Course Accommodation for Students with Documented Disabilities
SAU Tech recognizes that a disability may preclude a student from demonstrating required course competencies or from completing course requirements necessary for an A.A., A.S., A.A.S., or A.P.S. degree or certificate programs in the same manner expected of non-disabled students. In compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, qualified students with disabilities may request that appropriate course accommodations be considered.
SAU Tech recognizes the need to accommodate students with documented disabilities to the greatest extent possible without compromising a disabled student's course of study and without compromising the integrity of a degree.
SAU Tech recognizes that altering the method of course delivery or providing a combination of appropriate accommodations can overcome some disabilities that preclude a student from completing a course. Therefore, for most students with documented disabilities, the first level of accommodation will involve an attempt to complete the course with designed accommodations that do not substantially alter the course delivery or outcomes. For some students with a disability, such accommodations and alterations of course delivery may not be sufficient to enable him/her to complete the course. For those students, a course substitution will be individually considered (see COURSE SUBSTITUTION section).
Disability Services in Student Services is the office that coordinates services for students with disabilities.
Final responsibility for selection of the most appropriate accommodations rests with Disability Services, the Vice Chancellor for Academics and the course instructor(s). Accommodations are determined on an individual case by case basis, based on the nature of the course or program and the nature of the student's disability.
Students are encouraged to meet with Disability Services to develop a plan for their academic accommodations. Requests for accommodations should be made within two weeks of the start of each semester. A request for accommodation is deemed reasonable if it:
- is based on documented individual needs
- allows the most integrated experience possible
- does not compromise essential requirements of a course or program
- does not pose a threat to personal or public safety
- does not impose undue financial or administrative burden on SAU Tech
It is the student's responsibility in the accommodation process to:
- follow the SAU Tech accommodation procedure for students with disabilities
- identify a disability to Disability Services
- provide current appropriate documentation of disability and accommodation need from a qualified medical or other licensed professional (to be kept in confidential file separate from student’s academic files)
- request a specific accommodation or services
Disability Services facilitates the education of students with physical or learning disabilities by providing a point of coordination for any accommodations or special services they may need while attending SAU Tech. Some of the services provided or coordinated for disabled students are advising, special orientation to campus, readers, recorders, tutors as needed, the ordering of taped texts, classroom relocation, priority registration, mediation and advocacy, classroom accommodations, as well as personal, educational, and vocational counseling.
There is no "standing letter of accommodation." The process of providing accommodations involves each specific course and changing needs, thus requires review on a semester-by-semester basis.