Resources for Faculty
9.2% of first-year college students report having a disability. For faculty and staff, students with disabilities represent both a challenge and an opportunity to re-examine customs of teaching and learning.
When working with a student with a disability, a faculty member is responsible for:
- Understanding accommodations and contacting the Office of Disability Services if you think additional accommodations are needed.
- Contacting the Office of Disability Services if you have concerns or questions about accommodations and how they will be provided.
- Knowing the essential elements of a course or program.
FAQs for Faculty
As defined by law, a disability is a substantial limitation in one or more major life activities. Since this legal definition is quite subjective, the Office of Disability Services focuses on what accommodations are reasonable in each individual's situation.
A student in my class is having difficulty, and I suspect it may be disability-related. What should I do?
Talk with the student privately about your observations of his/her performance in class. Refrain from speculating about a disability. Instead, offer referrals to a range of campus resources, including tutoring assistance, Disability Services, counseling, etc.
What are reasonable accommodations?
A reasonable accommodation is a modification or adjustment to a course, program, service, job, facility, or activity that enables a qualified person with a disability to have an equal opportunity. Institutions are obligated to make reasonable accommodations only to known limitations of an otherwise qualified individual.
Reasonable accommodations should not alter a course's essential components or in any way "water down" the curriculum of the standards of the institution.
A student handed me a letter from Disability Services requestiong accommodations. What should I do if I have questions?
If you have questions concerning testing accommodations, contact the Office of Disability Testing, (985) 549-3897. For other questions, please call the Office of Disability Services, (985) 549-2247. Our staff will be happy to assist you.
What if a student does not want to use one of their accommodations?
Occasionally a student will choose not to utilize an accommodation during a test. For example, a student may choose not to go to the Office of Testing so that they can have access to the instructor in the event that they have questions. It is the student's decision not to utilize the accommodations. Should this occur for a test or a graded in-class assignment, please have the student write that he/she has decided not to utilize the accommodation(s) accross the top of the exam or assignment and sign it. This will serve as documentation that it was the student's decision not to use the accommodation.
What are roles and responsibilities in the accommodation process?
Determining appropriate accommodations is a collaborative effort. The student must register with Disability Services and provide documentation of his or her disability. The student also brings an understanding of his or her own needs. The staff in Disability Services determines reasonable accommodations for the student, based on the student's documentation. The faculty member provides knowledge of a course's content, methods, and essential components.