skip navigation

HomeSearchSitemap
Wheaton College     Norton, Massachusetts
Academic Advising > rights and responsibilities

Rights and Responsibilities: Students, Institution, and Faculty

STUDENT RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Every student with a documented disability has the following rights:

1. Equal access to courses, programs, services, jobs, activities, and facilities available through the College.
2. Reasonable and appropriate accommodations, academic adjustments, and/or auxiliary aids determined on a case-by-case basis.
3. Appropriate confidentiality of information pertaining to his/her disability with the choice of to whom their disability will be disclosed, except where required by law.

Every student with a documented disability has the responsibility to:

1. Meet the College's qualifications and essential technical, academic and institutional standards.
2. When seeking an accommodation, identify themselves in a timely manner as an individual with a disability.
3. Provide documentation from an appropriate professional source that verifies the nature of the disability, functional limitations, and the need for specific accommodations.
4. Contact the Academic Advising Center at the beginning of each semester so that appropriate accommodations can be made in a timely manner. Students are strongly encouraged to make this contact within the first two weeks of each semester. This includes filling out the required academic accommodation form itemizing the students needs (e.g., extended time to complete exams, note taker, classroom relocation, etc.)
5. Provide signed consent authorizing the Academic Advising Center to discuss his/her need for reasonable accommodations, academic adjustments, and/or auxiliary aids with the professional source of his/her documentation.
6. Inform the faculty member or professor at the beginning of each semester about his/her disability, how performance may be affected, and the necessary and reasonable accommodations.
7. Meet the timelines and procedural requirements established by the Academic Advising Center to request assistance or arrange with a faculty member testing accommodations. If the student fails to provide adequate notice of the need for assistance, he/she is still entitled to accommodations, but there is no guarantee that any accommodation can be provided in the fullest measure.
8. Request accommodations for final exams by procedures outlined in that section of this manual.
9. Notify the Office of Disability Services of any cancellations or changes in the requests of scheduled accommodations.

INSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Wheaton College, through its Disability Services is obligated to:

1. Verify the need for reasonable accommodations, academic adjustments, and/or auxiliary aids through review of current documentation completed by an appropriate professional source.
2. Discuss a student's need for reasonable accommodations, academic adjustments, and/or auxiliary aids with the professional source of his/her documentation (given the student's signed consent, authorizing such discussion).
3. Select among equally effective and appropriate accommodations, adjustments, and/or auxiliary aids, in consultation with the student.
4. Deny a request for accommodation, academic adjustments, and/or auxiliary aids if:

  • The documentation is not provided in a timely manner;
  • The documentation does not identify a specific disability;
  • The documentation fails to verify the need for the requested services.

    Wheaton College, through its Disability Services, has the responsibility to:

    1. Maintain the College's academic standards.
    2. Refuse to provide an accommodation, adjustment, and/or auxiliary aid that is inappropriate or unreasonable, including any that:

  • Pose a direct threat to the health and safety of others;
  • Constitute a substantial change or alteration to an essential element of a course or program, or;
  • Post an undue financial or administrative burden on the College.

    3. Ensure that College courses, programs, services, jobs, activities, and facilities, when viewed in their entirety, are offered in the most integrated and appropriate settings.
    4. Provide information regarding policies and procedures to students with disabilities and assure its availability in accessible formats upon request.
    5. Provide reasonable and appropriate accommodation, academic adjustments, and/or auxiliary aids for students with disabilities upon a timely request by a student.
    6. Maintain confidentiality of records and communication concerning students with disabilities, except where disclosure is required by law or authorized by the student.

    RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE FACULTY MEMBER INCLUDE:

    1. Implement the curriculum and maintain the academic standards of the College.
    2. Discuss with the Assistant Dean of Studies and Disability Services any concerns related to the accommodations or arrangements that have been requested by the student during their initial contacts.
    3. Provide appropriate approved accommodations, either personally or through arrangements with the Assistant Dean of Studies and Disability Services.

    Back to ADA main page

    •