Accommodations for Students with Disabilities: Information for Faculty
Instructor Procedures Concerning Students with Disabilities
In order to make our department more inclusive and accessible and to uphold the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Davidson School of Chemical Engineering has established procedures to be followed when a student comes forward with a Letter of Accommodation (LOA) from the Disability Resource Center (DRC).
The procedures outlined here apply to students who provide the instructor with a letter from the DRC stating that they are entitled to accommodations. The DRC may also send a duplicate letter to the instructor. Please refer students who do not have a letter, or who want accommodations different from those in their LOA to the DRC in Young Hall 830. Students may contact the DRC by visiting the office, emailing drc@purdue.edu or calling the main office at 765-494-1247.
If University and School procedures are followed, an instructor must provide the accommodations listed in the LOA that are requested by the student. Please note that a student may choose not to use every accommodation. Accommodations beyond those listed in the letter will be at the faculty member’s discretion. Aside from the listed accommodations, an instructor should base all decisions (such as a missed exam, missed classes, etc.) the same as you would for any other student.
Instructor Responsibilities
Exam Accommodations
School of ChE policy encourages students to talk with their instructors and academic advisors as soon as possible if they are experiencing barriers at any point during the semester. If students have an LOA prior to the start of the semester, they are encouraged to provide that letter to you and their academic advisor within the first two weeks of the semester. We recognize that disability can occur at any time; therefore, students are encouraged to give their instructors and academic advisor a copy of their LOA as soon as possible. If notification of an accommodation is not provided within a reasonable timeframe, a good faith effort should nonetheless be followed to meet the requirements of the accommodation. We recognize that it may take time to implement certain accommodations, resulting in a delay of access.
Read statement to students
On the first day of class please read the following statement, which should also be included in your course syllabus:
“Purdue University strives to make learning experiences as accessible as possible. If you anticipate or experience physical or academic barriers based on disability, you are welcome to let me know so that we can discuss options. You are also encouraged to contact the Disability Resource Center at drc@purdue.edu or by phone: 765-494-1247.
In addition to the University policy, the Davidson School of Chemical Engineering has established procedures for students seeking accommodations. These can be found online at the ChE Undergrad Office website. Only those accommodation requests that conform to both University and ChE policy guidelines will be implemented.”
Keeping records and confidentiality
When you receive an LOA directly from a student or the DRC, keep the letter for your records and maintain its confidential status.
The student may choose to initiate contact with you; however, they are not required to do so. Faculty may initiate a conversation regarding what they can do to ensure that their course is accessible. An Instructor may not mandate a student disclose a disability or visit the DRC.
Determining accommodations requested
Each LOA contains an introductory paragraph which describes why the student is requesting accommodations. The accommodations outlined in the LOA were determined through an interactive process between the student and the DRC Access Consultant.
Addressing classroom requirements unrelated to exams
Classroom accommodations can include, but are not limited to: requests to face the classroom when speaking, preferential seating, being provided copies of lecture notes and conditions for in-class quizzes and assignments. Please contact the DRC if there are any questions on how to implement these accommodations.
If the student has any in-class accommodations listed, please discuss these accommodations with the student when they contact you.
Addressing exam accommodation requests
The DRC has its own scheduling system that interfaces the student, instructor of record, and the DRC. Instructors will receive an e-mail inviting them to log into their system to provide necessary proctor information and a copy of the exam.
A student allowed accommodations for exams is not required to use these accommodations for every exam. Due to the fluctuating nature of some disabilities, students may choose to use their accommodations at only some points in the term and not use them at others. It is up to the student to determine if and when they use the accommodations.
Additional accommodation resources
The Undergraduate Office (UGO) also has a dedicated space, the ChE Resource Room (FRNY G041E), available for students with accommodations. Instructors may contact the UGO to schedule exams or quizzes to be proctored by a member of the UG Office staff Monday through Friday 8am to 5pm. If the ChE Resource Room is unavailable, or numerous students are in need of this accommodation, the UGO will seek nearby alternative locations.