Providing student accommodations in your courses

Some of your students may need accommodations to remove barriers to their success as a student at FLC. Our hope is that courses are as inclusive as possible through thoughtful design (e.g. providing digitally accessible content) and that this will make your class accessible to most, but you may need to take additional steps to make your class inclusive to all students who are academically prepared for it. Please review your rights and responsibilities below.

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Rights

  • You have the right to hold students with disabilities to the same academic and behavioral standards as students without disabilities.
  • You have the right to ask for clarification or support from the Accessibility Resource Center as needed. Instructors play a vital role in the success of students with disabilities. DS strives to support instructors who are working with students with disabilities in the classroom.
  • Academic accommodations are not meant to change the fundamental elements of a program or activity; this includes curriculum and coursework. Accommodations are intended to remove barriers that prevent students from learning and from demonstrating what they’ve learned; they are not intended to give students with disabilities an unfair advantage.

If you are concerned that an accommodation will compromise the integrity of the course, please contact the Accessibility Resource Center.

Responsibilities

  • Include the following statement on your syllabus: “Fort Lewis College is committed to providing all students with a liberal arts education through a personalized learning environment. If you have a documented disability requiring reasonable academic accommodations, please contact the Accessibility Resource Center at 970-247-7383 or by email at disabilityservices@fortlewis.edu.”
  • Encourage open communication by making a general announcement at the beginning of the semester and invite students with academic accommodations to meet with you and/or send an email to the student whose accommodation/s you received electronically.
  • Provide accommodations as soon as the academic accommodation letter is received. Notifications are electronically delivered per the student’s request. Upon notification by the Accessibility Resource Center, a student’s academic accommodations are active and can be requested at any time during a student’s academic career.
  • Meet with a student to discuss the student’s accommodations. The student is not required to meet with an instructor to use their accommodations; however, we do encourage the student to communicate with their instructor regarding the details of their accommodations and whether there may be potential challenges.
  • Protect the confidentiality of the student. Do not disclose information regarding accommodations or a student’s disability unless given permission by the student or if a “need to know” situation occurs. Students have the right to privacy in disability-related matters and confidentiality must be maintained.
  • Build accessibility into all course content. Consider the classroom in terms of Universal Design, i.e. creating materials and environments that are usable by all persons to the greatest extent possible.
  • Complete an Alternative Testing Agreement if applicable, using the link provided for you in the Accommodation Notification. Provide the Testing Center with testing material for your course in a timely manner.

Contact the Accessibility Resource Center with any questions you might have.