Policies for Accommodations that May Require Negotiation with Faculty

Student Accessibility Services (SAS) may recommend that a qualified student with a disability be permitted to audio record class lectures as a form of academic accommodation. Students who have been granted this accommodation must agree to abide by each of these provisions and sign the contract that appears below:

• I will use recordings of class lectures only for my personal use for these specific courses.
• I understand that faculty have a copyright interest in their course materials and agree not to infringe on this right in any way by not releasing, digitally uploading, or otherwise sharing all or any part of the recordings. I further agree that I will not profit financially and will not allow others to benefit personally or financially from the recordings.
• I agree to destroy any recordings that were made when they are no longer needed for academic work.
• I understand that I am responsible for providing adequate security to protect the recording from loss or theft.
• I will manage the recording device in a way that does not disturb others or call attention to the fact that I am recording a lecture.
• I understand that any violation of this agreement may subject me to discipline under the Student Code of Conduct or subject me to liability under copyright laws.
• I understand failure to abide by these provisions may result in loss of permission to audio record class lectures.

Students with disabilities are expected to attend classes in accordance with the professor’s attendance policy as stated in the course syllabi. When a student’s disability prohibits them from meeting the established attendance requirement, the student may request that an attendance exception be made as an accommodation from SAS. It does not permit students the option to miss an unlimited number of classes.

After the request for modified attendance is made, SAS will evaluate the request upon:

• The nature and the extent to which the disability/condition functionally impairs the student. SAS holds the right to require the student to provide further documentation in order to determine the degree of functional impairment.
• SAS may contact faculty members to inquire about this previous history of class attendance.
• All requests are evaluated on a case-by-case basis with the student’s diagnosis in mind and the attendance policy for each course the student is enrolled in.
• Once the accommodation has been approved, SAS will contact faculty members to inform them of the accommodation as well as the student’s scope of responsibility.

The following Office of Civil Rights guidelines can help faculty decide whether attendance is a fundamental component of a course:

• Is there classroom interaction between the instructor and students and among students?
• Do student contributions constitute a significant component of the learning process?
• Does the fundamental nature of the course rely on student participation as an essential method for learning?
• To what degree does a student’s failure to attend constitute a significant loss to the educational experience of other students in the class?
• What do the course description and syllabus say?
• Which method is used to calculate the final grade?
• What are the classroom practices and policies regarding attendance?

Please note: Students approved for this accommodation are expected to contact the professor and SAS at sas@whittier.edu on the day of the absence related to the documented disability/condition and inquire about making up missed coursework. SAS may contact the student to inquire more about the absence.

Considerations to keep in mind about attendance modification:

• It does not permit students to miss an unlimited number of classes.
• It does not cover non-disability related illnesses, such as the cold or the flu, or non-health related reasons for why a student may miss class.
• Some students do not request accommodations until later in the term.
  • Please note: It is not the faculty’s responsibility to grant retroactive accommodations.
• This accommodation will not be deemed reasonable if regular attendance is required for the course.
• Faculty are not required to re-teach material covered during a student’s absence.

Faculty are expected to complete and submit an Attendance Agreement that will be shared with the student and SAS. This agreement outlines the number of excused absences permitted within the scope of the accommodation and expectations should a student’s flare-up and subsequent absence cause them to miss an assignment or exam.

Federal law requires Whittier College to consider modifying deadline extension policies if a student’s diagnosis warrants this accommodation. Course deadlines for assignments are not determined by Student Accessibility Services (SAS). These deadlines are generally listed on the syllabus and made clear to the students well in advance. Students are expected to and responsible for planning accordingly to meet these deadlines.

However, SAS recognizes that some students with disabilities experience flare-ups of disability-related symptoms (either unpredictable or episodic in nature) that can impact their ability to complete specific assignments by the set deadline. When a student’s disability prohibits them from meeting the established assignment deadline, the student may request that a deadline extension be made as an accommodation from SAS. This accommodation may not be feasible in certain classes (e.g., courses where work is scaffolded) or for certain assignments (e.g., group work or assignments that will be reviewed in class the day they are due). Additionally, this accommodation is not the unlimited acceptance of late work.

