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LAMAR UNIVERSITY
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1. INSTITUTIONAL COMPLIANCE WITH THE REHABILITATION ACT OF 1973, SECTION 504
AND TITLE III OF THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (
1.01. It is the policy of Lamar University that no otherwise qualified disabled
individual shall, solely by reason of his/her disability, be excluded from the
participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination
under any academic program or activity.
1.02.
2. DEFINITIONS OF TERMINOLOGY: The following excerpts (2.01 – 2.04) are taken
from Title by Title: The ADA’s Impact on Postsecondary Education (Jarrow, 1992,
pp.2-3, 13) for purpose of defining the term “person with a disability.”
2.01. A “qualified person with a disability” with respect to postsecondary and
vocational education is a disabled person who meets the academic and technical
standards requisite to admission or participation in the institution’s programs
and activities.
2.02. A “person with a disability” is someone with a physical or mental
impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.
considered to be a person with a disability if he/she has the disability, has a
record of the disability, or is regarded as having the disability.
(a) “physical impairment” means any physiological disorder or condition,
cosmetic disfigurement, or anatomical loss affecting one or more of the
following body systems: neurological, musculoskeletal, special sense organs,
respiratory (including speech organs), cardiovascular, reproductive, digestive,
genitor-urinary, hemic and lymphatic, skin and endocrine.
(b) “mental impairment” means any psychological disorder, such as mental
retardation, organic brain syndrome, emotional or mental illness, and specific
learning disabilities such as dyslexia, deficits in reading comprehension,
spelling, mechanics of writing, math computation, and/or problem solving.
(c) “substantially limits” means unable to perform a major life activity, or
significantly restricted as to the condition, manner, or duration under which a
major life activity can be performed, in comparison to the average person or to
most people; the availability of some mitigating measures (such as a hearing
aid for someone with a hearing loss that brings hearing acuity within normal
limits) is not to be considered when determining if the disability
substantially limits the individual.
(d) “major life activity” means functions such as caring for oneself,
performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing,
learning, and working.
2.03. Confidentiality of Disability-Related Information
The office of SFSWD maintains
all disability related documentation for students with disabilities. This
information is kept on separate forms and in secure files with limited
access. Only information which is
necessary to verify that the student has a documented disability and identify
approved academic adjustment and/or accommodations is shared with members of
the campus community (FERPA 34 CFR §
99.31).
3. OFFICE OF SERVICES FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES (SFSWD)
3.01. The mission of the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities
(SFSWD) is to provide qualified students with disabilities (SWD)equal access to
LU’s academic activities, programs, resources, and services in order to assure
non-discrimination based on disability. The staff of SFSWD assists students
with direct services and provides information, advice, and references. The
staff offers guidance and services to other members of the university community
who provide the necessary academic adjustments and/or accommodations and
services to meet the needs of SWD. The office advocates for full participation
by qualified persons with disabilities in all programs and services offered by
the university. Services and academic adjustments and/or accommodations are
provided in the most integrated setting, and to the fullest extent reasonable.
Through its involvement in activities, and coordination of programs on
disability issues, the office fosters an understanding for and sensitivity to
the needs, abilities, and life styles of persons with disabilities.
3.02. The SFSWD Director reviews educational, medical and/or psychological
documentation presented by the student seeking academic assistance to make a
good faith determination of whether a disability exists. The Director provides
the student with a memorandum to each of the student’s instructors outlining
appropriate academic adjustments and/or accommodations.
3.03. The SFSWD Director addresses problems in implementing academic and other
forms of assistance and serves as a grievance source for complaints from SWD.
The Director does not review academic grievances but does review
grievances that allege discrimination based on a disability. If the student
disagrees with the findings of the Director, he/she can appeal to the Senior
Associate Provost. The procedure for this appeal shall be determined as
outlined in the Faculty Handbook, Appendix I. If the appeal
and/or grievance do not involve a disability issue, the student follows the
usual appeal/grievance procedure outlined in the Student Handbook.
4. RESPONSIBILITIES OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES (SWD)
4.01. Students with disabilities may avail themselves of assistance provided by
the Office of SFSWD and the university more generally.
4.02. Students with disabilities needing consideration during their tenure at
4.03. Each student requiring academic adjustments and/or accommodations must
fill out an intake form. Director will make a determination of appropriate
academic adjustments and/or accommodations and provide the student with a
memorandum for each of the student’s instructors. The student is responsible
for communicating with each instructor in order for appropriate strategies to
be considered that assure participation and achievement opportunities are not
impaired.
