REQUIRED FOR ALL COURSE SYLLABI: “Accommodating Students with Disabilities” Statement
Accommodating Students with Disabilities
Dickinson values diverse types of learners and is committed to ensuring that each student is afforded equitable access to participate in all learning experiences. If you have (or think you may have) a learning difference or a disability – including a mental health, medical, or physical impairment – that would hinder your access to learning or demonstrating knowledge in this class, please contact Access and Disability Services (ADS). They will confidentially explain the accommodation request process and the type of documentation that Dean and Director Marni Jones will need to determine your eligibility for reasonable accommodations. To learn more about available supports, go to www.dickinson.edu/ADS, email access@dickinson.edu, call (717) 245-1734, or go to the ADS office in Room 005 of Old West, Lower Level (aka "the OWLL").
If you’ve already been granted accommodations at Dickinson, please follow the guidance at www.dickinson.edu/AccessPlan for disclosing the accommodations for which you are eligible and scheduling a meeting with me as soon as possible so that we can discuss your accommodations and finalize your Access Plan. If test proctoring will be needed from ADS, remember that we will need to complete your Access Plan in time to give them at least one week’s advance notice.
Note: Reading this statement aloud is the ideal way for a faculty member to make clear our commitment to inclusivity and to promote the timely disclosures of any accommodation needs.
The most current statement can always be found on our Disability Syllabus Statement page.
REQUIRED ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENTS FOR ALL FACULTY WHOSE OFFICES OR CLASSES ARE NOT LOCATED ON THE GROUND FLOOR:
Note that this fall we will be welcoming a student who is a motorized wheelchair-user, and there may be others using crutches, canes, or other mobility aids. Additionally, there are members of our community who contend with mobility impairments that are not outwardly apparent.
Some may be able to navigate only a few steps, while others may occasionally have a flare-up of a chronic medical condition (such as arthritis or a severe heart condition) that renders them temporarily unable to climb or descend stairs.
Using the templates below, you should announce any potential barriers to your class and/or office location, along with your willingness to make alternate arrangements, thus giving your students (and colleagues) with mobility impairments an opportunity to convey any needs they may have for an accessible meeting location.
IF YOUR OFFICE OR CLASS IS ACCESSIBLE BY ELEVATOR…
Please include in your syllabus and via email when first reaching out to students, a statement comparable to this:
Physical Access (to This Class / to My Office)
“My office is located on the floor of , which has an elevator, located (e.g. “to the right of the main entrance”). If you require the use of an elevator to access the floor, please let me know. If there is ever a malfunction with the elevator [we will relocate the class for that day] OR [and you would like to come to my office hours, I will gladly arrange to meet you at an alternative location or by video conference].”
IF YOUR OFFICE IS ACCESSIBLE ONLY BY ASCENDING OR DECENDING STEPS FOR ENTRY…
Please include in your syllabus and via email when first reaching out to students a statement comparable to this:
Physical Access (to This Class / to My Office)
“My office is located on the floor of , which does not have an elevator, and is only accessible by going up/down steps. There are steps to access the lobby of the building, where a meeting [would/would not] be possible. If you would like to meet in the lobby, or if entering the building is problematic for you, please just let me know and I will gladly arrange to meet you at an alternative location or by video conference.”
If any students contact you with questions related to building accessibility, please share with them the link to this webpage: www.dickinson.edu/ADS-mobility.
OPTIONAL ACCESS-RELATED STATEMENTS:
The following are useful statements to add to your syllabi that will be helpful if you have any students with an accommodation to record class, or if you restrict laptop use, as you may have one or more students with an accommodation to type their notes (and this would prevent "outing" them as having a disability).
• This class may be recorded for accommodation purposes
• Laptop use is by permission only
RECOMMENDED ACADEMIC RESOURCE STATEMENT:
Certain members of the ADS professional team also staff the office of SOAR -- which is a resource for ALL students (not just those with disabilities). Faculty referrals for support from the office of SOAR are welcome. Here is a SOAR Syllabus Statement that faculty are encouraged to include in their syllabi:
SOAR: Academic Success Support and More
Students can find a wealth of strategic guidance by going to www.dickinson.edu/SOAR. This website for SOAR (Strategies, Organization, and Achievement Resources) includes apps, tips, and other resources related to time management, study skills, memory strategies, note-taking, test-taking, and more. You’ll also find information aimed to helps students “SOAR Through Academic Challenges,” as well as a schedule of academic success workshops offered through Academic Advising. If you’d like to request one-on- one assistance with developing a strategy for a manageable and academically successful semester, email SOAR@dickinson.edu.
FOR SYNCHRONOUS CLASS RECORDINGS:
This class will be video recorded…
(choose one)
- …and a link to the recording and transcript will be posted to Moodle for you to access after class.
- …and a link to the audio recording and transcript will be posted to Moodle for you to access after class.
- …but the recording will not be posted to Moodle. If you encounter barriers to being able to attend a synchronous class (either due to illness, care for a sick family member, an inability to access the internet, etc.), please email me and (depending on a number of factors) I will provide you with either the video recording, the audio recording, or a transcript of the class.
