested will be generated and emailed to the instructors. It is the student’s responsibility to initiate the accommodation request notice and negotiate with the instructors the best way for accommodations to be provided. Students must request accommodation notices from DRC at the beginning of each semester.
- Follow Through : As courses change and the student’s understanding of his/her learning process increases, accommodations may need to be adjusted. Therefore, students should keep in touch with their assigned counselors to share successes and brainstorm ways to improve their academic performance.