Rights and Responsibilities of Students and Faculty

Student Rights and Responsibilities

Students with disabilities have the right to:

• Participate in higher education if they are qualified for admission
• Equal access to academic content and educational opportunities
• Participate in student activities
• Academic adjustments (reasonable accommodation)
• File a formal or informal complaint if discrimination is occurring
• Confidentiality of all disability-related information

Students with disabilities are responsible for:

• Identifying himself/herself to the Disability and Access (D&A) office and providing documentation of a disability. Strict documentation guidelines exist for different types of disabilities. Information on documentation guidelines is available in the Documentation Guidelines section.
• Setting up an appointment with D&A to discuss the impact of their disability and the reasonable accommodations they require
• Notifying instructors of their accommodations via the delivery of an Accommodation Letter listing approved accommodations
• Discussing the accommodations with the instructor to determine how they will be applied within each class.
• For a more thorough list view Student Rights and Responsibilities

Faculty Rights and Responsibilities

Faculty members have the right to:

• Maintain the rigor and the fundamental nature of their course content
• Require students to demonstrate their knowledge of crucial course content
• Consult with the Disability and Access office if the accommodation seems unreasonable
• Request an official Accommodation Letter from D&A before providing a requested accommodations. However, faculty should encourage the student to continue communicating about barriers in the classroom while they are in the process of registering with D&A.

Faculty members are responsible for:

• Implementing best practices in teaching to reach a every learner
• Including a syllabus statement on how students can access accommodations; see Creating an Accessible Classroom for sample wording
• Meeting as quickly as possible with students who provide a letter from D&A in order to discuss and make arrangements for the approved accommodations. This is best done in the instructor’s office to promote an atmosphere of open communication and confidentiality between student and faculty.
• Providing the accommodations listed in the official Accommodation Letter from D&A
• Contacting D&A if there are any questions or concerns about an approved accommodation or how to best work with a student
• Having an awareness of campus resources available for students and faculty
• Maintaining confidentiality of student’s who disclose their disability or need for accommodation

Faculty do not have the right to refuse to provide required accommodations as outlined on an official letter from D&A, to question whether the disability exists when accommodations have been authorized by D&A, or to request to examine the student’s documentation. However, faculty members do have input and should work with students to determine how accommodations will be provided in a particular class. An accommodation should not alter the fundamental nature of a course or program.

While students are expected to comprehend course material, accommodations give students the opportunity to achieve that goal and demonstrate that comprehension in testing situations. If a faculty member has questions about the appropriateness of a required accommodation, he or she should consult with the appropriate Coordinator in D&A. If the disagreement is not resolved, the faculty member should contact the Executive Director of Disability and Access.

See Colorado State University’s Access to Postsecondary Education Through Universal Design Learning’s module regarding Faculty Rights and Responsibilities for more information.

What Accommodations are Faculty Responsible for Providing?

Faculty are responsible for providing the accommodations that are listed in the Accommodation Letter, both in the classroom and for exams. If a faculty member has concerns about how an accommodation may apply in their class, please contact D&A to consult with the student’s Coordinator.

For more information about some of the most frequently approved accommodations, please visit our Accommodations and Services page.

Unsure of How to Provide an Accommodation? Please call D&A in a timely manner to ask for assistance or clarification. D&A is here to support the academic efforts of students with disabilities and can serve as a resource to faculty members to help meet this goal.

Why is it the Faculty Member’s Responsibility?

In order to be truly accessible and to preserve academic integrity within the classroom at The University, the faculty member is the most appropriate person to administer the accommodations.

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