Students approved for this accommodation are expected to contact their professor or SAS to request an assignment deadline extension in advance. Generally, students are expected to make a request at least 48 hours in advance of the deadline. However, the nature of disability symptoms may result in a request closer to the deadline. Understanding that accommodations are not retroactive, faculty are not expected to grant extensions for missed deadlines when an extension was not requested in advance.

Student Expectations

• Make the extension request in advance of the deadline.
  • Within the written request should be a proposed new deadline that is reasonably close to the original deadline while accounting for disability symptoms. Typical extensions are within 24-48 hours of the original deadline but may vary based on the nature of the disability.
  • If requesting with the faculty directly, include SAS in the email communications with the agreed-upon alternate deadline.
• Keep a copy of and adhere to the agreed-upon alternate deadline and instructions.
•  Make a new request per assignment, as:
  • The reasonability may change based on the nature of a given assignment
  • This accommodation should only be utilized in the case of a disability-related flare-up 
• Understand that:
  • This accommodation is not the blanket approval for extensions on all assignments for a course in a given semester.
  • Continually requesting changes to course deadlines is typically not reasonable.
  • If a student is consistently unable to meet course deadlines, they may need to work with an academic coach to develop time management strategies, consider reducing their overall course load, or withdraw from the course.

Faculty Expectations

Consider adjustments to course deadlines, provided that it does not result in a fundamental alteration of the course.

• The following questions are provided to aid faculty in determining a reasonable extension for an assignment:
  • What are the classroom practices and policies (i.e., in the syllabus) regarding deadline extension requests?
  • Does the assignment significantly impact others’ learning (e.g., group discussion)? Does other students’ work depend on the completion of the assignment (e.g., peer review)?
  • Are assignments reviewed in class or used as class content the day they are due?
  • Is the content built upon in future work?
• Extensions granted through this accommodation are extensions without a grade penalty. Work submitted past the agreed-upon new deadline will be subject to the established course late work policy.
• Respond as soon as possible to a student’s request for extensions on specific assignments and confirm if the requested extension is feasible or if it will be necessary to first consult with SAS.
  • Please note: Faculty should not deny a request without consulting SAS first.
• Include SAS on the written communication of the agreed-upon alternate deadline if the student has made the request with faculty directly.

Students who are registered with SAS and have a verifiable need due to a significant memory impairment may be approved to utilize a memory aid during exams. This cue card is to be used to trigger information that the student may have difficulty recalling as a result of cognitive processing issues linked with memory. Its sole purpose is to serve as a way to trigger the student’s memory and not to provide them with the solution to test questions.

This accommodation is based on federal law’s requirement that students with this level of impairment be given an equal opportunity for information on exams they take. It may help them recall information that would not be accessible without the use of the memory aid.

A student who would like to apply for this accommodation must meet with a SAS staff member and provide the department with documentation from a qualified professional that justifies the use of this memory aid.

Examples of a Memory Aid

Memory aids can come in various forms. The most common are a one-sided or double-sided note-card, or a one-sided sheet of paper in size 12 font, double-spaced. Based on the faculty’s discretion, the memory aid might or might not include:

• Key Terms
• Pictures
• Formulas
• Tables
• Definitions
• Graphs
• Names
• Short Phrases

Faculty Responsibility

Even if SAS approves the accommodation, the decision to permit the cue card is determined by the student’s faculty and/or their department chair, since this accommodation cannot fundamentally alter course requirements. A faculty member may deny the use of the accommodation if they determine that the ability to memorize and remember information on exams is essential to the nature of the course and its goals.

If the aid is approved, the instructor is expected to review the content of the memory aid and remove information that may compromise course integrity.

Student’s Responsibility

If the faculty member and/or department chair approve the accommodation, the student must present their cue card to their professor for review at least two days prior to the exam. This can be completed by presenting the physical aid to their instructor or sending an email to them with the aid’s information included in it.

If the content is approved by the instructor, there are two options for sending the memory aid to SAS for distribution:

1. The first option is for the student to send the memory aid to SAS at least a day in advance of their exam date so that it can be printed for the exam. SAS will turn the memory aid to the instructor once the student completes their exam.
   • Please note: A cue sheet that has not been approved by the instructor (e.g., by writing their initials on the cue sheet) will not be permitted for use during the exam.
2. A secondary option is for the instructor to send the approved memory aid with the exam to SAS.