Student Accommodations Purpose and Policies

Revised 7/2023

Purpose:

The Board of Trustees and the Administration of Bellin College ensure that no student shall be denied access to the benefits of education, programs, or services at Bellin College solely because of disability. For each qualified student, accommodations shall be granted to ensure equal access to education, programs, and services according to the student’s needs.

Policy:

Rehabilitation Act of 1973

No public or private institution may discriminate against a disability solely because of the disability based on Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act. https://www.dol.gov/agencies/oasam/centers-offices/civil-rights-center/statutes/section-504-rehabilitation-act-of-1973

Bellin College complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to provide all students with appropriate and reasonable accommodations for those with documented disabilities. If students anticipate requiring any auxiliary aids or services, they should contact accommodation services in student affairs at accommodations@bellincollege.edu.

Accommodations for disabilities are determined as a result of self-disclosure by the student. The primary objective of accommodation services at Bellin College is to encourage and facilitate students’ self-advocacy. Self-advocacy entails empowering students to effectively communicate relevant information regarding physical, emotional, sensory, or learning challenges to student affairs at accommodations@bellincollege.edu. The aim is to ensure accessibility to the diverse range of education, programs, and services available at Bellin College. The accommodations process is completed confidentially with student affairs. Before meeting with a member from student affairs, students must have completed and submitted the proper paperwork, which can be found on the website, a member of the student affairs office, etc. This paperwork must be completed by a licensed professional (not a family member) qualified to make the diagnosis and includes but is not limited to providing a description of the disability, including a clearly stated diagnosis and history.

• Instruments/procedures used to make diagnosis and how the diagnosis currently impacts the student’s functioning in daily life and educational settings
• Recommendations for accommodations
• Any related supporting medical or academic documentation

Students must renew their accommodations each academic year by completing the appropriate documentation and sending it to accommodation services in student affairs at accommodations@bellincollege.edu. The exception is students in the BSN 15-month accelerated program.

Students Rights and Responsibilities

Each student with an identified and documented disability has the right to receive appropriate and reasonable accommodations from Bellin College:

1. Equal access to education, programs, and services offered through Bellin College.
2. Equal opportunity to learn and receive appropriate and reasonable accommodations, academic modifications, and equipment needed to ensure equal access.
3. Adherence to the confidentiality of all information regarding their disability and to choose to whom information about their disability is disclosed, except as permitted or required by law.
4. Necessary information will be available to appropriate college members pertaining to the student’s individual disability.
5. If a student needs assistance throughout the accommodations process, accommodation services in student affairs can assist.
6.  Appeal decisions related to accommodation determinations.
7. Request changes or additions to approved accommodations.

Each student with an identified and documented disability has the responsibility to ensure they meet and follow through to:

1. Meet academic qualifications and maintain essential institutional standards for education, programs, and services (i.e., completing assigned work in courses undertaken)
2. Identify themselves promptly as an individual with a disability when accommodations and modifications are necessary and seek information and assistance as needed from appropriate sources designated by the college as soon as possible. Please allow one week for the accommodations services to review the paperwork and create an accommodations plan.
3. Provide appropriate and Bellin College comprehensive documentation when seeking accommodations from approved licensed professional by (a) describing the diagnosis and history, including names and scores of evaluations, (b) describing how the disability impacts the student’s functioning in daily life and educational settings, and (c) recommendations for accommodations.
4. Once the student has supplied the college with the appropriate documentation, accommodations services will review the appropriate documents to create an accommodations plan. During this time, the college will determine what accommodations will best benefit the student in their studies.
5. Once an accommodations plan is made, the student will have the opportunity to review the plan and sign the release of the accommodation notification.
6. Accommodation services will release the accommodations plan to the student.
7. The student is responsible for setting up meetings with appropriate people (faculty) to implement proper accommodations. It is suggested that students have these meetings two weeks before the semester. Accommodations can take up to three business days for faculty to implement. 
8. Faculty will work with proper resources to reserve testing spaces and other resources as needed and provided by the college.

Go to  the Accommodations webpage