Disability Related Absences - Faculty Info

The Office of Civil Rights provides the following guidelines to be used in considering whether attendance is an essential element of a course:

1. Is there classroom interactions between the instructor and students and among students?
2. Do Student contributions constitute a significant component of learning?
3. Does the fundamental nature of the course rely on student participation as an essential method for learning?
4. To what degrees does a student’s failure to attend constitute a signification loss to the educational experience of the other students in the course?
5. What do the course description and syllabus say?
6. What are the classroom practices and policies regarding attendance?

Considerations to keep in mind when implementing Disability Related Absences as an accommodation:

• The accommodation does not cover non-disability-related absences (such as flu, planned trip, etc.)
• Additional absences are usually small in number
• Students are not required to provide doctors’ notes for absences
• Make-up assessments and missed work, when reasonable, typically have a short extension window (make-up assessments can be done in EAS when scheduled)
• Student must communicate the need for a disability-related absence and adhere to the identified acceptable time frame and delivery method to turn in missed assignments, materials, assessments, etc.
• DRA accommodation is NOT retroactive and will not apply to any absences or late/missed work prior to the Professor receiving the completed DRA Agreement
• In some instances, DRA usage and assignment completion may be too great for the student to recover from, so allowing the student an incomplete with an audit condition may be reasonable. 

Please contact EAS with any questions, concerns, or guidance information

Extension Date Considerations

Students are expected and encouraged to meet deadlines for assignments. Faculty have the right to establish late work policies. However, if a student has a disability that may occasionally impact their ability to complete assignments at the scheduled time, extension dates for assignments is considered a reasonable accommodation. When considered a reasonable accommodation, Extension Dates for Assignments will be listed on the Faculty Accommodation Memo. This accommodation is NOT Retroactive.

This accommodation is considered reasonable and recommended when:

1. An assignment was not listed on the syllabus initially and is given to students one week or less to complete
2. The assignment deadline is listed on the syllabus but the student did not get the necessary information to complete the work in the expected timeframe
3. An unexpected medical or physical episode interferes with the student’s ability to complete the work in the expected time frame

Considerations when determining reasonable extensions of assignment deadlines:

1. What is the purpose of the assignment? Is it necessary to have it completed before an exam? Before a discussion?
2. What does the syllabus say about deadlines? Turning in late work?
3. Are students required to actively participate in class discussions/activities?
4. How are the students expected to interact with each other (in class, group work outside of class, via email or D2L)?
5. Is the material being learned in the class sequentially? Does each week’s material build on material learned in the previous week?
6. Are there other lab or class sections the student could attend to catch up on missed material?
7. Is it possible for a student to “work ahead” in this class?
8. Could a missed assignment(s) be turned in via email or discussion board?

When notified of the accommodation on the FAM, faculty are asked to consider whether or not such an
accommodation would be reasonable for the class and the assignment(s) in question. It is recommended that the student receive 1-3 additional days as an accommodation but the faculty should engage in dialogue with the student to delineate the preferred communication process for when the student needs to notify the faculty of a needed extension, typical grace period, and any critical assignments that cannot be extended.

Points to consider in making a final decision include:

1. Assess the average time all students are expected to spend on the project relative to the deadline and whether the disability situation necessitates an extension beyond this deadline
2. Assess if it is feasible to assign the project to the student with the disability in advance of other students while keeping the deadline consistent
3. The accommodation does not have to be implemented if it becomes a fundamental alteration to the course-it is highly recommended to consult with EAS before making that decision

Faculty who have questions about how to best incorporate this accommodation into a class, or who do not believe an assignment extension is reasonable, are directed to consult with Educational Access Services.

Educational Access Services recommends each degree group create a standard policy in regards to courses to encourage consistency and a agreeable precedents. However, ultimately, it is at the individual professor's discretion to establish the attendance and make-up policy for each individual course. EAS is happy to schedule a time to review and assist in the creation of a degree-focused plan for accommodating disability-related absences.

Faculty Base DRA Form