Disabled Students Programs and Services Academic Accommodations Policy

Disabled Students Programs and Services (DSPS) provides programs and support services to students with verified disabilities. The program assures that disabled students have equality of access to classes and programs.

The goal of providing reasonable academic accommodations to disabled students is to minimize the effects of the disability in the educational process. The disabled student needs to be given the opportunity both to acquire information and to be evaluated in a way which allows the student to fully demonstrate knowledge of the subject. Academic accommodations are individually determined by DSPS certificated faculty in consultation with the student and are based on a review of the functional educational limitations associated with the disability. Appropriate reasonable accommodations will be made in a timely manner.

Student Responsibilities

1. The student must be enrolled in Sierra College classes and must provide the DSPS office with a written verification of their disability including identification of educational limitation(s) due to the disability.
2. Before each semester and/or as needed during the semester the student will schedule an appointment to meet privately with a DSPS certificated faculty member to request academic accommodation(s). The student may, at any time, also request the accommodation directly from the classroom professor.
3. The DSPS certificated faculty member will evaluate the requested accommodation on a course-specific basis and will consult as necessary with the student, class professor(s), and DSPS Coordinator to identify the appropriate reasonable academic accommodation for each class. Where it is determined that the accommodation would fundamentally alter the nature of a class or program, the DSPS certificated faculty member will consult further with the professor to determine whether an alternative accommodation can be identified. A Disabled Student Services Academic Accommodation Certification form will be completed for each class and provided to the student at the time of the appointment.
4. The student will give a copy to the classroom professor to certify the college’s authorization of the accommodation. A copy of the certification will be provided to the student and a copy will be maintained in the student’s DSPS file.

If the student disagrees with the accommodation determination:

1. The student should contact the DSPS certificated faculty at any time for further interaction. If the student continues to disagree with the accommodation, he/she will be referred to the DSPS Coordinator or designee. If there is not further contact made by the student it will be assumed that the student no longer disagrees with the accommodation determination.
2. The DSPS Coordinator or designee will discuss and confer with the DSPS certificated faculty member, the class instructor and other resources as appropriate to review the student’s disability and make a determination regarding the appropriate accommodation within five instructional days from the date the student contacted the DSPS Coordinator.
3. If the student is still not satisfied with the disposition of this accommodation, the DSPS Coordinator will refer the request to the District ADA/504 Compliance Officer. The Compliance Officer will confer with all necessary parties and make a final determination on behalf of the District within thirty instructional days from the date the certification was signed by the DSPS certificated faculty member.

Reference: Sierra College Board Policy 5140 and Administrative Procedure 5140.