Modification of Graduating Requirements for Students with Disabilities
A student may request a program modification if he or she can document a disability that directly impairs his/her ability to meet the normal requirements of the program.
In general, such documentation should be provided by qualified professionals in the area of the disability. These professionals should describe the specific disability in behavioral terms in relation to the specific modifications sought by the student. Information required to document a specific disability will be provided to the student by the director of the Student Access Center.
The Faculty Committee on Program Modifications for Students with Disabilities will consider requests from the student to modify programs of study. A unique committee for each student will be constructed based on the student’s program of study. Once a request by a student is received, the relevant Faculty Committee on Program Modification for Students with Disabilities will be appointed.
The committee will consist of a minimum of six members. Two standing members of the committee will be: a faculty member appointed by the provost to serve as committee chair for a three-year term, and the director of the Student Access Center. (In the event more than four requests for modifications are made in an academic year, additional chair members may be needed.)
Appointed members of the committee for a particular student will be as follows:
- a faculty member or advisor in the student’s academic college, appointed by the dean of the college in which the student is enrolled,
- a faculty member from the student’s program unit, appointed by the program unit administrator of the unit in which the student is enrolled,
- a faculty member(s) from the unit(s) in which each course in question is located, appointed by the unit administrator of the respective unit(s),
- and a faculty member or staff member with specialized background in the student's disability, appointed by the Student Access Center Director.
A student must request modification in a program early enough in the student's university career to allow the request to be processed and for arrangements to be made for the student to complete the recommended substitution or modification in a timely manner. The Faculty Committee on Program Modifications for Students with Disabilities meets, as needed, to review and discuss requests for modifications in a student’s program. The Committee responds to requests within four (4) weeks of the date it meets to review each request.
Requests for program modifications must be submitted to the director of Student Access Center. In some cases, a student with a disability may be required by the committee to demonstrate an effort to satisfactorily complete a course (e.g. attend classes, take examinations, write papers) before requesting a program modification. If the student fails the course, he or she may then request a program modification. If the program modification is approved by the Faculty Committee on Program Modifications for Students with Disabilities, the failing grade of the previously required course will be removed when the student with a disability completes the approved program modification.
The committee can act upon requests for program modifications in one of the following ways:
- Approve a specific substitution or modification of the student's program of study. Waivers will not be considered.
- Deny the student's request for one of the following reasons:
- The student has not provided appropriate documentation of a disability.
- The course under consideration is essential to the program of study.
- Request additional information to enable further consideration of the request by the committee.
(The Committee may consult with the campus ADA coordinator during its deliberations.)
Decisions by the Faculty Committee on Program Modifications for Students with Disabilities are final.
Program modification execution shall be supervised by the provost.