Accommodations

Students who believe they will need academic or other accommodations to participate as fully as possible in the activities related to their academic program at the College-Institute should make those needs known as early as possible, preferably as soon as they have received notification of acceptance.

Accommodations are adjustments made for students with disabilities with the goal of allowing them to access the same educational experiences as their peers to the extent possible. Generally, a person with a disability is an individual who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. Major life activities include, but are not limited to, caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating, and working.

Accommodations are equitable modifications of the learning environment that eliminate, as much as practicable, physical, or instructional barriers to learning encountered by the student with a disability. An accommodation is considered appropriate if the accommodation is feasible and reasonable in its alternative method or format and does not impose an undue burden or hardship on the school. Accommodations are individualized and dependent on the nature of the specific disability or disabilities.

Accommodations are provided on an individual basis according to documentation provided by the student, tailored to individual needs, and may include, but are not limited to the following:

Notification letters to professors
Quiet room in which to take examinations.
Flexible deadlines for assignments
Extended time for reading assignments.
Extended time for examinations.
Alternate format textbooks. (e.g. Pdf- or Word-formatted books E-books)
In-class note taker. (The request is made in cooperation with professor.)
Oral reader for exams
Recording device in classroom
Computer in class
Preferred seating in the classroom.

Accommodation requests that (1) alter requirements that are essential to the program of instruction, (2) cause a fundamental alteration in the nature of a specific course or academic program, (3) impose undue financial or administrative burden, or (4) pose an appreciable threat to personal or public safety are deemed unreasonable and will not be granted.

The College-Institute will assess on a case-by-case basis whether a particular accommodation request would cause undue hardship. An “undue hardship” is a significant difficulty or expense and focuses, among other factors, on the resources and circumstances of the school in relationship to the cost or difficulty of providing a specific accommodation. Undue hardship refers not only to financial difficulty, but to accommodation requests that are unduly extensive, substantial, or disruptive, or those that would fundamentally alter the nature or operation of a course or program of study.

Additionally, the College-Institute commits itself to making its campuses accessible. The campus Director of Student Support will work with the campus Operations Manager to ensure that the campus is physically accessible to the degree practicable. Where applicable, handicap-accessible parking will be made available. Classes may be relocated to rooms that are physically accessible to meet student and faculty needs.

Alternative textbooks

Students who need alternative textbooks, such as textbooks in PDF format, should make this request as soon as their course syllabus is made available. Students should contact the Director of Student Support.

E-books

Students may wish to purchase e-books, when possible, to use with their speech-to-text readers. Many publishers provide textbooks through third-party resources such as BookShare and Accessible Textbook Network (ATN.)

Procedures and Policies

Request for Services All students in need of disability services must notify the Director of Student Support as soon as possible after the need for an accommodation becomes apparent. In order to begin the process of assessing potential accommodations as soon as possible, it is preferable that students notify the Director of Student Support upon registration for classes of such need. The student will be assigned to meet with the Director of Student Support to discuss his or her needs and recommendations.

A student previously diagnosed with a disability and who used academic accommodations in a prior educational setting must request that a copy of their test results and recommendations be sent to the Director of Student Support.

If a student is seeking an accommodation for a learning disability for the first time and has not used an academic accommodation at a prior educational setting, the student must provide updated documentation of the student’s disability. Documentation should be completed and signed by a professional familiar with the student and the student's disability such as a physician, psychologist, or rehabilitation counselor. It should verify the disability, its impact on the student’s ability to function and suggest appropriate accommodations.

At a minimum, the documentation must be sufficient to apprise the College-Institute that the student currently has a disability that excludes the student from participation in, denies the student the benefits of, or otherwise subjects the student to discrimination in any program or activity.

The Director of Student Support will review the documentation and any requested accommodations. If necessary, the Director of Student Support will discuss any alternative recommended accommodations with the student. The Director of Student Support will notify the student of the determination and, if appropriate, any accommodations to be implemented.

