Providing Accommodations

The accommodation process begins with receiving a course accessibility letter. Students are responsible for requesting their course accessibility letter each semester via Access KSU. The course accessibility letter lists accommodations the student has requested and is sent to your Kent State email address. While students are able to request their course accessibility letters at any time during the semester, accommodations are not typically applied retroactively. 

SAS recommends only providing accommodations to students for which you have received formal notification. Please refer students to SAS if they disclose accommodation needs that you have not been formally notified about.

Students are encouraged to discuss accommodations with you. However, if you receive a course accessibility letter and the student does not contact you regarding their accommodations, we recommend reaching out to the student. A brief email acknowledging you received the course accessibility letter and encouraging the student to contact you with questions or concerns about their accommodations in your class is suggested. You may want to include this email in your class records.

We encourage faculty to discuss accommodations directly with students and recommend having accommodation and disability-related conversations in a private setting. Information concerning a student's disability should be kept private and only disclosed to those with a legitimate need to know. SAS staff are available to consult with faculty about how to support students or implement accommodations, but SAS will not disclose a student's diagnosis or documentation.  

The Attendance Modification Accommodation may be appropriate for a student with a disability that experiences brief, periodic flare-ups that may impact course attendance and class participation. Students experiencing a disability of this nature should contact Student Accessibility Services (SAS) to discuss appropriate accommodations.

The Attendance Modification Accommodation is specifically designed to build in a slight amount of flexibility around attendance in order to address the impact of a brief, periodic disability-related experience. It is not designed to support a substantial number of missed classes. Students who are unable to participate in more than one week of consecutively missed classes or a combination of classes in excess of two weeks of class should discuss with their professor if it is possible to make up missed coursework and continue with the pace of the course. Students should also work with their academic advisor and the Student Ombud to discuss possible course withdrawal and/or incomplete grading options.

Students should be aware that this accommodation may not be reasonable in all courses. Course requirements vary widely due to course structure. Most courses have a limit to the number of absences that may be appropriate before it becomes impossible for the student to satisfy the learning outcomes of the course. SAS, in consultation with the course instructor and other relevant academic parties, will determine if attendance is an essential element of the course by considering the course description, syllabus, grading methodology, external licensure requirements, the impact on the education experience of the entire class, and other factors.

In some cases, reasonable adjustments to attendance and class participation may not be possible, and SAS will notify students of this determination in writing to their Kent State email address within a timely fashion. Students are encouraged to work with their academic advisor to discuss options available to them including, but not limited to, taking the course in a subsequent semester when their health has improved, enrolling in a class with a different method of instruction, or course withdrawal. Please note, if the student chooses to remain in the course without the support of an attendance modification accommodation, they are subject to the class attendance policy set forth by the instructor and the student's final grade may be impacted due to unexcused absences and/or lack of class participation.

Student Responsibilities:

1. Students must meet with SAS to determine eligibility for this accommodation.
2. Students must send their Course Accessibility Letter via Access KSU prior to or as close to the start of each semester as possible. Students should also discuss their accommodations and any possible academic barriers with their instructor. As outlined above, this accommodation may not be reasonable in all courses. It is the responsibility of the course instructor to contact SAS within seven business days of receiving the student's course accessibility letter to discuss any concerns about the appropriateness of this accommodation in their course. SAS, in consultation with the course instructor and other relevant academic parties, will determine if attendance is an essential element of the course. SAS will notify students if the accommodation is not reasonable. In this case, students should meet with SAS to discuss possible course accommodation options and work with their academic advisor to discuss possible course options, including course withdrawal. If the student chooses to remain in the course without the support of an attendance modification accommodation, they are subject to the class attendance policy set forth by the instructor and the student's final grade may be impacted due to unexcused absences and/or lack of class participation.
3. Students must notify their instructor by Kent State email when they experience a disability-related absence prior to the class, when possible, or within 24 hours of missing the class. Absences not related to the student's specific disability on record with SAS are subject to the course attendance policy as outlined in the syllabus. Use of this accommodation for other reasons, including health issues not related to this accommodation, seasonal colds and flu, and other non-disability related reasons is not acceptable.
4. Students are responsible for all academic requirements of the course. Students should contact SAS if they experience a course or professor-related accommodation situation that concerns them. While SAS cannot guarantee that the outcome will meet the student's ideal circumstances, we do promise to consider all relevant variables in determining reasonable access and accommodations.

