Student Rights and Responsibilities
According to the CSU policy on ccommodating Individuals with Disabilities, students with disabilities have the following rights and responsibilities:
Student Rights
- to have their personal information regarding their disability kept confidential
- to not be discriminated against on the basis of disability
- to achieve equitable access to educational environment
- to have their preference of the type of accommodation considered first before alternatives are provided
- to appeal any accommodation determination related to the accommodation process
Student Responsibilities
- to request reasonable accommodations by contacting SDC
- to provide documentation of the disability, when necessary, to support requests for reasonable accommodation
- to engage in the individualized interactive process with the SDC to determine reasonable accommodations
- to communicate with instructors regarding the accommodations, how they will be implemented, and any difficulties or concerns that arise
- to notify the SDC when an accommodation process is not working effectively or not being implemented according to the student’s needs
Faculty Rights and Responsibilities
As a faculty member in an institution of higher education, there are certain legal mandates that uphold the rights and responsibilities of faculty and students with disabilities as they relate to making accommodations.
Faculty Rights
- to be informed in a timely manner of accommodations requested by students enrolled in their courses through an Accommodation Letter supplied by the SDC; faculty may deny requests for accommodations made without an Accommodation Letter verifying these requests
- to challenge an accommodation if the faculty member believes the accommodation fundamentally alters the nature of the course, program, or activity by following established procedures
- to evaluate students based on their knowledge, skills, and abilities
- to establish course objectives, grading criteria, methods of assessment, and classroom expectations, so long as it doesn’t discriminate against any individual with a disability from participating in or benefiting from the course
- to request additional information or support with providing an accommodation from the SDC
- to deny requests for accommodations that are retroactive, or after the fact
Faculty Responsibilities
- to have knowledge and understanding of the CSU Policy on Accommodations for Individuals with Disabilities and the legal mandates regarding reasonable accommodations
- to create accessible content to the greatest extent feasible for all students by employing principles of universal design when designing courses
- to engage in the interactive accommodations process with the SDC and the student
- to communicate with the student to assure that the student’s accommodations are met effectively.
- to provide a Syllabus Statement stating that students are welcome to bring forth their accommodation requests as well as assuring that the syllabus itself is accessible to all students
- to maintain confidentiality of student accommodation and disability information
- to refer students who identify themselves as students with disabilities requesting accommodations to the SDC for individual assessment
- to support the use of technology in the classroom when it is part of the accommodation
- areness of campus resources available for students and faculty
- Maintaining confidentiality of the student’s accommodations
