Academic Accommodations

Academic accommodations are legally-mandated modifications, adjustments, auxiliary aids, and/or services that give a student with a disability an equal opportunity to benefit from the educational process.  It is useful to think of accommodations as adjustments to how things are normally done.

Academic accommodations may include:

• Changes to a classroom environment or task that permit a student with a disability to participate in the educational process
• Modifications to policies, practices, or procedures (e.g., reduced courseload, extended time to degree, etc.)
• Provision of accessible instructional materials and effective communication services
• Other adaptations or modifications that enable a student to enjoy the benefits and privileges of the university’s programs, services, and activities.

Students who may need an academic accommodation based on the impact of a disability must register with the Office of Accessible Education (OAE) and initiate their requests.  Because accommodations are not retroactive, students should contact the OAE as soon as possible in order to ensure timely notice and coordination.  Similarly, it is the student's responsibility to notify the OAE as early as possible in the event of any problems or unexpected barriers experienced in the obtaining of academic accommodations and services.