The school is an equal opportunity institution of higher learning and is firmly committed to nondiscrimination in its delivery of educational services and employment practices. In compliance with all applicable federal and state laws, such decisions will be made irrespective of the individual's race, color, religion, religious creed, ancestry, national origin, age (except for minors), sex, marital status, citizenship status, military service status, sexual orientation, medical condition (cancer-related or genetic condition), disability and/or any other status protected by law. When necessary, the School will reasonably accommodate an individual (including students) with disabilities if the educational program of the school and /or safely perform all essential functions, without undue hardship to the school and/or without altering fundamental aspects of its educational program.
The School grants otherwise qualified students, residents, and applicants all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School and does not discriminate on the grounds listed in the Policy Prohibiting Unlawful Discrimination in the administration of its educational programs, admissions, scholarships and loans, or other School activities.
The School will reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities when the individual so presents a request in accordance with this policy and the individual is qualified to safely and effectively perform all essential functions of the position unless there is undue hardship in doing so. Reasonable accommodations do not include a modification of the fundamental requirements and elements of the program (e.g. behavior and conduct standards, attendance and grading policies, academic and patient care standards, etc.)
If the individual student, resident, or applicant is otherwise qualified, in response to a request for accommodation the School will offer to make an accommodation if the accommodation is reasonable, effective, does not alter a fundamental aspect of the program, will not otherwise impose an undue hardship on the School, and/or there are no equivalent alternatives. If appropriate, the School may choose to consult with such individuals, internal or external to the School, to provide further assistance needed to evaluate the request for accommodation.
For purposes of reasonable accommodation, a student, resident, or applicant with a disability is a person who: (a) has a physical or mental impairment which limits one or more major life activities (such as walking, seeing, speaking, learning, or working); or (b) has a record with the School by which the School has officially recognized such impairment. To be eligible to continue at the School, the student, resident, or applicant must meet the qualifications and requirements expected generally of its students, and must also be able to perform the requirements of the individual major or program in which s/he is enrolled, with or without reasonable accommodation.
Note: In the event that a request for reasonable accommodation is denied, the School may occasionally choose to afford the student some temporary measure or flexibility, which is not based on the asserted disability issue, but which otherwise is considered appropriate, if it does not alter a fundamental element of the program and is not viewed by the School as inequitable toward other students. In such few cases, such temporary measure or flexibility will not be a precedent, nor will be a reasonable accommodation, and the student thereby will not be regarded as an individual with a disability.
A student, resident, or applicant who requires an accommodation aid or assistance ("accommodations"), whether for academic or other uses, and who believes s/he is qualified under the School's policy, should contact the Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs, who serves as coordinator of disability accommodations and services. Individuals who may apply for admission are also encouraged to contact this office to request general information. Faculty and staff members who receive student-initiated inquiries or requests regarding accommodations should promptly refer those students to the Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs. Accommodation determinations should not be made without consultation and written determination of the assistant dean.
Students and residents who seek academic accommodations are expected to contact the Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs well in advance of the commencement of the activity course(s), and to provide all requested supporting information at least three weeks in advance of the requested implementation date, using the forms available for that purpose in the Office of Academic Affairs.
Provided that all forms and other documentation, if necessary, are completed accurately and furnished by the student, resident, or applicant in a timely fashion, the Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs will respond in writing to the request for accommodation and will do so in a manner consistent with the policy. If the student, resident, or applicant agrees with the response, faculty and staff members who will be involved in providing or facilitating the accommodation will be informed of the accommodation, but the Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs will not provide medical or health-related information, unless such information is appropriate in order to allow them to assist in implementing the accommodation.
Each student, resident, or applicant requesting accommodation bears the responsibility for initiating, documenting and communicating promptly with the School regarding a disability-related request for accommodation, in the manner requested in this policy. Timely communication between the student and the Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs and/or individual faculty members is critical. Requests for information and details on accommodations will generally be communicated via confidential email, and student, resident, or applicant replies to such communications, be they from the director or a faculty member, should be in writing within 72 hours. Students must contact course directors at least one week in advance of an assessment for which accommodation is requested. Once an accommodation has been agreed upon by the student or resident and a faculty member, the student or resident must adhere to the accommodation, barring a significant and unforeseen event (e.g., sudden serious illness). Last minute requests for or cancellations of previously agreed upon accommodations are prohibited by this policy. Furthermore, a student or resident who appears late for an assessment for which accommodations have been arranged forfeits the time lost due to tardiness.
The School's forms should be used and the student, resident, or applicant will provide to the Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs the documentation to support the request. Documentation from the appropriate health professional(s) should reflect the nature of and present level of disability, how the disability affects the student's, resident's or applicant's needs in a collegiate setting, and how the requested accommodation will resolve the needs. Because the provision of all reasonable accommodations and services is based upon assessment of the current impact of the disability on current academic performance, it is in an individual's best interest to provide recent and appropriate documentation, generally no more than 3 years old. Earlier documentation regarding learning disabilities will be reviewed, if it is supplemented by more recent materials.
The Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs has discretion to determine what type of professional documentation is necessary, and this may vary depending on the nature of the disability and/or accommodation. The assistant dean has discretion to seek independent medical assessment if in his/her judgment it is appropriate in some circumstances.
For all other school policies, including Workplace Security and Anti-Violence and Prohibited Sexual and Other Unlawful Harrassmen, please refer to the Policies and Procedures page.
July 2011
