Rights and Obligations Regarding Appropriate Academic Adjustments

Students Rights

A college student with a disability has the right to appropriate academic adjustments under Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Coordinator of Disability Support Services makes decisions regarding the nature of the adjustments. Provisions protecting the student from discrimination on the basis of a disability are guaranteed. The student has the right to file a grievance concerning any allegation of failure to comply with the laws, regulations and procedures set forth for people with disabilities. Grievances shall be processed through the existing discrimination grievance policy and procedures for SCC.

Students Responsibilities

Students with disabilities must demonstrate that they have acquired the same amount of content knowledge as the other students enrolled in the class from which they are requesting adjustments. Students with disabilities are obligated to use the adjustment responsibly. Adjustments must be requested in advance, allowing sufficient time for instructors to arrange for the modifications requested. It is the studentandrsquo;s responsibility to utilize the services and keep in close contact with DSS.

Faculty Members Rights and Responsibilities

When a request for an adjustment for a specific course is received, the faculty member may require verification of the disability from DSS in the form of a letter. The adjustment requested must not compromise the content of the course or the requirements for satisfactory course completion.

Confidentiality

Confidentiality is an extremely important issue when interacting with any student. Students with disabilities may be very guarded in the information that they may want to share. It is important to respect a studentandrsquo;s right to exercise personal discretion in the disclosure of individual disabilities. Students are under the protection of confidentiality laws and need not disclose the specific nature of the disability