Q1. Do I have the right to know what type of disability a student has when he/she asks for an accommodation?

A1. No, a student does not have to provide the faculty member with particulars about his/her disability, but the student may choose to give details about his/her disability to you. Please maintain confidentiality concerning the student’s disability related information disclosed by the student.

If you have a question regarding the need for the accommodation, then you may contact the Director of Academic Program Support and Disability Services, at extension 7225, who can inform you if the student has a documented disability and if the academic adjustment requested is appropriate. The office should have documentation regarding the student’s disability on file. The confidential nature of disability-related information has been and over-arching principle of nondiscrimination since the passage of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

Q2. How do I encourage students with disabilities to discuss their needs with me early in the semester? I would rather not be approached right before an exam.

A2. There are various ways to encourage students to discuss their needs early. A direct approach is simply to invite students with special needs to speak with you after class or during office hours. Faculty members have found it very useful to include a statement on their syllabi advising students to see them early in the semester or before a certain date and reminding them of their responsibility to register with the Office of Academic Program Support and Disability Services.

Despite our best efforts to encourage early communication, there may be students who wait until they are in crisis before identifying themselves as having a disability. It is not at all uncommon for a student to want to begin college without “special help” and to wait until right before an exam in given or after it is returned to discuss his/her needs. Please take care not to presume that the student is simply using the disability as an excuse for poor performance, but do discuss other factors that may be affecting the student’s performance including those that may or may not relate to the disability.

There are also various things you can do to establish a climate of respect for students with disabilities - - things which will likely help all of your students. For example, you can select a larger font or print size for syllabi, and other written material you distribute to students. You can highlight the academic resources available for your students, including your office hours, study space, tutoring services, review sessions, workbooks or study guides. The Director of Academic Support and Disability Services is available to help students improve their learning strategies and to refer students to resources both within and outside the Colgate community.

Q3. Is it possible that a student in my class has a disability and that I am not made aware of it?

A3. You may have a student with a disability who has chosen not to inform anyone at Colgate or a particular faculty member. By law, we can not require a student to come forward. You may also have a student who may be eligible for a particular accommodation in a class but who may choose not to use it.

There may also be a student in your class with a disability that has not yet been diagnosed. For instance, you may observe a discrepancy between different aspects of the student’s performance. The student may make strong, articulate contributions to class discussion while the written work is replete with grammar and spelling problems. There are various possible explanations for such discrepancies, and a learning disability may be one of them. The Director of Academic Program Support and Disability Services can provide students with information and guidance concerning assessment for learning disabilities.

Q4. How much extra time for an exam or in class assignment is appropriate?

A4. Extended time rather than untimed exams is appropriate. Time and a half to double time is most commonly prescribed. You may ask the student directly how much time he or she will need or check with Lynn Waldman.

Q5. Isn’t the student receiving “special privileges?” What about fairness to the other students?

A5. Providing accommodations should not be regarded as giving students “special privileges,” but rather as minimizing the impact of the student’s disability to the greatest extent possible.

The law does not intend that institutions pass students because they have a disability and they feel sorry for them. It is important to expect the same academic performance, with requested accommodation, from the student with a disability as from a student without a disability.