Accommodations Defined

Accommodations are modifications to policy, procedure or practice that may include the provision of auxiliary aids and services designed to afford students with disabilities equal access to all Skidmore programs and activities. Accommodations will be considered when they do not fundamentally alter the nature of a program, course or service or present an undue financial or administrative burden to the College. The coordinator of student access services will seek to implement accommodations preferred by the student making the request and at times may consult with individual faculty members, academic departments and other academic and administrative offices to evaluate whether a requested accommodation is appropriate.

Identification of Accommodations

As indicated above, identifying appropriate accommodations is best achieved through an interactive and individualized process. To this end, students are strongly encouraged to engage in an open dialogue with the coordinator regarding their personal and academic strengths and the physical and/or learning barriers experienced as a result of a disability. In order to foster the development of a strong interpersonal relationship, the coordinator will take the following steps subsequent to the receipt of each completed application:

1. Establish an individual student file and maintain all disability records in a secure and confidential manner.
2. Verify the existence of a disability and determine whether the student has equal access to courses, programs, services, activities or facilities without accommodation.
3. Identify the barriers that may result from the interaction between the student and the college environment as a result of the disability.
4. Identify accommodations necessary and provide equal access to Skidmore's programs, activities and facilities and services to support each student's academic development.
5. Identify potential questions and issues to be addressed.
6. Contact each student to schedule an in-person or telephone interview.
7. If necessary, consult with other administrative offices or academic departments to ensure that recommended or suggested accommodations will not fundamentally alter the academic standards of a course or program, or present an undue financial or administrative burden to the College.
8. Notify students of their eligibility and, if appropriate, their approved accommodations. In most cases, students will receive notice via their Skidmore e-mail address.

While the primary emphasis of the initial review will be to determine eligibility for and evaluate requested accommodations, the coordinator may identify and suggest alternative or additional accommodations that may benefit the student. It is also possible that some approved adjustments may apply only to specific courses, test formats or subjects. This process may also involve identifying valuable support services available to students from other Skidmore student service offices or academic departments such as the Writing Center, Counseling or and Health Services. Students will be appropriately referred to these resources regardless of eligibility for accommodative services.