4.04. Accommodations should be
requested with ample lead time in order to have arrangements in place. The amount of time needed will vary with the
type of academic adjustments/accommodations requested. Without proper lead time, accommodations may
not be in place when needed. If an academic adjustment/accommodation is not
provided in the agreed upon expected manner, it is the student’s responsibility
to come directly to the office of SFSWD and notify SFSWD staff of the
difficulties encountered. Specific
procedures for accessing certain accommodations can be found at http://dept.lamar.edu/sfswd and form
SFSWD office staff.
5. FACULTY RESPONSIBILITY
5.01. The
5.02. Faculty members and the SFSWD Director shall make a good faith effort to
resolve disagreements regarding the recommended academic adjustments and/or
accommodations. Faculty members are to
provide requested academic adjustments and/or accommodations until any
disagreement is resolved. Unresolved disagreements shall be settled by the
Provost. The Provost’s decision shall be final.
5.03. The following statement
is suggested to be included on course syllabi: ADDENDUM: Please make an
appointment with the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities (SFSWD)
if you have need for a disability-related accommodation. SFSWD is located in
the
5.04. When a student requests academic adjustments and/or accommodations from a
faculty member without a memorandum from the SFSWD Director, the faculty member
is to refer the student to the Office of SFSWD, Communication 105, or by phone
880-8347.
6. ADA/SECTION 504 GRIEVANCES
Students with disabilities may bring an allegation of violation of their
ADA/Section 504 rights to the SFSWD Director or Senior Associate Provost within
10 class days of the alleged action that triggered the complaint (hostile
climate). The SFSWD Director or Senior
Associate Provost will follow the procedure outlined in the Faculty Handbook,
Appendix I: Grievance Procedures for Filing, Processing, and Resolving
Complaints of Alleged Discrimination Based Upon Race, Color, Sex, Age,
Disability or National Origin. The
student grievant will receive assigned academic adjustments and/or
accommodations until the grievance is resolved.
The Office of SFSWD will provide a student grievant with necessary academic
adjustments and/or accommodations to participate in a formal or informal
grievance. Academic adjustments and/or
accommodations may include, but are not limited to: sign language interpreting
or information in accessible formats.
7. ACCESSIBILITY ISSUES
7.01. Auxiliary Aids and Services: This section (7.01 a-d) includes excerpts
taken from Title by Title: The
(a) Qualified sign language interpreters, assistive listening systems,
decoders, open/closed captioning, TTYs, and voice to text services.
* A “qualified interpreter” as defined by the
* The university provides sign language interpreting services during classroom
instruction, examinations, scheduled laboratory sessions, and conferences with
faculty and all university sponsored events. Any department/group sponsoring a
university event must contact Sign Language Interpreting Coordinator for the
assignment of interpreters at least two
weeks before the scheduled event at 409-880-8059 or SLIS@lamar.edu .
(b) Qualified readers, audio recording, taped texts, Braille materials, large
print materials, materials on computer disk
(c) Assistive technology necessary to access university labs and activities.
* The goal of providing
auxiliary aid or service is to assure qualified SWD reasonable and effective
access to communication. The staff of
SFSWD will work with SWD in determining the reasonable assignment of auxiliary
aids and services. Requests for
auxiliary aids and services should be submitted with ample lead time in order
to have arrangements in place. Specific
procedures for accessing certain auxiliary aids and services can be found on
our website http://dept.lamar.edu/sfswd and from SFSWD office staff.
7.02.
(a) For example, the
7.03. All university publications and websites should have, when appropriate, a
statement that give the name and contact information of the person or office
from whom to request disability-related academic adjustments and/or accommodations,
accessible formats (including maps and guides), and/or accessibility. Once need
has been verified, the contact person should inform the appropriate program
director or chair of the requested academic adjustments and/or accommodations,
accessible formats, and/or accessibility. The program director or chair is
responsible for the provision of any reasonable academic adjustments and/or
accommodations, accessible formats and/or accessibility. The Office of SFSWD will assist in the
production of accessible materials. Any
costs for accommodations, accessible materials, and/or accessibility are the
responsibility of the group sponsoring the activity, event, or program.
Model Statements
For Events: To appear on calendars, posters, flyers, and other announcements or event advertisements.
* If you have questions concerning access, whish to request a sign language interpreter or accommodations for a disability, please contact {insert name and contact information including an e-mail or TTY number}. Early requests are strongly encouraged; a week will generally allow time to provide access.
On Publications: To appear on all appropriate University publications such as catalogs, brochures, and recruitment/admission/registration materials.
* If you need to request this information in an accessible format (Braille, digital, tape or large print) please contact {insert name and contact information including an e-mail or TTY number}.
On Web Pages: To appear as text on homepage if unsure of usability with adaptive technology.
