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For any questions please send e-mail to: NDSU.Policy.Manual@ndsu.edu

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SECTION 606: GUIDELINES FOR STUDENT REQUESTS FOR REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION

SOURCE: NDSU President

North Dakota State University (NDSU) is committed to providing access to and inclusion in academic and campus programs for students with disabilities by providing reasonable accommodations. To fulfill this commitment, North Dakota State University has established the following guidelines and expectations:

1. Students are responsible for identifying themselves to the NDSU Disability Services Office as having a disability requiring reasonable accommodation. Even when parents are involved in requesting services, it is primarily the student's responsibility to initiate the request.
2. The University President has assigned the Disability Services Office the responsibility to make decisions regarding provision of accommodations necessary to provide equal access for prospective, newly admitted or currently enrolled students.
3. The Disability Services Office will address requests for accommodation in a timely manner.
4. Prospective students may request reasonable accommodation (e.g. for testing, campus tours or freshman orientation) at any time during the application process. Requests may be submitted orally or in writing. Because arranging accommodations may take significant amounts of time, notification as early as possible is encouraged.(http://www.ndsu.edu/counseling/disability.shtml)
5. A newly-accepted or currently-admitted student whose disability requires reasonable accommodation to have access to campus programs and facilities may request accommodations at any time. The request may be made orally or in writing at the Disability Services Office. Because arranging accommodations may take significant amounts of time, notification as early as possible is encouraged. (http://www.ndsu.edu/counseling/disability.shtml)
6. To be considered as a student with disabilities under the law, the individual is responsible to provide documentation that substantiates his/her claim. Unless both the disability and the need for accommodation are obvious, the student will be asked to provide relevant written documentation of a disability for which accommodations are needed. Documentation should be from an appropriate professional and clearly specify the existence of a disability as defined in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. It should explain the need for reasonable accommodation.

6.1

Documentation provided by the student and should include the following:

6.1.1

A diagnostic statement identifying the disability, date of the current diagnostic evaluation and the date of the original diagnosis.

6.1.2

A description of the diagnostic criteria and/or diagnostic test used.

6.1.3

A description of the current functional impact of the disability.

6.1.4

Treatment, medications, assistive devices/services currently prescribed or in use.

6.1.5

A description of the expected progression or stability of the impact of the disability over time should be included.

6.1.6

The relevant credentials of the diagnosing professional(s) such as medical specialty and professional licensure.

6.2

Occasionally, the documentation a student provides may not be sufficient to make a determination of the appropriate reasonable accommodation. Under these circumstances, Disability Services may require the student to provide additional or more current information. This documentation should be from an appropriate health-care or rehabilitation professional and should clearly specify the disability, functional limitations and need for accommodation.

6.3

Any costs related to the university's request for documentation as noted in 6.1 and 6.2 will be the responsibility of the student.

6.4

Any written documentation regarding a student's disabilities should be sent to the Disability Services Office where it will be filed in a secure place for purposes of confidentiality.

7. Students providing documentation and requesting services/support are assigned a Disability Services case manager.

8. The student and his/her Disability Services case manager will meet to discuss reasonable accommodation and agree on a plan of services.

   8.1

   The student must sign a service plan that delineates the services he/she will receive.

   8.2

   Disability Services provides verification of the documented disability and need for accommodation.

   8.3

   The student is responsible to take the documentation to the instructor during office hours and make arrangements for the accommodations.

   8.3.1

   Occasionally, the Disability Services case manager will contact the instructor regarding the student's accommodations. In such cases, the student remains responsible to follow up by meeting with the instructor.

For policy regarding the use of service animals by persons with disabilities please see NDSU Policy 100.2.

HISTORY: January 26, 2000; December 2006, January 2008.