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The university is committed to providing an accessible and equitable learning environment for all qualified students, and offers support services through one of two offices, depending on the type of disability. Both offices are described in greater detail elsewhere in this Guide. Disability Services, an agency within Equal Opportunity and Diversity, provides support for students with learning, physical, and medical disabilities. Students with psychological disabilities are served by the office for Counseling and Assessment Services (CAS), part of the Undergraduate Advising and Academic Support Center.

It is a student’s responsibility to provide documentation of disability to the appropriate disabilities service office. Documentation of a medical, physical or psychological disability must come from an appropriate medical or other qualified professional care provider. Learning disabilities must be documented through current and formal psychoeducational assessment completed by qualified professionals trained in the assessment of learning disabilities. An Individualized Education Plan or a Section 504 plan is useful but is not, in and of itself, sufficient documentation to establish the rationale for accommodations.

The university does not waive requirements for students with disabilities, but allows reasonable modifications in programs and courses for students with documented disabilities. Degree and course requirements have been implemented for important educational reasons, and the university’s goal is to provide the assistance necessary, through the support agencies, to enable students with disabilities to meet these requirements and fully participate in the educational experience that they encompass. For students with learning disabilities and students with hearing impairments, this includes modification of the foreign language and global education requirements of the Colleges of Arts and Sciences, to allow these students to meet the intent of the requirement through a method tailored to their individual circumstances.

Students must also request modifications well in advance to allow time for the appropriate disabilities office and faculty to coordinate reasonable accommodations. Particularly in the case of the foreign language requirement, students need to make arrangements for modifications as early as possible following admission. The university strongly encourages students with disabilities to take advantage of the support services offered.