Disability Services

Decision making about appropriate and reasonable academic accommodations is not based solely upon a medical diagnosis or a psychological evaluation.  In order to make an informed decision about a student's unique need for academic accommodations, the Associate Director of Disability Services relies upon: the student's self-reporting of a functional limitation affecting academic performance; a documented history, if any, of the student's prior use of accommodations within the classroom or elsewhere; and recommendations for suitable accommodations provided by qualified clinical professionals.  The following are examples of documentation to be considered:

• A clear and unambiguous diagnosis provided and signed by a student's physician or medical specialist, psychiatrist, or licensed therapist, to include recommendations for specific academic accommodations.
• A neuropsychological or psycho-educational evaluation performed and signed by an appropriate clinician, such as a psychiatrist or a psychologist, to include recommendations for specific academic accommodations.
• A student's previous Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or 504 plan, to include a prior diagnosis of disability and recommendations for specific accommodations.

Please note:

Although this institution does not require documentation to be based upon a diagnosis or an evaluation to have been made within a specific time frame, the Associate Director of Disability Services may consider documentation incomplete if it does not provide sufficient information needed to determine the appropriateness or reasonableness of the student's requested accommodations.

For detailed documentation guidelines for disabilities, please contact:

Hannah Davidson
Associate Director, Disability Services
Saint Anselm College
100 Saint Anselm Drive
Manchester, NH 03102
Phone: (603) 641-7194
Fax: (603) 641-7318
Email: hdavidson@anselm.edu

Once a student has been accepted to Saint Anselm College, he or she should immediately begin the application process for obtaining accommodations. The review and development of accommodations may take several weeks; therefore, students are strongly encouraged to initiate the process at least one month prior to the start of classes. The following steps must be completed:

I. Medical Documentation

Saint Anselm College requires that students seeking accommodations provide appropriate documentation of their disability (see documentation guidelines above) to the Associate Director of Disability Services in order to:

1. determine eligibility as a qualified individual with a disability.
2. determine appropriate academic accommodations for that student.

It is the responsibility of the student to contact and submit documentation of a disability to the Director of the Academic Resource Center.  Students should allow three weeks for the evaluation and decision once the documentation is submitted.

When submitting documentation, students should include with it the following information:

1. their name
2. anticipated year of graduation
3. contact information including phone number, home address, and e-mail address

Documentation should be delivered or mailed to the following address:

Hannah Davidson
Associate Director, Disability Services
Saint Anselm College
100 Saint Anselm Drive
Manchester, NH 03102

The Associate Director of Disability Services will review the documentation and will contact the student to schedule a meeting. Submission of documentation does not guarantee that a request for accommodations will be approved; the documentation must meet the guidelines established by the college. If documentation is incomplete, the student will be contacted by the Associate Director of Disability Services for further information.  The student may be asked to submit additional documentation.

II. Meeting

The student must schedule a meeting with the Associate Director of Disability Services to discuss:

1. the recommended accommodations
2. the resources and services the student should utilize
3. the accommodations the college will provide

The student should schedule this meeting during the first two weeks of the semester. During this meeting, if the documentation is complete, the student and the director will complete the accommodations form.

Please note:

The requested accommodations are limited to those that are recommended and/or for which the student has either received prior approval. If there has been a change in the nature of the disability and/or the recommended accommodations, documentation must be submitted to support the new request. The student should then adhere to the guidelines outlined in Part I: Medical Documentation.

III. Academic Accommodations Request Form

The Academic Accommodations Request Form is filled out by the student once the student has been approved to receive academic accommodations.  This form lists the academic accommodations the student has been approved for.  The student only needs to fill this form out once.  The only time a student may have to complete another form is if the student requests additional academic accommodations.  Additional academic accommodations must be approved by the Associate Director of Disability Services.

IV. Faculty Verification Letters

At the beginning of each semester, the student will receive their Faculty Verification Letters.  It is the responsibility of the student to distribute these letters to each of his or her professors. Students are expected to distribute these letters on the first day their class meets.  Faculty are not required to provide accommodations to students if they have not received a Verification Letter.

Please note:

Documentation Submitted After the Start of the Semester

Students who submit documentation after the start of the semester should allow three weeks for a determination on the appropriateness of documentation submitted. Students should not expect a request for accommodations to be approved for an exam that they have in the same week or subsequent two weeks.

Once documentation and a request for accommodations have been approved, a student cannot then retroactively request accommodations for a test already taken.

Students who receive testing accommodations will take their exams in the Academic Resource Center, located on the top floor of the Student Center. Students are not required to take their exams in the Academic Resource Center.  Students can discuss testing options with their professor.