* If you have difficulty
accessing any portions of this page with adaptive technology, please contact
{insert page owner/web master names, e-mail, phone and TTY if available}.
7.04. Classes for SWD should not be scheduled in buildings which are not accessible
to individuals with physical impairments.
This should be coordinated through SFSWD and the building coordinator of
the class which needs to be re-located.
7.05. Reduced Course Load
Any undergraduate student who is unable to take twelve (12) credit hours or any graduate student that is unable to take nine (9) hours in a long semester because of the impact of a disability may request, without penalty, to be considered a full-time student by Lamar University. Following is the procedure to follow and factors to be considered:
(1) Requests for reduced course loads are submitted to the SFSWD Director with supporting documentation. Supporting documentation from an appropriate professional must include a diagnostic evaluation that is recent enough to evaluate the current impact of the disability.
(2) The SFSWD Director evaluates the documentation and the request in terms of the impact of the disability and the demands of the student’s schedule.
(3) If the request is denied, the student may appeal the Director’s decision to the Senior Associate Provost.
(4) If the request is approved, the potential consequences of the reduced course load on progress towards graduation, financial aid, billing etc. will be explained to the student by the SFSWD Director. The SFSWD Director will indicate the approved reduced course load and explain that this credit load will be considered to the student’s minimum credit load for full-time status for the semester in question and that he/she cannot drop below the amount of minimum hours agreed upon without placing his/her full-time status in jeopardy.
(5) The student and the SFSWD Director sign the “Reduced Course Load Approval” form. Copies are sent to the Registrar, Financial Aid, Cashiering, Student Affairs, and the student’s Dean/Academic Advisor.
(6) With the agreed credit load, the student will be considered full-time and entitled to all of the services, benefits, rights, and privileges of full-time status.
(7) Based on the reduced credit load, the student’s financial aid will be adjusted within the limits of State and Federal financial aid regulations. Only institutional policies that the university can modify apply to students who qualify for this exception.
REDUCED COURSE LOAD
APPROVAL
Mr. / Ms. _____________________ , SS# __________________ , has a
documented disability that has been reviewed by the Director of SFSWD. The
impact of the disability has been reviewed in the context of his/her proposed/current
schedule, and it has been determined that a reduced course load is a
reasonable academic adjustment and/or accommodation under Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Mr. / Ms. _____________________ , will be registering for/dropping to __________
credits for the ____________________ semester(s). The academic
adjusted and/or accommodated course load of _________ credits will be treated as
his/her minimum credit load for full-time status and entitle him/her to all of
the rights, privileges, benefits, services, and responsibilities of a full-time student. I
have been explained the potential impact the reduced course load may have
on the time requested for completion of my degree, on billing, and on financial aid.
_________________________________________
Student
_________________________________________
Director
CC: Registrar Financial Aid
Senior Associate Provost Student’s Dean
Cashiering Student’s Academic Advisor
7.06. Service Animal
As established by the Americans
with Disabilities Act (ADA), service animals shall not be excluded from
university facilities and activities.
The
service animal as:
* “…any… animal individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including, but not limited to, guiding
individuals with impaired vision, altering individuals who are hearing impaired to intruders or sounds, providing minimal protection or rescue work, pulling a
wheelchair, or fetching dropped item.”
Service animals whose behavior poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others or is disruptive to the campus community may be excluded regardless of
training or certification.
7.07. Course Substitutions Based on Disability
Any request for a core curriculum course substitution based on a medically-documented learning disability (including but not limited to dyslexia, dysgraphia, or
Asperger’s Syndrome) must by submitted, in writing, to the Director of Services for Students with Disabilities (SFSWD). The director will review all relevant
documentation and forward the request to the chair of the student’s major along with a memorandum regarding how the student’s disability might affect the
specific course in question. After consultation with the student’s academic advisor, the chair will determine if there is a reasonable course substitution for the
core course in question. If there is an appropriate substitution, the chair will forward a recommendation to the dean of the college within which the student’s
major is located. The dean will review the recommendation then forward it to the Provost. The Provost will review the recommendation, and if appropriate,
forward it to The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board for a final decision.
All course substitutions must conform to the principle of “reasonable accommodations” and follow the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Rule
§4.28. All requests must be submitted to the
Director of SFSWD as early as possible and preferably within the first year of
a student’s enrollment at
University. The department chair of the student’s major will be responsible for informing the student of any decisions made concerning the request. For more
information, contact the Director of SFSWD.
It should be noted that at this
time, PHIL 2303 is the only
However,
department chair should determine the most appropriate second core curriculum math requirement for the qualified student. (Effective: Fall 2007)
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This page last updated 6-16-08 .
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