Frequently Asked Questions

Who decides if a student is eligible for an accommodation and which one ought to be used?

Disability Resource Center is responsible for assessing each student petition for accommodations and for determining which reasonable accommodation may be used. The latter question may require sustained communication with faculty. Approved accommodations are communicated to the faculty in all cases

If a student claims that they have an approved accommodation or that one is forthcoming shortly, must I implement the change or wait until I receive documentation from the Disability Resource Center?

It is our policy that faculty ought to wait to receive documentation from the Disability Resource Center of an approved accommodation and not make any changes based on any other information. To find out which of your students have approved accommodations, you will receive notification in the Banner system.

If I see a student in my course roster with an approved accommodation identified in Banner, am I obligated to organize a meeting with the student?

Self-advocacy is an important expectation of students with approved accommodations. The student is encouraged to approach their professors to discuss their accommodations. However, some students find it difficult to take the first step. Although instructors are not required to initiate the process, they are encouraged to help their students by aiding them to first talk about their accommodations and plan ahead. Faculty may use the Recommended Syllabus Statement to inform all students of the standard process. If a student does not initiate a conversation with the instructor but the approved accommodation letter has been submitted to the instructor, instructors must still implement the approved accommodations.

The Recommended Syllabus Statement

Mississippi State University is committed to providing equitable access to learning opportunities for all students. The Disability Resource Center (01 Montgomery Hall) collaborates with students who have disabilities to arrange reasonable accommodations. If you have, or think you may have, a disability, please contact drc@saffairs.msstate.edu or 662-325-3335 to arrange a confidential discussion regarding equitable access and reasonable accommodations. Disabilities may include, but are not limited to, conditions related to mental health, chronic health, attention, learning, autism, brain injury, vision, hearing, mobility, speech, or intellectual disabilities. In the case of short-term disabilities (e.g., broken arm), students and instructors can often work to minimize barriers. If additional assistance is needed, please contact the Disability Resource Center. 
 

What do I do if a student informs me later in the term about an accommodation?

Even though students are encouraged to process accommodations early in the semester, they cannot be forced to do so and cannot be penalized for having asked for an accommodation later in the term. Disability conditions can arise at different points in a person’s life and students can make determinations about when to request accommodations. Faculty are obligated to implement an accommodation from the point of notification, or within a reasonable period of time. Faculty are not obliged to retroactively apply an accommodation before initial notification. 
Faculty are encouraged to use the recommended syllabus statement to let students know that they ought to communicate as early as possible about any approved accommodations they plan to use in a course. The statement may incentivize earlier communications by reminding students that accommodations are not retroactive and that they ought to be acknowledged in a timely fashion prior to their use. 

If the student wishes to handle their need for an accommodation informally with me and we both agree to a plan, can we avoid the bureaucracy of having to go through the Disability Resource Center?

This is a dangerous course of action. Faculty who handle accommodations this way are assuming legal responsibility for a matter that requires expertise that is best represented by the Disability Resource Center. If a student receiving this kind of “informal” accommodation later complains that they were treated unfairly or that the informal accommodation was ineffective, the faculty member could conceivably be held responsible for violating the student’s civil rights. At a minimum, the faculty member would be found to have violated university policy and might face sanctions as a result. 

If a student claims that they have recently been injured (e.g., a broken bone, a concussion) and that they are eligible for a temporary accommodation, must I implement the requested change?

Faculty are welcome to contact the Disability Resource Center to consult about how to manage student requests for accommodations or adjustments due to a recent injury or health concern. 

Can I inquire with a student about the underlying reason for an approved accommodation?

Knowing a student’s specific diagnosis is less important than understanding how a disability affects learning and then working with the Disability Resource Center on a reasonable accommodation. Students are not obligated to disclose their specific diagnosis. Students may, however, elect to disclose details if they choose. Even in these cases, faculty must protect the privacy of the student and not discuss the disability or identify the student as disabled to other students, faculty, and staff (who are not otherwise connected to the Disability Resource Center). 

If a class is being recorded due to an approved accommodation, can I tell the entire class?

Yes, but the student with the approved accommodation must never be identified. The same is true if a note-taker or captioning service are employed. The identity of the student with the accommodation must be kept confidential in all cases. 

What if I have academic and copyright protection concerns about classroom recording?

Instructors ought to discuss their concerns first with the Disability Resource Center. In all cases, students who have been approved the use of a recording device aid are required to sign a confidentiality agreement that protects the privacy rights of other students and any copyrights of intellectual property in the course. The agreement identifies that the recording is only to be used for the student’s learning in the course and may not be shared on social media.

I have a “no laptops in the classroom” policy. How do I protect the confidentiality of a student who has an approved laptop computer accommodation?

It is recommended that you indicate in your syllabus statement that you will review individual cases and approve laptop use under certain circumstances, including but not exclusively, in cases of approved accommodations. Do not deny an approved accommodation for use of a laptop without first consulting with the DRC Director and/or the Director of Civil Rights Compliance. 

If students need to attend class to receive participation credit, how do I assess a student with a flexibility in attendance accommodation who misses class?

Faculty may elect to prorate the student’s attendance or use some other standard to assess the student’s participation, preferably in accord with a plan negotiated with the student earlier in the term. Faculty may not downgrade a student’s participation score if they have an approved accommodation regarding class attendance. 

If a student claims to miss class due to an “illness’” how can I determine if this is related to the disability underlying the approved accommodation?

It is not expected that a student with a chronic health condition will see a medical provider for each flare up of symptoms. The student’s report that the absence was disability related should be accepted. Some students have an approved accommodation related to attendance. The number of absences permitted needs to be identified in a flexible attendance agreement completed by both the student and instructor.

How much notice may I expect for a testing accommodation?

Normally, a student requesting a testing accommodation must submit a testing accommodation request at least two business days in advance of a test if it will be administered through the Disability Resource Center. If notice is shorter, we still recommend that the instructor provide the accommodation, if they can, but there is no requirement in this case. Consultation with the Disability Resource Center in these cases is recommended. 

Can I provide a student with an extra time accommodation an exam with fewer questions to allow the student to complete the task within the standard timeframe?

No, because that would not provide the same educational benefit to the student with an accommodation. Normally, the content of an exam must not be changed, only the period of time for completing the task may be altered. If a student takes an exam before or after the rest of the class, the instructor has the option of changing some of the content to preserve the integrity of the exam, but the assessment mechanism must not vary substantially from the original copy. 

If I give the entire class twice the expected amount of time to complete the exam, will I need to provide more additional time for a student with an approved accommodation of 50% additional testing time?

Yes. From a compliance standpoint, students with extra time accommodations must receive more time than the total given the rest of the class. Only take-home and other forms of “unlimited time” assignments and exams are free from the extra time accommodation.

Can I delay the implementation of an approved accommodation?

Normally, approved accommodations must be implemented from the moment that notification is given to a faculty member. A reasonable period may be allowed for making adjustments, such as to a classroom exam schedule, or negotiating modifications to the accommodation in light of course requirements. But any further delay in the implementation of an accommodation can constitute a form of discrimination against the student. 

If a student with an approved accommodation performs poorly on class assignments, should I reconsider how I grade the work for the student?

A student with a disability is to be evaluated in the same way that other students are in the same course. If an accommodation ought to be adjusted to equalize opportunities for learning for a student with a disability, the professor should contact the Disability Resource Center. Otherwise, when concerned about a student’s academic performance, the instructor should discuss their concerns with the student with a disability, just as they would with any other student in the course. 

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