Request Academic Accommodations for Disability
Qualified Individuals
RMU adheres to all applicable federal and state civil rights laws regarding discrimination. Accordingly, RMU makes all academic programs and services accessible to and useable by “qualified individuals with disabilities” in the most integrated setting appropriate, unless doing so would either result in a fundamental alteration in the course or program that compromises the integrity of the course or program, or cause an undue financial or administrative burden. As defined by the University, a “qualified individual with disability” is one who:
1. Has a disability that substantially limits learning, including, but not limited to, physical and affective conditions as interpreted by current law;
2. Has a documented record of such disability or is perceived by others as having a disability; and
3. Can satisfy the functional skills, experience, knowledge, and other requirements of their program and, can perform the essential functions required of their profession, with or without accommodation.
If a qualified individual with a disability believes their disability will interfere with the ability to complete an academic program at RMU successfully, reasonable accommodation may be requested. It is the responsibility of the student to request an appropriate accommodation.
To Request
To request for academic accommodations, please provide written responses to the following four prompts for information or documentation to the Institutional Equity Officer:
1. A voluntary disclosure of disability (which can be a single sentence) requesting reasonable accommodations;
2. A narrative about the nature of the disability; this is your opportunity to explain how your disability affects you personally, professionally, and as a student, and how it interferes with your learning in a personal way;
3. Specific accommodation requests, written as SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-related) if possible. As an example, instead of requesting “more time for tests”, clarify specifically, such as “time and a half for all written and computerized quizzes and examinations”.
4. Documentation confirming the diagnosis of disability from an objective professional qualified in the diagnoses of such condition/disability. This requirement may be waived at the discretion of the Committee on Inclusiveness. All documentation submitted must be no older than five years.
You can ask for as many or as few accommodations as you feel you need. The University sees requests for multiple accommodations regularly.
Once the Director of Institutional Equity has all of this, they will review it to ensure it will make sense to the Committee on Inclusiveness, reach back to you to clarify anything they need to understand better, and then send it to the Committee for review. They serve as your advocate on the Committee and make certain the Committee follows all federal regulations.
RMU does not approve accommodations for practical exams under most circumstances, as those generally pose a fundamental change to a course or program and are not covered by the ADA regulations; written and computerized tests can be accommodated. If you think you might need assistance with practical exams, please talk with the Director of Institutional Equity further, and they will see if there are other accommodations that can be made to ease any difficulties with them.
The review process may take as long as 10 days and may be extended for an additional 5 days in complex cases. Most reviews are completed within the 10-day window period. After the committee’s review, the Director of Institutional Equity will let you know what’s been approved, modified, or denied and let the Registrar know about any approvals. The Registrar then takes care of informing your faculty, and the Director will check in with you periodically to ensure we are still good with existing accommodations.
You may submit your responses to the Office of Institutional Equity (part of the Department of Student Affairs) by email at IEO@rm.edu, or in person in room 195, Building 3. Call 385-375-8798 for further support and questions. For a printable version of this information, click here.