Accommodations and Planning

Students with disabilities must be able to perform the essential objectives of the program/course with or without “reasonable accommodations.” Reasonable accommodations are defined as approved accommodations which do not fundamentally alter the nature of the program/course, including academic requirements in post-secondary education. Students who receive appropriate accommodations at Southwestern Christian University must fulfill the requirements of the program/course. An accommodation cannot lower the standards or change the objectives of the program/course.

Accommodations are approved on a case-by-case basis and may include:

• Extended time for tests
• Alternate testing sites
• Note-taking services
• Textbooks in an alternate format
• Reader/scribe for exams
• Priority scheduling
• Notification of faculty
• Sign-language interpreting services

Planning and Intake Meeting

Planning is a critical step in seeking and securing accommodations in higher education. Requests for accommodations should be made in a timely manner. Students should begin the process once they have confirmed attendance through the Admissions Office. A Request for Accommodations Form (RAF) is available on the website or at the Center for Academic and Professional Success/Office of Disability Services. Once the form and documentation are received, the director will e-mail the student, indicating the need for an Intake Meeting to be scheduled. It is the responsibility of the student to schedule this meeting; accommodations are not put in place until this meeting has been held. Intake meetings are best scheduled during the summer months but can be requested and scheduled at any time through the year. The purpose of the meeting is to review procedures and sign forms.