Senate Agenda - March 19, 1999 - EXHIBIT IV Appendix 1
[For World Wide Web Viewers proposed added text is shown in bold italic; proposed text to be deleted is has a line drawn through it.]
Revisions to the Policy on
Academic Accommodation for Students with Disabilities
[Note: It is proposed that the name of the policy be changed from "...Academic Accommodations..." to "...Academic Accommodation..."]
POLICY ON ACADEMIC ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
(S.4326, S.89-82, S.93-81, S.94-65, S.94-263, S.95-12, S.96-235, S.97-273)
"The University of 澳门六合彩开奖预测 Ontario is dedicated to the advancement of learning ... and .. seeks to
provide an environment of free and creative enquiry.... As part of our commitment to excellence,
we seek to recognize and remove the obstacles faced by traditionally under-represented groups in
order to facilitate their access to and advancement at 澳门六合彩开奖预测." (Leadership in Learning, pp.3, 4).
The University also accepts that education is defined as a "service" under the Ontario Human
Rights Code (Section 1) which states that: "Every person has the right to equal treatment with
respect to services, goods and facilities, without discrimination because of ... handicap." The
University, therefore, recognizes its obligation to provide reasonable academic accommodations
to students with disabilities where the accommodation can be implemented without
compromising the integrity of the academic course or program. The provisions of this Policy
do not apply if the University determines that the necessary physical or financial resources are
not and cannot be made available to accommodate a particular disability.
In its efforts to accommodate disabilities appropriately provide appropriate accommodations, the
approach adopted by the University is collaborative, involving the student requesting the
accommodation, the instructor, department, or faculty (or school or program where applicable),
and/or Faculty which that provides the accommodation, and the Office for Services for Students
with Disabilities (OSSD), in the Student Development Centre, that which coordinates the request
for and provision of accommodation.
The University also recognizes that the process of requesting, granting, and making arrangements
for academic accommodations imposes certain responsibilities on all those involved.
The Responsibility of the Student: A student making a formal request for accommodation
should do so in a timely fashion and provide documentation to allow the University to decide what
kind of accommodation might be required. In making a request, the student is acknowledging that
sufficient information will be made available to the providers of the service to enable them to
make an informed decision. Finally, the student should be prepared to work with both the OSSD
and the instructor in developing an appropriate accommodation. Students seeking
accommodation must make timely, formal requests and provide relevant medical or
psychological documentation sufficient to allow the University to determine whether they
qualify for academic accommodation and what kind of accommodation might be required.
Such requests must identify the courses for which accommodation is being sought and must
be accompanied by (1) any available medical or psychological documentation of the diagnosed
disability, (2) documentation of previous academic accommodation from the educational
institutions that provided it and (3) any other information that SSD may give notice it
requires. Students are also responsible for following SSD's instructions relating to the
implementation of an accommodation. Failure to provide the required documentation in a
timely fashion or failure to follow SSD's instructions may delay or prevent the implementation
of an academic accommodation for a particular course.
In making formal requests, students are deemed to consent to the release, by SSD to individual faculty members, of information regarding their functional abilities and needs arising out of the diagnosed disability. Faculty are thereby enabled to engage in informed discussions of possible accommodation with the student and SSD. The student must also be prepared to work with SSD and the instructor in developing an appropriate accommodation.
The Responsibility of the Instructor, Chair [See Footnote 1], Dean [See Footnote 2]
The decision about requests for whether to accept an accommodation faculty offering the accommodation instructor in the first instance. The instructor,
Chair or Dean may reject a suggested accommodation only if it would compromise the
integrity of the academic course or program. In assuming this responsibility, all All<
/STRONG> those
involved in making the decision must recognize their obligation to accommodate where possible,
and their obligation to respect both the privacy and dignity of the student, as well as the integrity
of the academic programs.
----------------------
[Footnote 1: A reference to "Chair" throughout this document is to be interpreted:
For Faculties with Departmental Structure, as the Chair of the Department.