In order to utilize their approved testing accommodations, students must complete each of the following steps:

I. Academic Resource Center Notification

Students are expected to notify the Academic Resource Center at least three days prior to their exam for which they will utilize their academic accommodations. Students who do not inform the Academic Resource Center at least three days prior may not receive academic accommodations. It will depend upon the space availability in the Academic Resource Center and the professor's availability as to whether academic accommodations can or will be provided.

Students who arrive at the Academic Resource Center to take an exam without any notification may be asked to return to the classroom to take the exam with the rest of the class. While students may have the right to use their academic accommodations, they also have a responsibility to arrange for their academic accommodations.

To notify the Academic Resource Center of an exam, students should do one of the following:

1. Fill out a blank exam schedule at the beginning of each semester with the exams the student wishes to take in the Academic Resource Center.  This form will be emailed to each student at the beginning of every semester.  Once the form is completed, return to the Academic Resource Center.
2. Email the Academic Resource Center at least three days before the exam date.
3. Go to the Academic Resource Center, Top Floor of the Student Center, at least three days before the exam date.

The following information is needed when scheduling to take an exam in the Academic Resource Center:

1. Student name
2. Course name and section
3. Professor's name
4. Date and time of the exam

Generally, exams will be taken at the same time the class is taking the exam.  If a student needs to reschedule an exam, the student must discuss their options with their professor and then notify the Academic Resource Center.  The Academic Resource Center will not reschedule exams without the professor's approval.

III. Faculty Notification

At least three days prior to each exam, students are expected to remind their professors that they receive academic accommodations and will be taking their exam in the Academic Resource Center. If a professor offers to provide academic accommodations for his or her student, the student should make the necessary arrangements directly with the professor.

IV. Reporting to the Academic Resource Center

On the day of the exam, the student should report to the Academic Resource Center, Top Floor of the Student Center, approximately 10 minutes prior to the start of the scheduled exam time.

A student may appeal the decision of the Academic Resource Center within ten days of the decision.

Appeals are directed to the Associate Director of Disability Services and must be in writing and state the reasons for the appeal and the desired resolution. The description must include specific facts to support the appeal. A determination of the appeal will be made within ten (10) days of the request.

The student may appeal the decision of the Associate Director of Disability Services to the Dean of the College. The appeal must be in writing; it should state the reasons why the decision of the Director of the Academic Resource Center is being appealed and the desired resolution.

The appeal should be sent to the Dean of the College within ten (10) days of receiving the decision of the Associate Director of Disability Services. The Dean of the College will make a final determination of the appeal and inform the student of the determination within ten (10) days of receiving the appeal.

Although the college will make reasonable efforts to comply with these timelines, circumstances such as access to information, availability of personnel, and school breaks, may justify an extension of time.

1. Student Personal Belongings

• Students will be required to leave their backpacks, handbags, and cell phones in a secured locker located next to the testing cubicles. A key will be provided. Cell phones, pagers and PDA's must be turned off.
• Exam materials are permitted per faculty instructions.
• If the use of a word processor is permitted, as long as the professor agrees, the student may use their own laptop. The Academic Resource Center does not have laptops for student use.  The only computers the Academic Resource Center has are the ones provided by the IT Department. These computers are out in the open.
• Students are not allowed to bring their own scrap paper. If scrap paper is needed, the student must ask an administrator in the Academic Resource Center and obtain the paper from the office's supply.

2. Late Examinees

• Students who arrive late will not be given additional testing time. They must finish at their designated stopping time.
• Students who arrive thirty minutes after the exam is scheduled to be administered will not be allowed to take the exam. An administrator will inform the professor that the exam was not administered. The student is responsible for contacting the professor to discuss possible arrangements that may be made to take the exam.

3. Personal Breaks

• One student may leave the exam room for a personal break, but must notify an administrator first. Personal breaks are restricted to the use of the restroom and should not exceed a five minute duration. Students taking personal breaks must place their exam face-down on the table until they return.

4. Exam Queries

• The administrator will not answer any questions regarding the interpretation of the exam content.
• Attempts will be made by the administrator to contact a professor if there is a suspected error on the exam or an ambiguous question.
• Students who raise concerns about the meaning of an exam item should indicate these concerns on the written exam.
• Questions are accepted only during the exam period.
• No communication (physical, verbal, or electronic) between students will be permitted.

5. Time Allowances

• Students will be provided extended time, depending on the student's accommodation, for exams. The office cannot accommodate any additional time that a professor provides to the regular class administration. The time provided for an exam in a course that meets one night per week will be determined on a case by case basis.

