Faculty Guidelines for Students with Disabilities
(University Guidelines)
Oregon State University is committed to providing equal opportunity to higher education for academically qualified students without regard to a disability. Students and Faculty at Oregon State University are encouraged to become familiar with their rights and responsibilities.

The Faculty of Oregon State is committed to the retention of students while promoting academic success. Students are recruited to the university with the understanding that the Faculty is responsive to their needs and will provide reasonable accommodations. Providing reasonable accommodations is a cooperative effort between Oregon State Faculty and Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD).

Services For Students with Disabilities (SSD)
Services for Students with Disabilities(SSD) has the responsibility for administering, reviewing, maintaining, and supervising a variety of support procedures and services for students in accordance with state and federal laws. When appropriate, SSD provides oral and sign language interpreters, note takers, taped textbooks, assistance in working with instructors, or equipment loans. Instruction in the Oregon State physical activity program, reading rooms for students with visual disabilities, and keys for elevator operation are available to students as needed. Faculty and SSD staff work cooperatively to decide when adjustments to academic requirements, testing formats and substitution of classes may be necessary.

Nondiscrimination Policy
Federal and state laws prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability. For a copy of university policy and guidelines, contact the Office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity (7-3556). It is the intent of the University Advisory Committee for Persons with Disabilities (UACPD) that Faculty of Oregon State go beyond legal requirements in fostering an atmosphere of enhanced learning. The UACPD was established by the President as an advisory committee to recommend policy and procedures on disability issues.

Faculty Responsibilities

Before the Term
Class Syllabus: Please be sure that your syllabus contains this statement- "Students with documented disabilities who may need accommodations, who have any emergency medical information the instructor should know of, or who need special arrangements in the event of evacuation, should make an appointment with the instructor as early as possible, no later than the first week of the term.

Alternative Testing: Providing alternative testing is a collaborative effort between SSD and Faculty. SSD provides proctoring of exams for students with documented disabilities. The proctoring service is designed to ensure that appropriate accommodations are provided and to assist the faculty in administering required examinations and quizzes. Faculty are not required to utilize SSD's services as long as the necessary accommodations are provided. Students should notify Faculty at least one week in advance of the test.

Alternative Formats: Faculty should communicate with SSD staff to coordinate production of texts and course materials in alternative formats. SSD will alert you through e-mail if these accommodations are needed. If a student makes their request for alternative formats directly to you, please have them contact SSD.

Web Access: All Web pages must be constructed in an accessible format. Web pages need to be designed to be accessible across multiple platforms (speech output, screen enlargers etc.). If media is embedded into pages an accessible alternative must be provided in the form of descriptive text or captioning. For assistance regarding Web page accessibility, please contact Ron Stewart, Adaptive Technology Specialist, 737-7307.

Beginning of the Term
First Class. Bring the syllabus statement to the attention of students at the first class meeting.

Receipt of letter from SSD. When a student has registered with SSD for alternative testing, you will receive a letter from SSD advising you of necessary accommodations. Please review the letter and consider accommodations in the contexts of your class. Discuss any questions or concerns you have with the SSD director.

First meeting with the student with a disability. If the letter from SSD establishes a need for alternative testing, the student should make an appointment to discuss arrangements for the test. Please complete the testing contract which covers how you would like the exam to be administered. If you have questions or issues regarding accommodation please contact the SSD Director. At this time, complete the testing contract with the student and return it to SSD, keeping the yellow copy for your records.

Assistance with identifying a note taker. Students may also ask for assistance in identifying a note taker for the class. If you know of a quality student, please make the appropriate recommendation. If you do not know of anyone, please read the announcement of the need for a note taker in class as soon as possible. If you need assistance, contact SSD.

Timing of requests for alternative testing format. Requests for alternative testing formats made too close to the exam time may impose undue administrative burden. SSD generally requires one week's notice to arrange alternative testing unless there are exceptional circumstances beyond the control of the student. If you are approached for accommodations by a student, please inquire if they have registered with SSD and refer them if they have not. You may wish to indicate that you need to receive a letter for alternative testing from SSD to assist in determining appropriate accommodations.

Documentation of Disability
Assistance is available to students whose disabilities have been documented by the appropriate professional and in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Disability verification is the responsibility of the SSD office, solely. The student is responsible for providing appropriate documentation. Faculty should not be involved in the process of documenting a disability. As a Faculty member, you can assist students by directing them to SSD's resources thereby easing the student's adjustment and assuring a more positive early university experience. If you do receive a letter from SSD, the student's disability has been documented.

Reasonable and Unreasonable Accommodations
Reasonable accommodations are reasonable modifications of the learning environment that eliminate, as much as possible, physical or instructional barriers to learning encountered by the student with a disability. Accommodations are individualized and dependent on the nature of the specific disability or disabilities. A student's physical accessibility to the classroom as well as the student's ability to fully participate in all course activities are both considered in providing reasonable accommodation. Examples of accessibility aids and course adaptations are provided in the "Faculty Resource Guide - Accommodations for the Students with Disabilities" that is available to all faculty (contact SSD @ 74089).

An accommodation is unreasonable if accommodations alter requirements that are essential to the program of instruction or to meet licensing prerequisites; cause fundamental alteration in the nature of the program; impose undue financial or administrative burden; or pose an appreciable threat to personal or public safety, accommodation is unreasonable. If you believe the requested accommodation is unreasonable, discuss these factors with your department supervisor and SSD staff. You may also contact the Office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity, Kerr Administration, A526, at 737-3556 for assistance in analyzing a request for accommodations.

Confidentiality
Information concerning a student's disability should be disclosed only to those with a legitimate "need to know." Sharing of information with other faculty and staff needs to be balanced with the student's interest while maintaining their privacy. SSD will take steps to notify an instructor of a potential for danger when the office has evidence of ongoing (either episodic or continuous) loss of control, when such loss of control would, in the circumstances, reasonably appear to present an appreciable risk of harm. The student will also be advised of any need to notify others. Further disclosure should only be made with the express permission of the student or in consultation with appropriate SSD staff. Please do not discuss a student's disability or need for accommodations in front of other students.

Student Responsibilities
From their initial contact with Oregon State, students with disabilities who need accommodations should contact the SSD office. It is the student's responsibility to acquire information concerning technological accommodations, resources on campus for parking, housing services and Student Health Services. Students are responsible for providing documentation, making timely requests for services and communicating with their professors regarding accommodations specific to the course.

These guidelines are abbreviated and not intended to be comprehensive. For detailed information, please consult the "Policy and Guidelines for Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability," "Faculty Resource Guide - Accommodations for Students with Disabilities," or contact the appropriate support service. We have a commitment to meeting student and faculty needs, in a collaborative fashion for an enhanced Oregon State learning environment.

Services
Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD)
Kerr Administration A200
737-4098 (voice) 737-3666 (TDD)

Office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity
Kerr Administration A526
737-3556

This publication will be made available in accessible formats upon request to Tracy Bentley-Townlin, SSD, 737-3669.

Revised 3/98