For the Faculty of Health Sciences, as the Director of the relevant School.
For graduate programs, as the Graduate Program Chair.
For interdisciplinary undergraduate programs, i.e., Administrative & Commercial Studies,
Environmental Studies, International & Comparative Studies, as the program director.
Note: For Faculties without Departmental structure not covered above, the levels are
instructor and Dean.]
[Footnote 2: A reference to "Dean" throughout this document is to be interpreted:
For all graduate programs, as the Dean of Graduate Studies.
For Women's Studies courses, as the Director of the Centre for Women's Studies and
Feminist Research.]
------------------------
It is the responsibility of the instructor to identify the essential academic requirements of the particular course or program so that the discussions are properly informed. Where possible, it is recommended that instructors provide SSD with a summary of these essential academic requirements prior to or at the beginning of classes. The instructor is responsible for working with SSD and the student to attempt to devise an appropriate accommodation. It is equally the responsibility of the instructor to question a suggested accommodation if it is inappropriate given the essential academic requirements of the course or program, or if it would alter the essential academic requirements of the course or program. In such circumstances, instructors are encouraged to suggest alternative accommodations, where appropriate.
The Responsibility of the Office for Services for Students with Disabilities: It is the role of
the OSSD to provide information and advice to the University community concerning the
provision of services to students with disabilities, including academic accommodations. The OSSD
will receive documentation from students concerning their disabilities to be held in confidence.
These documents may provide the basis for advice offered to instructors, departments or faculties
Faculties concerning the accommodations to be offered. It is the responsibility of SSD to s
atisfy
itself that the student has an assessed disability and that the disability requires some form of
accommodation. An accommodation suggested by SSD will be based on its determination of
the student's needs and on any course and program information provided to it. In offering
advice, the OSSD shall provide sufficient information to the instructor, department, or faculty
Faculty about the student's functional abilities or needs to permit enable an informed
discussion of the most appropriate form of accommodation in light of the essential academic
requirements of the course or program.
Faculty Advisors: A panel of faculty advisors who are specialists in disabilities will be
established. appointed by the Provost. These individuals shall serve as specialised consultants to
the university community with respect to disability issues. Their role will be to provide advice on
request to the Office for Services for Students with Disabilities SSD, the student, or the Dean, concerning ways to accommodate a particular disability. A faculty advisor
may also provide advice about disabilities and accommodations that may assist in the resolution of
disagreements between an instructor and the OSSD. The procedures for appointing the faculty
advisors are as follows: These advisors will be available for consultation concerning the most
appropriate form of accommodation.
1. In consultation with the relevant departments, the Provost will appoint a group of faculty advisors, chosen on the basis of their expertise in different disabilities. The areas of expertise shall include, but not be limited to: motor impairment; visual impairment; speech and hearing impairment; learning disabilities; psychological and psychiatric disorders.
2. In the event that a specialist in a particular area is not available among the faculty of the University, the Provost may appoint an individual external to the University on an ad hoc basis.
3. Faculty advisors will be appointed for a two-year term, renewable.
PROCEDURES
In applying the policy, the following procedures will normally be followed:
1. Students who wish to be considered for formal academic accommodation on the grounds of
disability should make their requests in writing to the Coordinator for Services for Students with
Disabilities., outlining the nature of their disability. Documentation supporting that request must
be made available to the Coordinator. In the absence of appropriate documentation, arrangements
must be made, through the University, for the assessment of the disability. The student should also
provide copies of the course outline for the courses for which accommodation is being requested.
The request must identify the courses for which accommodation is being sought and outline
the nature of the disability. It must be accompanied by the documentation prescribed above
(see Responsibility of the Student). In the absence of appropriate medical or psychological
documentation, the student must arrange for assessment of the disability. SSD may assist with
these arrangements but cannot guarantee the timely accommodation of students who make
requests but have not been professionally assessed. Students should also, where possible,
provide copies of the course outlines for the courses for which accommodation is being
requested.
