Frequently Asked Questions

• What does “reasonable accommodation” mean and who makes those determinations for students?  

  OSU will accommodate individuals with qualifying disabilities. Reasonable accommodations are determined through a combination of appropriate documentation, the expertise of SAS staff, and a conversation with the student. Accommodations are considered reasonable so long as they do not pose an undue hardship, result in a fundamental alteration in the nature of the service, program, or activity, or create undue financial or administrative burdens.

• What do I do if I haven’t received an accommodation letter for a student and they are asking for accommodations? 

  Please encourage the student to reach out to our office so that we can discuss the registration process and answer any questions they may have. 

• Why am I receiving a student’s accommodation letter in the middle of the semester?

  Students are encouraged to request accommodations prior to or at the start of classes each semester but they are able to request them at any time throughout the semester. Late accommodation requests can happen if the student was recently diagnosed and completed registration with SAS. Students are always in control of when they use their accommodations. Some may try a class thinking they do not need their accommodations only to realize halfway through they do, in fact, need to use those accommodations in order to be successful.

• What if I received a letter but the student has not discussed their accommodations with me?

  It is the student’s responsibility to contact and communicate (via email, phone, zoom, or face-to-face) with professors to determine how accommodations will be provided. If a student fails to do this, you are not obligated to provide them with their accommodations.

• Can I still proctor exams myself with the student’s accommodations, or designate my own proctor? 

  Professors are responsible for providing students with their testing accommodations.

  For those professors/instructors who may not be able to provide a student with their accommodations due to time or space contraints,  professors can utilize the University Assessment & Testing Center (UAT) here on campus. Students who are registered with SAS can use the Testing Center at no charge. Please note that every reasonable effort should be made to provide these testing accommodations yourself before deferring to UAT. This may require discussions with your Department Head and/or Dean to discuss alternative spaces and proctors for these students.

  When asking a student to schedule their exams at UAT, you cannot ask a student to miss another course to take an exam for yours.

• What are my  responsibilities concerning confidentiality?

  OSU takes student confidentiality very seriously and all faculty and staff should adhere strictly to the confidentiality guidelines as set forth by FERPA. 

• Why would a student be given the accommodation of “Able to leave class/exam/quiz due to disability. May reschedule exam”? Doesn’t that give them an advantage because they have seen the exam and get to continue it later?

  Many of our students have a disability that may result in sudden flares and/or temporary incapacitation, such as diabetes, epilepsy, migraines etc. The accommodation “Able to leave class/exam/quiz due to disability. May reschedule exam” is to be used ONLY for these random or cyclical acute episodes.

  Students must notify professors within 24 hours upon leaving the class/exam/quiz of their need to reschedule. When those quizzes/exams are rescheduled is up to the professor’s discretion taking into consideration the rest of the student’s class schedule. Professors are allowed to change the remainder of the unfinished exam or offer an alternative exam (with credit given for anything previously completed) to protect the integrity of the exam.