Suggested Syllabus Statement

It is suggested that the following statement be included in each course syllabus.

If you have a documented disability, you are advised to notify both your instructor and the Student Disability Resources office to request specific classroom accommodations based on your disability. Classroom accommodations are only provided when a certifying accommodation form is presented by the student from the Student Disability Resources office. Student Disability Resources is in the Student Success Center, room 144 of the Eiche Library.

Teaching Suggestions for Faculty

Faculty play a critical role in helping students who may have learning disabilities by referring them to a trained specialist. Once identified, faculty can develop "academic adjustments" that will permit students with learning disabilities to fully access lecture and course materials.

  • Encourage students to make appointments during office hours. Ask students with disabilities how you, as a faculty member, can assist in facilitating course material.
  • Provide students with a detailed course syllabus. Include the disability statement on the course syllabus.
  • Clearly spell out expectations before the course begins (e.g., grading, material to be covered, and due dates.)
  • Start each lecture with an outline of the material to be covered in that period. At the conclusion of the class, summarize key points.
  • Speak directly to students and use gestures and natural expressions to convey further meaning.
  • Present new or technical vocabulary on the blackboard or use a student handout. Terms should be used in context to convey greater meaning.
  • Give assignments both orally and in written form to avoid confusion.
  • Announce reading assignments well in advance.
  • If possible, select a textbook with an accompanying study guide for optional student use.
  • Provide adequate opportunities for questions and answers, including review sessions.
  • Allow students to record lectures to facilitate their note-taking. In some instances, this will be an essential accommodation.
  • Provide, in advance, study questions for exams that illustrate the format as well as the content of the test. Explain what constitutes a good answer and why.
  • If necessary, allow students with learning disabilities to demonstrate mastery of course material using alternative methods (e.g., extended time limits for testing and oral exams in a separate room).
  • Permit the use of simple calculators, scratch paper, pocket spellers, and dictionaries during exams (no programmable calculators!).

Frequently Asked Questions

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Since the passage of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), individuals with disabilities are attending colleges and universities in increasing numbers. The Rehabilitation Act states that "No otherwise qualified handicapped individual ... shall, solely by means of handicap be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance."

With the passage of the ADA, this mandate was expanded to any public or private institution. Subpart E of the Rehabilitation Act requires an institution be prepared to make reasonable academic adjustments and accommodations to allow students with disabilities full participation in the same programs and activities available to students without disabilities.

If you have a question, or think you will have difficulty providing an accommodation requested, again, the first step is to call the staff person from the Office for Student Disability Resources (SDR) who wrote the Accommodation Letter you received from the student. The staff person will be able to clarify any information, as well as assist you with the resources you need to provide the accommodation. In some cases, clarification involves working with the student and the SDR staff person to adjust the recommendations for your particular academic situation.

Students attending the University have a variety of learning and physical disabilities. Extended test time is the accommodation most commonly provided for students to assist them with their classes. For example, a student with a learning disability cannot process information in the same manner as a typical student. Therefore, they need additional time to rephrase the questions in a way they can understand and answer. A student with a disability affecting motor control of their extremities may need additional time to write the answers.

The results of three studies done on the range of instructional accommodations considered at two- and four-year universities found the accommodation that is most widely accepted and easiest to provide is testing under modified conditions. Faculty and administrators agree that tests need to reflect students' course mastery, rather than their disability.

If an otherwise reasonable accommodation infringes on the course's fundamental goals, then the student may not be entitled to the accommodation in such a situation. A guideline would be to determine if it is speed or knowledge that is being tested.

Again, if you have a question, or think you will have difficulty providing an accommodation requested; the first step is to call the staff person from the Office for Student Disability Resources (SDR) who wrote the Accommodation Letter you received from the student. The staff person will be able to clarify any information, as well as assist you with the resources you need to provide the accommodation. In some cases, clarification involves working with the student and the SDR staff person to adjust the recommendations for your particular academic situation.

Ask the student if they are working with the Office for Student Disability Resources. If they are, suggest the student contact the staff person they have been working with to inform them they must have an Accommodation Letter outlining the accommodations needed. It is the student's responsibility to provide documentation of their disability to receive accommodations. If a student is asking for accommodations and is not working with SDR, suggest they call the office to arrange for an appointment. Accommodations should not be given if you have not received an official accommodation letter from SDR.

A student with a disability should be treated as you would any student who is disruptive in class. All students must adhere to the Student Code of Conduct. However, if you sense there is a medical reason for the student's action, the SDR staff person working with that student should be consulted to determine if there is a solution to the problem.

One way to approach this is to assign a student in class to serve as an official note taker for the whole class. This procedure can be done by asking for a volunteer at the beginning of the semester. If there is a student that you know in the class, you may ask them to take notes for the class and be willing to have copies made of those notes. Photocopying or carbonless note taking paper is available through SDR for a student to take notes for a student to take notes for a student with a disability.

Many referrals to SDR are from faculty who has noticed a student having difficulty in their class. If you see a student struggling and suspect a disability, you are encouraged to talk privately with that student after class or during office hours about the difficulty they are having. Another approach would be, at the beginning of each semester, announce to the class that if a student has any special circumstances for which they need assistance, to speak with you after class or during office hours.