2. To ensure that the Office for Services for Students with Disabilities (OSSD) SSD has sufficient
time to review the requests and to make arrangements for academic accommodations, students
should identify themselves to the Office as early as possible in the term for which accommodations
are requested. Normally, students should make their initial request for accommodation to the
OSSD no later than the fourth week from the beginning of the Fall and the Winter Terms; by the
fourth day of classes for Intersession and Summer Day Sessions; and by the end of the second
week of classes for Summer Evening Sessions. students must submit all required documentation
to SSD by the following dates:
a) incoming first year or transfer students must submit all required documentation to SSD as soon as possible after they receive their offers of admission from the University, but in no event later than August 1;
b) returning upper year students must submit all required documentation as soon as possible after registration, but in no event later than August 1;
c) students requesting accommodation for courses offered in Intersession, Distance Studies, Summer Day and Summer Evening Sessions, must submit all required documentation to SSD as soon as possible after they receive their offers of admission, but in no event less than one month before the start of classes;
d) graduate students must submit all required documentation to SSD as soon as possible after they receive their offers of admission from the University and in all cases accommodation requests for a particular term must be submitted to SSD, with all required documentation, at least one month before the start of a term.
Although exceptions based on individual circumstances will be considered, accommodations
cannot be guaranteed in a given term for a student who has not requested accommodations in a
timely fashion made a timely request.
3. Following discussion concerning the student's needs with respect to particular courses, the
OSSD will prepare and send a Letter of Introduction to each instructor. The letter should provide:
1) a statement as to whether or not documentation is on file with the OSSD; 2) a brief statement
as to the nature of the student's disability; 3) a suggested provisional accommodation based on the
student's needs and past practice for particular kinds of courses. A copy of this letter will also be
sent to the Dean of the student's home faculty for information. If SSD, after determining that a
student has a disability requiring accommodation, proposes to recommend a form of
accommodation to the instructor, it will make best efforts to contact the instructor (at
minimum, by electronic mail) to give the instructor the opportunity to comment on the
appropriateness of the proposed accommodation. Following discussion with the instructor, or
within two weeks of first attempting to contact the instructor where no discussion has yet
occurred, SSD, if it remains of the view that accommodation is required, will send a letter to
the instructor. The letter should contain (1) a statement as to the documentation on file with
SSD; (2) a brief description of the student's functional abilities or needs; (3) a suggested
accommodation. A copy of this letter will be sent to the Dean of the student's home Faculty for
information and SSD will make a copy available to the student.
4. The student is strongly encouraged to make contact with the instructor to discuss the proposed
accommodations at this time. Both instructors and students should approach the question of
accommodation as broadly as possible and look at all aspects of the course in considering the
most appropriate accommodation.
5. If the An instructor is in agreement who agrees with the suggested accommodation, the OSSD within two days of its receipt.
6. If an An instructor who cannot agree to the suggested accommodation on the basis that it
would compromise the academic integrity of the course or program, <
STRIKE>wishes to discuss the
suggested accommodations further, he or she should shall discuss the matter with the Chair [see
footnote 3]. If the Chair does not agree with the instructor, the accommodation shall be
granted and the Chair shall so advise SSD and the student. Otherwise, the instructor and
Chair shall consult consult directly with the OSSD within one week of the instructor's recei
pt
of the accommodation letter from SSD. This consultation may take the form of a meeting with
the Coordinator for SSD and the student to exchange additional information and to determine the
most satisfactory form of accommodation.
-----------------------
[Footnote 3: Where there is no Chair or Director, as defined in Footnote #1 above, the instructor shall consult directly with SSD and if the parties are unable to agree, the instructor shall forward all relevant materials to the Dean within the time limits set out above.]
