Why does my syllabus include an accessibility statement
Why should I not accept a doctor's note?
Will I always know if there are students in my class with accommodations?
What if someone breaks their arm or has a temporary illness?
Am I required to change my content?
Do accommodations ever give an advantage?
I suspect one of my students may have a disability
When should I refer a student to Accessibility Services
If a student lets you know they have a disability or they need accommodations in your course, please refer them to our office. A student may indicate that they are registered with the ASO, but until you receive an accommodation letter, you are not obligated to provide any accommodations.
Why does my syllabus include a statement about accessibility?
We are obligated to make students aware of the accommodation request process. Having a syllabus statement ensures students have easy access to information that points them to the appropriate way to request accommodations.
Why can I not accept a doctors note
Student privacy is important but its also equally important that you are not put into the difficult position of reviewing medical information and making judgments based on it. ASO has expertise in reviewing medical documents. We strongly recommend building in flexibility for your class for this reason. Some instructors choose to drop the two lowest scores or even allow up to 5 late days a semester no questions asked. If a student indicates they have something more complex going on, you should refer them to the ASO. If a student needs an exception for a medical reason, we will work with you around those parameters.
Will I always know if there are students in my class with accommodations?
It depends. We will send you an accommodation letter if there are accommodations that are applicable to your course and if the student requests it. Sometimes students request you are notified even if the accommodations do not apply in case things about the class come up that they didn't anticipate and need to request additional accommodations for.
I have implemented the accommodations you listed on the accommodation letter, but the student is asking for different or additional accommodations. Should I provide them?
If a student asks you to provide them with accommodations beyond what is stated in the letter, please refer them back to the ASO. We will engage them in the interactive process to determine whether an accommodation is appropriate given their disability. We may also contact you with specific questions about your course if the request is complex.
What if someone breaks their arm or has a temporary illness?
You can always suggest that the student contact us so we can work with them around a temporary accommodation. While not necessarily protected under the law the same way a student with a disability would be, we will work with them to figure out what temporary measures can be put in place. As instructors, you may not always receive an accommodation letter for a temporary illness if the accommodation is for one assignment, the ASO may communicate this via email.
What if a student wants me to change the content of my class. Am I required to do so?
No, we would never ask that you change the content or lower the standards of your course.
Do accommodations ever give a student with a disability an advantage
We absolutely appreciate the concern around equity for all students. Accommodations are designed to “level the playing field,” which means they provide an equal opportunity to participate. We are concerned with access as opposed to success, meaning we want students with disabilities to have the same opportunities as their peers to be successful (or not).
I suspect one of my students may have a disability and asked for more time what do I do?
You are welcome to kindly mention that the Accessibility Services Office can assist in helping students with things like extra time. You can offer to e-introduce a student to us by sending an introductory email.
I have not recieved an accommodation letterIf you do not have a letter from us this means no applicable accommodations have been supported. This could be for several reasons:
- A student has not provided sufficient documentation
- Documentation does not support the specific request
- Student has presented documentation but has not yet engaged in the interactive process
- The request is not reasonable
In these situations, we would recommend following any procedures or guidelines you have made for the entire class. If you would grant an extension for other students then follow that process but if you would not, you are absolutely under no obligation to do so in this circumstance.
Exam AccommodationsIf a student has been approved for exam accommodations you will receive an accommodation letter from us. You can also look up your students that need accommodations in our Accessibility Services Access Portal (ASAP) under the enrolled students tab. Please note, other course staff do not have access to the ASAP Portal or the letters, so if they are the ones adding in extra time, please make sure they have an updated list. If your exams are administered through Canvas, we ask that you add in any time accommodations. If you use a third-party platform for proctoring (Proctorio), there may be some students that need a different proctoring method due to their disability. In these situations, we will offer to proctor the exam over Zoom, so the integrity of the exam is maintained, and the student has a similar experience to the rest of the class.
Directions to add extended time to Canvas:
1. Open the course in Canvas
2. Select “Quizzes” on the left-hand side of the window
3. Select the quiz/exam that needs the time adjustment
4. On the next screen, select “Moderate this quiz” on the right side of the screen
5. Find the student’s name on the list and check the box to the left of their name
6. Click the pencil icon to the right of their name
7. A window will pop up and allow you to manually enter the additional testing time – please be aware there is an optional button there that will allow the student to have multiple attempts at the quiz
8. After entering the additional testing time click “save”
If you administer exams in person, we will arrange for students that need accommodations to take their exams with the ASO. We will ask you to send us the exam and we will scan and email it back to you once completed. If you need the exam back by a specific time the same evening, please send course staff to pick it up.
Alternative TextYou may wonder what “alternative text” means when you see it listed on a student’s accommodation letter. If a student has requested alternative text, it means that they are looking for any text, whether it be a textbook or course readings, to be in a specific format. For many of our students this will often mean a readable file. PDF’s that are scanned and recognized as images will need to be remediated. It may also mean that text materials need to be a certain font size. We may request textbooks through websites such as AccessText or Bookshare, and we may need to pull readings off the course site to be remediated.
Note Taking Assistance
Note Taking Assistance
A notetaker or technology will be identified and managed by ASO. The student is required to connect with the ASO’s coordinator prior to each semester to determine the delivery method and type of notes required. Student may have access to technology that will record audio and provide notes on the recording. Students will complete a recorded lecture agreement form prior to audio recording. Notetaking assistance does not eliminate the need to take lecture notes, alter participation or attendance requirements in class, allow for recordings to be shared or posted, or give permission to video record.
Classroom Management
We understand that managing a classroom can be challenging especially when there are so many different needs to attend to. We always recommend reaching out to the Office of Student Affairs (OSA) if you ever need advice on how to handle a challenging situation.
Appeals/Withdrawal
If a student is not doing well in your class or encounters an extraordinary life circumstance such as illness or a death in the family, you can point them to the following webpages, so they get more information about their options. If they wish to talk to someone, they are welcome to reach out to appeals@extension.harvard.edu as well.
https://www.extension.harvard.edu/registration-admissions/course-registration/filing-an-appeal
https://www.extension.harvard.edu/course-changes-withdrawals
We recognize that instructors come from all over to teach at Harvard and may take the culture of their home institution to DCE. That is one of the extraordinary things about DCE. We remain available to answer any questions.