(Optional) I will not, however, be recording those classes where we will be discussing sensitive topics. For such classes I will have the guiding discussion questions and will provide them upon request to students who present a valid reason for not having attended class.
This class may also be audio recorded by those students who have an accommodation to do so as granted by Access and Disability Services (ADS). Recording of any session in this course other than for the above purposes is strictly prohibited, and would be a breach of Dickinson’s Community Standards. It may also be a violation of Wiretapping and Electronic Surveillance laws.
FOR ASYNCHRONOUS CLASS RECORDINGS:
Students may not share, send, post, publish, make public, or duplicate any recordings without the written authorization of those recorded. Failure to abide by these rules is a breach of privacy and a violation of copyright laws. It is furthermore considered a serious violation of Dickinson College Community Standards and subject to disciplinary action. Unless informed otherwise, students are to destroy any recordings shared by their professors at the end of the semester. Thank you for your compliance.
Use of student’s computer cameras (encouraging but not requiring):
Active participation is an important and valued expectation for this class. To promote a positive class community as well as meaningful and engaging exchanges of ideas, I’d like us all to have our Zoom cameras on during synchronous classes, whenever possible, but I understand that this may not always be possible. If you believe having your camera one will be problematic for you, please schedule a time to connect with me about it in the first week of classes.
For extenuating circumstances:
If you're unable to attend class due to illness or extenuating circumstances, please notify me in advance. I will alert the CARE team and your advisor of multiple or extended absences at my discretion.
CLASS RECORDING AUTHORIZATION
If a student has an accommodation to record a class as granted through ADS, consent from the class is not required.
If students without this accommodation wish to record the class, all students in the class must consent.
To enable students to give their consent that a participatory class be audio recorded:
- Navigate to your course in Moodle and turn on editing
- Click “Add an activity or resource” to one of the topics in the course
- Select “DC Authorization” form
- Choose the “Student Class Recording Authorizatio
POLICY VARIATIONS APPROVED BY APSC FOR FALL 2021
Argentina and Brazil Study Abroad Centers Fall 2021
Due to the continuing pandemic, faculty at the centers in Argentina and Brazil will again offer remote instruction of regular Dickinson courses during the Fall 2021 semester.
Approved by APSC 2/22/2021
EcoLeague Remote Courses Fall 2021
Dickinson students will be permitted to enroll in a remote course offered at other EcoLeague campuses in Fall 2021, and other EcoLeague students will be permitted to enroll in one Dickinson course on a space available basis, with permission of the instructor.
Approved by APSC 4/12/2021
Policy for Transfer Credits for Students Transferring to Dickinson
Students transferring to Dickinson in Fall 2021 or Spring 2022 will be permitted to transfer credits for courses taken during the time of the pandemic - Spring 2020, Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 -regardless of how the course was taught (hybrid, hyflex, remote, virtual or in-person).
Approved by APSC 4/19/2021
Policy for Transfer Credits for Students Entering Dickinson College
Students entering Dickinson as first-year students in Fall 2021 or Spring 2022 will be permitted to transfer credits for courses taken during the time of the pandemic - Spring 2020, Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 - regardless of how the course was taught (hybrid, hyflex, remote, virtual or in-person).
Approved by APSC 5/17/2021
Policy on Students Unable to Return for Fall 2021
Returning students who have medical or travel issues and are unable to return for Fall 2021, may be able to attend classes remotely. This would be determined on a case-by-case basis by approval of the Academic & Technology subgroup and by the professor of the course if they determine it is possible to accommodate the student. First year students will be encouraged to defer to the spring semester.
Approved by APSC 7/15/2021
Policy on Students Who Will Arrive Late for Fall 2021
Returning students who have medical or travel issues and will be late returning for Fall 2021, may be able to attend classes remotely. It is the expectation that faculty will make accommodations to allow students to take courses unless the student cannot arrive before September 30. If it is not viable for the course, faculty will need to report why that is so
Approved by APSC 7/15/2021
Modification to Transfer Credit Policy for Fall/Winter 2021-22
Students will be permitted to transfer in online coursework with the following conditions:
- All coursework must receive prior approval of the Registrar in consultation with the student’s advisor.
- All coursework must be taken before the start of Dickinson’s Spring 2022 semester (January 24, 2022).
- All coursework must still meet all of the other transfer credit criteria – this includes the limitation that students “may receive up to a total of four (4) transfer credits for summer and/or January study at other approved institutions. ([Students] may take courses during one or more summer and January sessions as long as the total number of transfer credits do not exceed four (4) courses.)” https://www.dickinson.edu/info/20088/registrar_s_office/219/policy_faqs/4
Rationale: This would align with the decision that was approved for other semesters during the pandemic and coincide with what Dickinson is doing during our fall semester (offering remote and hybrid, as needed).
Approved by APSC 8/30/2021
Remote Teaching for Program Staff and Centers Abroad
CGSE has been approved to extend permission on a case-by-case basis for staff and contributing faculty at our centers abroad to continue to teach Dickinson courses remotely for the Spring 2022 semester.
Approved by APSC 9/6/2021