6. Academic Misconduct

• Acts that violate the standard of honesty include cheating (unauthorized use of notes, talking, copying from another student), and intentionally helping another student will be viewed as a violation of college policy.
• A proctor who observes academic misconduct during an exam will inform the student of the misconduct as soon as is practical and consonant with maintaining the order of the exam area and assuring a degree of privacy for the interaction between the student and proctor.
  • The student has the obligation to surrender to the proctor any materials which the proctor has reason to believe were used inappropriately in the course of the exam. Failure to comply with such a request is a violation of the College's Community Standards.
  • The proctor should provide the course instructor with a description of the misconduct.
  • The instructor will then follow the procedures outlined in the Statement on Academic Honesty.

Adapted from Babson College, Disability Services, Office of Academic Services

Students should understand that the process for accessing services is very different from the process they may have experienced in high school, primarily because the federal law that protects their rights has changed. In high school, the IDEA protected the rights of students and now at the college level, the Americans with Disabilities Act mandates universities to have a process in place for securing reasonable accommodations for all eligible students.

To learn more about transitioning from high school to college, please refer to:

Students with Disabilities Preparing for Postsecondary Education: Know Your Rights and Responsibilities

Academic Resource Center

Responsibilities of the Academic Resource Center

• Determining eligibility for participation of students with disabilities in the academic accommodations process based upon a review of appropriate documentation
• Determining the appropriate accommodation for each student
• Responsible for seeing that the student receives the appropriate accommodation
• Responsible for interacting with faculty on disability issues

Rights of the Academic Resource Center

• Request current documentation from a student completed by a qualified professional to determine eligibility for accommodations. The Academic Resource Center evaluates all documentation and requests for accommodations which may include, with written consent, requesting more information and discussing the student's situation with the professional source of the documentation.
• Select among equally effective and appropriate accommodations, modifications, and/or auxiliary aids in consultation with the student.
• Deny a request for accommodations, modifications, and/or auxiliary aids if the documentation does not identify a specific disability, the documentation fails to support the need for the requested services, or the documentation or request for an accommodation is not provided in a timely manner.
• Refuse to provide an accommodation, modification, and/or auxiliary aid that is unreasonable or inappropriate. This includes accommodations that pose a direct threat to the health and safety of others, constitute a substantial change or alteration to an essential component of a course or program, or poses undue financial or administrative burden to Saint Anselm College.

The Student

Responsibilities of the Student

• Meeting the College's qualifications and essential academic standards.
• Contacting the Academic Resource Center at the beginning of each semester so that appropriate accommodations can be made in a timely manner (within the first two weeks of each semester). This includes meeting with the Director of the Academic Resource Center and completing the required Accommodations Request Form.
• Providing the Academic Resource Center with appropriate documentation indicating the student's disability and suggested accommodations.
• Submitting the Verification Letter to the faculty member at the beginning of each semester to inform them of their disability and what accommodation(s) they have requested.
• Responsible for meeting the timelines and procedural requirements established by the Academic Resource Center for scheduling exams which includes requesting assistance, informing the Academic Resource Center of the day and time of their exam, and arranging with a faculty member for getting the exam to the testing location. If the student fails to provide adequate notice of the need for space and/or assistance it may result in the accommodations not being available.

Rights of the Student

• Equal access to courses offered throughout the College.
• Reasonable and appropriate accommodations, modifications, and/or auxiliary aids determined on an individualized basis.
• Confidentiality on all information pertaining to their disability records within the parameters of law, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
• Appeal the College's decisions regarding reasonable accommodations. For more information about the Appeals Process , please contact the Academic Resource Center (603) 641-7017.

The Faculty Member

Responsibilities of the Faculty Member

• Responsible for discussing with the Academic Resource Center any concerns related to the accommodation(s) or arrangements that have been requested by the student in their initial contacts.
• Responsible for determining the conditions under which the exam is to be administered (e.g.: open book, use of notes, formula sheet, calculator, scrap paper, dictionary).
• The faculty member is responsible for assuring the timely delivery of the exam, along with all necessary instructions and materials for proper administration.

Rights of the Faculty Member

• Refuse to provide accommodations for students with disabilities who have not followed Saint Anselm College policies and procedures for participating in the accommodation process.
• Discuss with the Academic Resource Center any concerns related to accommodations, modifications, and/or auxiliary aids requested by students.
• Identify and establish the skills and knowledge that are fundamental and essential components to their academic courses/program and to evaluate each student's performance on this basis.

Adapted from Babson College, Office of Disability Services