Academic Accommodations

The term accommodation refers to any service, equipment, or arrangement that is put in place to support a student with a disability in the university setting. An appropriate accommodation does not provide an unfair advantage, but rather minimizes the barriers caused by the disability. Meeting our shared 'duty to accommodate' ensures that students have a fair and equal opportunity to learn and to demonstrate that learning in a way that respects individual learning styles, differences, and needs.

Accommodations are highly individualized and are determined on a case by case basis, based on the specific individual needs and recommendations included in each student’s documentation.

Classroom accommodations are adjustments provided to ensure that students with disabilities have fair and equal access to the curriculum and an opportunity to process classroom information in a way that respects and addresses differences in learning styles, strengths, and needs. Examples include but are not limited to:

• • Assistance from a note taker
  • Use of a laptop for note taking
  • Preferential seating (usually at the front of the class)/ Ergonomic modifications
  • Provision of written material in advance (overheads, PowerPoint presentations, lecture notes)
  • Textbooks or articles in alternate format (tape, Braille, large type, PDF, or other electronic text)
  • Use of an audio recording device

Examination accommodations are adjustments to standard exam conditions that lessen the impact of the disability without fundamentally altering the nature or security of the examination or providing unfair advantage. Examples include but are not limited to:

• • Extended time to write exams
  • A quiet, distraction free environment in which to write
  • Alternative format for exams (i.e., oral, take-home, or electronic versions)
  • Assistance from a reader or a scribe
  • Allowances for spelling/grammatical errors, with grading focus on content
  • Use of a computer for essay exams
  • Use of assistive technology on exams (including magnification devices).  Please not that the use of assistive technology/software as an approved exam accommodation can only be authorized after students have demonstrated proficiency in its use

A note about special accommodations in residence: Students who wish to request special housing due to a documented impairment and would like to be considered for reasonable accommodations on the basis of their disability are directed to the Residence Services website for instruction. The forms necessary for making such a request are available for viewing/download on their Students Requiring Special Housing Accommodations webpage.