Faculty Member's Frequently Asked Questions
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A student with a disability is enrolled in my class. What adjustments or other accommodations must I make? |
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There are many kinds of disabilities, and they affect students in many different ways. Specific answers about what an instructor must do will depend on an individualized analysis of each student's need. You have the resources of the Disabled Students' Program (DSP) for help with this, and it is in your best interest (logistically, legally, etc.) to use that help. DSP will make sure that a student is indeed entitled to accommodations in your class, and perform the professional assessment of what those accommodations should be. All you have to do is refer the student to DSP, and request that they acquire a "letter of accommodation" from a DSP professional. Once you have a "letter of accommodation" from DSP, you need only follow the recommendations in that letter. See also other articles on this website. |
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How do I obtain exam room and proctoring assistance? |
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The campus operates a shared system for providing test accommodations and proctoring for students with disabilities.
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What if I am concerned about, or object to, a recommendation in DSP's "letter of accommodation?" |
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If you are concerned that the recommendation is not appropriate for your particular class, then you should contact the signatory. The DSP Advisors know that their recommendations can occasionally, inadvertently compromise the purposes or standards of a class, and are ready to discuss such concerns with you. The goal is to find a way to accommodate the student in a manner that does not fundamentally alter the essential performance standards of your class. If there is an unresolved disagreement after a good-faith effort, there is a process for pursuing the matter; see the Berkeley Campus Policy for Accommodating the Academic Needs of Students with Disabilities at http://www.dsp.berkeley.edu/BerkAcomPolicy.html. Note, however, that the DSP Advisor's recommendations must be followed until they are overturned or modified. |
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How far in advance must students with disabilities inform an instructor about needed accommodations? |
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Students who work with DSP are strongly urged to communicate with instructors as soon as possible. However, the University must make every feasible effort to accommodate students regardless of the notice. A specific answer to this question is contextual with the nature of the needed accommodation. For example, a student who has a vision impairment may need to use a dark pen and write in large print. Perhaps s/he will need to write the "short answers" on a separate sheet of paper instead of in the blank spaces on the test document itself. This accommodation really doesn't need any advance preparation, so not much advance notice may be needed. On the other hand, if a student's accommodation requires an instructor or the department to arrange a separate, quiet room; a proctor; or both, then more time is obviously needed. For such matters, especially when a department must arrange a proctor, the proctoring office needs advance notice of two weeks for midterms and six weeks for finals. This means students should make sure that they give their professors enough time to contact the proctoring office. |
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How do I arrange a wheelchair-accessible classroom? |
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Contact your Department Scheduler. S/he will make the necessary arrangements, including any contact with the Office of the Registrar. If you don't know who your Department Scheduler is, you can find out by calling 642-0313. |
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What can I do to help prevent problems related to students with disabilities in my classes? |
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Fundamentally, your responsibilities are to assure equal opportunity in your classes for all students with disabilities who are qualified to be in your classes, and to protect students' confidentiality in the process. Here are a few things you can do:
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