If the accommodation is to be used in a specific class(es), the student, working with the Director of Student Support, must notify the faculty member responsible for the class(es) as soon as the determination is reached.

Students receiving accommodations must meet with the Director of Student Support at the beginning of each semester to review their status and, if necessary, update their records.

If a student feels that their accommodations are not being met, they must immediately notify the Director of Student Support or the Provost.

NOTE: The College-Institute does not provide diagnosis of learning disabilities or differences or the educational therapies to address those disabilities or differences. Any expense a student incurs for testing and diagnosis of a disability is borne by the student. The College-Institute reserves the right to conduct its own independent evaluation, as necessary.

Confidentiality Notice

Except where necessary to further the purpose of this policy or where otherwise required by law, all Disability Services student information will be kept strictly confidential. Release of personal or disability information is at the discretion and instruction of the student. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure, or distribution of disability documentation is prohibited. Notification to faculty of a student’s need for accommodation will only be carried out upon the written permission of the student. No further information regarding the student’s disability may be shared within the College-Institute unless the student authorizes the release of the information.

Even if a student registered with Disability Services openly discusses their disability, College-Institute staff and faculty are not permitted to discuss disclosed information with others.

Request for Reconsideration

If a student’s request for accommodation is denied or the student is otherwise dissatisfied with the result of their accommodation request, the student should request a meeting with the Director of Student Support to present additional information and/or documentation and to discuss the nature of the issue or complaint. This meeting should be requested within 30 calendar days of the date that the conflict or issue arises. For concerns relating to the denial of accommodations, the Director of Student Support may engage an outside consultant to review the documentation and provide recommendations to the Office. The Director of Student Support may contact faculty, administrators or professionals that can provide information pertinent to the case. If confidential information is to be released to or received by a third party not affiliated with the College-Institute, the student will be asked to sign a release of information form. Following the review of the request for reconsideration, the Director of Student Support will notify the student of the decision within 30 calendar days.

Review by the Provost: If the issue is not resolved through reconsideration, the student may request a review of the process by the Provost within 30 calendar days of receiving the decision on reconsideration. The student should submit a detailed written account of the issue and sign and date the document. The Provost will make an inquiry into the complaint and may contact faculty, administrators or professionals who can provide information pertinent to the case. Every effort will be made to resolve the grievance within 30 calendar days or as expeditiously as possible. The student will be contacted in writing with a final decision regarding the request.

Students are not required to use the internal reconsideration process and may contact the Office of Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Education in order to file a complaint. Information on filing a complaint is available on their website: www2.ed.gov/ocr

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”):

Chicago Office (for Cincinnati campus): (312) 886-8434
San Francisco Office (for Los Angeles campus): (415) 556-4275
New York City Office (for NY campus): (212) 637-6466
The Ohio Civil Rights Commission (“OCRC”), Cincinnati Regional Office: (513) 852-3344
The State of California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (“DEFE”): (800) 884-1684 (toll free for complaints and information)
The New York City Equal Employment Practices Commission: (212) 240-7902
The New York State Human Rights Commission on Discrimination Complaints: (212) 306-7450

The College-Institute prohibits retaliation against anyone who seeks an accommodation or who seeks reconsideration under this section or otherwise complains that he or she has been denied equal access in the form of appropriate accommodations or has suffered discriminatory harassment. This prohibition of retaliation similarly extends to anyone who assisted or participated in any manner in an investigation or proceeding relating to a complaint under this section.

In the event that the College-Institute finds that any student has suffered discrimination or harassment relating to his or her disability, the College-Institute will take immediate measures to remediate and/or correct the discrimination or harassment. Any individual who is subject to such discrimination or harassment will be notified of the College-Institute’s measures to remediate and/or correct such conduct.

Training

The College-Institute Director of Student Support will arrange training. Occasional updates regarding changes to College-Institute, state, and Federal policies will also be provided as needed.