Instructor Responsibilities:

1. Be familiar with the student responsibilities for using this accommodation as outlined above.
2. Instructors concerned about academic integrity or the appropriateness of the accommodation in their course, must contact SAS within seven business days of receiving the student's course accessibility letter. Please note that the attendance modification is expected to remain in effect until a final determination is made by SAS regarding the appropriate use of the accommodation for your course. In consultation with the instructor, department chair, or dean, SAS will determine if attendance is an essential element of the course by considering the course description, syllabus, method of grading, external licensure requirements, the impact on the educational experience of the entire class, and other factors. See 'Guidance Questions' below for additional information.
3. Provide reasonable flexibility where possible. When students with the attendance modification accommodation notify the instructor appropriately and with adherence to the above student responsibilities, the instructor should count the absence as excused and reasonable deadline extensions or make-up assignments should be given. Students should not be required to provide a medical excuse for their disability-related absence.
4. Contact SAS with questions or concerns throughout the semester.

Guidance Questions for Determining Appropriateness of Attendance Modifications:

• What does the course description and syllabus say about class attendance? Have you made exceptions to this policy in the past? What is the purpose of this policy and how would modifying this policy impact the academic integrity of the course?
• Are attendance and/or class participation points factored in as part of the final grade? If so, how? Is this a course, department, or college policy?
• Is there flexibility already in place regarding attendance and class participation? If so, what does that look like?
• Is the method of instruction primarily lecture or interactive? Does instruction or learning rely on specific elements from the previous class session?
• Do student contributions constitute a significant component of the learning process (e.g. presentation, role play, discussion, etc.)? What is the impact on the educational experience of other students in the class if a student is absent?

The Deadline Modification Accommodation may be appropriate for a student with a disability that experiences brief, periodic flare-ups that may impact adhering to course assignment deadlines. Students experiencing a disability of this nature should contact Student Accessibility Services (SAS) to discuss appropriate accommodations.

The Deadline Modification Accommodation is specifically designed to build in a slight amount of flexibility around course assignment deadlines in order to address the impact of a brief, periodic disability-related experience. Deadline extensions related to this accommodation are specific to lengthy or complex individual assignments and are typically 24-72 hours in length.

Students should be aware that this accommodation may not be reasonable in all courses. Course requirements vary widely due to course structure and deadline extensions may not be appropriate due to the learning outcomes of the assignment and/or course. SAS, in consultation with the course instructor and other relevant academic parties, will determine if meeting deadlines is an essential element of the course by considering the course description, syllabus, grading methodology, external licensure requirements, the impact on the educational experience of the entire class, and other factors.

In some cases, reasonable adjustments related to deadline adherence may not be possible, and SAS will notify students of this determination in writing to their Kent State email address within a timely fashion. Students are encouraged to work with their academic advisor to discuss options available to them including, but not limited to, taking the course in a subsequent semester when their health has improved, enrolling in a class with a different method of instruction, or course withdrawal. Please note, if the student chooses to remain in the course without the support of a deadline modification accommodation, they are required to adhere to the course assignment deadlines set forth by the instructor and the student's final grade may be impacted due to late assignments.

