Accommodating Students

Accommodating Students

Glenville State University is obligated to make accommodations only to the known limitations of an otherwise qualified student with a disability. It is the student's responsibility to notify the Accommodations and Accessibility Counselor of disabling conditions and to request accommodations.

The procedure for doing so is as follows:

Students must request to set up a meeting with the Accommodations and Accessibility Counselor. At the first meeting, the student will complete necessary paperwork and meet with the Counselor to complete an assessment of their individual needs. This meeting may also include the students' parents or guardians, if the student chooses to have them present. The student will be informed of what documentation must be provided based on their self-report. This information can include psychological evaluations, previous Individual Education Plans from high school, previous 504 plans, and/or medical records, etc. The records must be no more than three years old. The documentation must provide a diagnosis and a recommendation regarding how the disability affects education.

If the student feels that they may have a condition which would warrant consideration for an accommodation but has no documentation to that effect the Accommodations and Accessibility Counselor, with the consent of the student, then makes a referral to an appropriate agency for an evaluation. The student then bears the responsibility for any fees that may be incurred during this evaluative process, as assessed by the agency.

The Accommodations and Accessibility Counselor will maintain a separate, confidential file of this information which will be used for the exclusive purpose of arranging the necessary accommodations for the student. Accommodations will be arranged by the Accommodations and Accessibility Counselor and will be coordinated with the persons (e.g., individual faculty instructors, residence hall directors, director of the physical plant, etc.) who will carry them out. The Counselor will also maintain, in a separate student file, a complete record of the accommodations provided.

Students with disabilities who elect not to identify themselves immediately, or who develop disabilities after being admitted, may identify themselves and request accommodations at any time. They may do so by contacting the Accommodations and Accessibility Counselor.

Identified Students

Students who have already self-identified are required to meet with or contact the Accommodations and Accessibility Counselor at the beginning of each new semester in order to evaluate accommodations for that semester. 

This appointment serves more than a single purpose; it serves as a means to assess the student to determine if there are any changes that need to be made in accommodations and it allows the Accommodations and Accessibility Counselor the opportunity to assess academic progress. If a student has been successful with their previously approved accommodations, then few adjustments may be necessary. However, if the student is experiencing academic difficulty, it may be necessary to make adjustments for that student on a variety of levels. The adjustments may come in the form of further assessment to determine need for other accommodations or teaching the student new skills, such as study skills, time management, test taking skills, etc. It is also important to evaluate the courses that the student is enrolled in as accommodations may vary based on the content, structure, or requirements of a specific course. (Example: A student may need additional accommodations for a course that requires physical interaction such as a science lab vs. a more traditional seated course where lecture is the main component.)

Accommodations and Notification of Faculty and Staff

Once the student meets with the Accommodations and Accessibility Counselor and a plan for accommodations has been established, the next step is to notify faculty and staff. Accommodation memos are written to notify the instructors that, "John Doe is a student in your (specified) class that has a documented disability." The letter further elaborates on what accommodations are necessary for that student in that course. It is the student’s responsibility to provide this memo to their professors and to ensure that their professors are aware of their accommodations.