------------------------
7. If the Chair agrees with the instructor that the suggested accommodation is not
appropriate, and the Chair and SSD are unable to agree on an appropriate alternate
accommodation at the consultation, the Chair shall forward copies of all correspondence
between SSD and the instructor and Chair, and any other relevant material, to the Dean of the
Faculty within one week of the consultation. In the event that an accommodation acceptable to
the instructor cannot be arranged through informal consultation, the student may initiate a request
for relief identical to that for any other negative academic decision; that is, through the Chair of
the department in which the course is taught, then to the Dean of the faculty in which the course is
taught. At either of these levels, advice may be sought from SSD, the faculty advisors or other
qualified individuals concerning whether an accommodation is necessary, and if so, what it should
be. A student may apply to have an appeal against the decision of a Dean heard by the Senate
Review Board (Academic). An instructor may appeal the decision of a Dean to the Provost or the
Principal, in the case of the Affiliated Colleges.
8. The Dean shall review the material and if the Dean does not agree that the suggested accommodation will compromise the integrity of the course or program in light of their essential requirements, the Dean shall notify SSD in writing within one week, with a copy to the student, the instructor, the Chair, and the Dean of the student's home Faculty. If the Dean agrees that the suggested accommodation will compromise the integrity of the course or program in light of their essential requirements, the Dean shall so notify SSD in writing within one week, with a copy to the student, the instructor, and the Chair; the student may apply, within two weeks of that decision, to have an appeal against the decision heard by the Senate Review Board Academic.
9. The Senate Review Board Academic shall follow the procedures set out under Senate
policies "Student Academic Appeals" and "Appeals to SRBA", provided that in the case of a
conflict between the regulations and procedures set out under those policies and this Policy,
the regulations and procedures under this Policy shall prevail. To uphold a decanal refusal,
the Senate Review Board Academic must be persuaded that the suggested accommodation or
accommodations would compromise the integrity of the academic course or program in light
of the essential requirements of that course or program. An instructor may appeal the decision
of a Dean to the Provost or the Principal, in the case of the Affiliated Colleges.
If the Dean accepts the accommodation proposed by SSD, the instructor An instructor may
appeal the decanal decision of a Dean to the Provost, (or to the Principal in the case of the an
Affiliated Colleges). The Provost's (or Principal's) decision is final and not appealable to
SRBA.
A copy of the final decision of the University shall be forwarded to the Dean of the student's home Faculty.
10. Because the decisions regarding accommodations may affect a student's progress in an
ongoing course, they must be dealt with made expeditiously. In the meantime, the
accommodation proposed by SSD (see # 3 above) shall be implemented from the date of the
letter setting out the accommodation until a final decision has been made by the University
(after the disposition of all appeals).
11. Where a student has been accommodated pending the final disposition of all appeals, and such disposition is that accommodation should not be granted, the grade received on any examination, test or assignment completed under the conditions of interim accommodation is to be nullified. Any such examination, test or assignment must then be re-administered under conditions which do not provide accommodation or, where that is not possible, an alternative means of fairly determining the student's course mark must be devised by the instructor and communicated to the student.
12. Where appropriate, the OSSD will facilitate any special arrangements that need to be made
regarding accommodations. In all accommodations involving exams, security procedures must be
as stringent as for any other examination.
For Information: Procedures for the appointment of faculty advisors with respect to the policy for
academic accommodations for students with disabilities (Sen. Ag. Dec. 5/96)
1. In consultation with the relevant departments, the Provost will appoint a group of faculty
advisors, chosen on the basis of their expertise in different disabilities. The areas of expertise shall
include, but not be limited to: motor impairment; visual impairment; speech and hearing
impairment; learning disabilities; psychological and psychiatric disorders.
2. In the event that a specialist in a particular area is not available among the faculty of the
University, the Provost may appoint an individual external to the University on an ad hoc basis.
3. Faculty advisors will be appointed for a two-year term, renewable.
4. These individuals shall serve as specialised consultants to the university community with respect
to disability issues. Their role will be to provide advice on request to the Office for Services for
Students with Disabilities, the student, or the instructor, or the Dean, concerning ways to
accommodate a particular disability. A faculty advisor may also provide advice about disabilities
and accommodations that may assist in the resolution of disagreements between an instructor and
the OSSD.