Student Responsibilities:

1. Students must meet with SAS to determine eligibility for this accommodation.
2. Students must send their Course Accessibility Letter via Access KSU prior to or as close to the start of each semester as possible. Students should also discuss their accommodations and any possible academic barriers with their instructors. As outlined above, this accommodation may not be reasonable in all courses. It is the responsibility of the course instructor to contact SAS within seven business days of receiving the student's course accessibility letter to discuss any concerns about the appropriateness of this accommodation in their course. SAS, in consultation with the course instructor and other relevant academic parties, will determine if adhering to course deadlines is an essential element of the course. SAS will notify students if the accommodation is not reasonable. In this case, students should meet with SAS to discuss other accommodation options and work with their academic advisor to discuss possible course options, including course withdrawal. If the student chooses to remain in the course without the support of a deadline modification accommodation, they are required to adhere to the course assignment deadlines set forth by the instructor and the student's final grade may be impacted due to late assignments.
3. Students must notify their instructor by Kent State email that they require a deadline extension at least 24 hours prior to the established deadline. Once the timeline for the deadline modification has been determined by the instructor, students should adhere to the new deadline. Please note, requests for deadline extensions for reasons other than those related to disability are not supported by this accommodation.
4. Students are responsible for all academic requirements of the course. Students should contact SAS if they experience a course or professor-related accommodation situation that concerns them. While SAS cannot guarantee that the outcome will meet the student's ideal circumstances, we do promise to consider all relevant variables in determining reasonable access and accommodations.

Instructor Responsibilities:

1. Be familiar with the student responsibilities for using this accommodation as outlined above.
2. Instructors concerned about the academic integrity or the appropriateness of the accommodation in their course, must contact SAS within seven business days of receiving the student's course accessibility letter. Please note that the deadline modification is expected to remain in effect until a final determination is made by SAS regarding the appropriate use of the accommodation for your course. In consultation with the instructor, department chair, or dean, SAS will determine if adhering to deadlines is an essential element of the course by considering the course description, syllabus, method of grading, external licensure requirements, the impact of the educational experience of the entire class, and other factors.
3. Provide reasonable flexibility where possible. When students with the deadline modification accommodation notify the instructor appropriately and with adherence to the above student responsibilities, the instructor should provide a reasonable deadline extension.

Accommodations available

Please note, the term exam is used to be inclusive of all tests, quizzes, midterms, and final exams. Exam accommodations may include, but are not limited to:

• extended time for exams (for traditionally timed tests)

• reduced distraction testing environment

• reader or scribe

Administering accommodations in the classroom

A student may take their exam in the classroom with accommodations, and we ask that instructors make the necessary arrangements in order to accommodate the student. For example, a reduced distraction environment (i.e. your office, an empty classroom, etc.) may need to be identified for a student, or instructors may need to make scheduling arrangements in order to provide extended time for the exam. In some cases, instructors may need to determine with the student an alternative exam/quiz date and/or time in which you, as the instructor, is available to answer any questions the student may have during the exam. 

SAS testing center

If instructors are not able to provide the testing accommodations the student is eligible for, the student may be referred to SAS for those accommodations, and/or it may be necessary for the instructor to consult with SAS regarding other possible solutions. The SAS office works with instructors to provide an alternative testing location that ensures integrity of the classroom testing environment as closely as possible.

Any incidents of improper test taking, as defined by the University’s Policy on Student Cheating and Plagiarism, will be handled as if the incident occurred in the classroom. 

Please note, testing is not available at SAS when the university is not in session which includes campus closures, holidays, fall break, spring break, winter break, etc.

Exam Submission Process

For all exams taken in the SAS office an emailed ( tuscsas@kent.edu ) notification will need to be sent one week prior to the exam date.  If the student is taking an exam in the SAS office, you are responsible for sending a copy of the exam to SAS at least 48 hours prior to the exam date. You will also need to provide instructions for the exam.  If the exam is online you will need to provide all information needed for the student to take the exam.  Also please include instructions on how you would prefer the exam returned to you.

How to provide extended time through blackboard learn

Please review the "Tests with Extended Time" tutorial, created by the Blackboard Learn support team, for step-by-step instructions on extending time for exams in Blackboard Learn.