University of Northern Iowa
Student Disability Services
Syllabus Statement
The faculty member can help normalize the accommodation process by making an announcement at the first class meeting or by voluntarily including a statement on the syllabus inviting students with disabilities to meet with the faculty member during office hours to discuss accommodation needs. The wording of the statement can vary to meet the needs of the individual class, but should include the following three pieces of information:
- An invitation to the student with a documented disability to meet, in a confidential environment, to discuss their need for academic adjustments with the faculty member and to work out the logistic of the accommodations. This discussion should lead to an understanding about how the academic adjustments will fit into the curriculum and a plan should be developed to provide the accommodations.
- Notification that students must present requests for accommodation in a timely manner. Faculty members can require students to make accommodation requests at the beginning of the semester but need to be flexible in certain cases. Some students may be diagnosed with a disabling condition in the middle of a semester or administrative delays may impede the processing of necessary paperwork.
- A statement encouraging students to register with the University of Northern Iowa’s Student Disability Services Office, if they haven't done so previously, for disability verification and to determine reasonable accommodations.
Syllabus Statement Samples
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