Faculty Member Resources
If you suspect that a student has a disability, seek guidance from the campus Accessibility Services Office. Do not make assumptions about a student's abilities or comment on a student’s “presumed” disabilities if those disabilities are not visible.
Some disabilities require more flexibility on the part of the faculty. These include:
- Medical Conditions
- Psychological Conditions
- Some medical conditions are characterized by chronic weakness and fatigue. A student may exhibit drowsiness, fatigue, impairments of memory, or slowness due to medication side effects. Such curtailments of functioning and interferences with students’ ability to perform, based on disability, should be distinguished from the apathetic behavior it may resemble.
- Students using wheelchairs or other assistive devices may encounter obstacles or barriers in getting to class on time. Many rely on alternate modes of public transportation. Some flexibility in applying attendance and promptness rules to students with mobility and chronic medical disabilities would be warranted and helpful.
More on Your Role in the Accommodation Process
Resources for Faculty
- Providing syllabus with dates clearly noted for exams and assignments.
- Use dates (not weeks) on syllabus.
- Return grades in a timely manner.
- Provide written instructions for classwork and assignments.
- Provide adequate time for students to complete an assignment.
- When speaking, face the classroom and use repetition.
- Allow students to take pictures of notes on the board.
- State the day’s objectives at the beginning of the class.
- Paraphrase key points from the reading and lectures.
- Vary your teaching methods (lecture, discussion, small groups.)
- Provide step-by-step directions for class projects, bullet those directions, and provide adequate notice of due dates.
- Print out and/or digitize copies of notes and make them available to students.
- Provide pre-reading questions for each reading assignment or group of related assignments.
- Allow students to use laptop computers for essay exams if they prefer to do so.
- Offer to read drafts and give students written and oral feedback.
Common Accessibility Barriers for Quizzes
- Time restraints
- Classroom distractions
- Lack of accessible technology and other aids in the classroom
If Your Course Requires Students to Take Quizzes, Consider the Following:
- What Is the purpose of the quiz?
- Do you review the answers to the quiz after the students have turned in the quiz?
- Are quizzes mentioned on the course syllabus?
- Do you notify students before the quiz, or are they randomly given?
- When are the quizzes given, at the beginning or the end of class?*
- *It is the responsibility of the faculty member to administer quizzes in a way that ensures that the student receives equal access and does not miss any of the class lecture or review of the material from the quiz.
Ways to Create Access for Quizzes
Before class: The instructor should send the quiz to the Rudin Center or CAP at least 30 minutes before the start of the class so that staff can arrange for accommodations. The student may take the quiz before class begins in the Rudin Center/CAP, and return to class without missing any of the lecture.
After class: The Instructor may administer the quiz at the end of the class which allows students to leave and take the quiz at the Rudin Center/CAP, with accommodations.
If, due to class conflict, the student is not able to take the quiz at the beginning or end of class, the instructor should arrange an alternate time with the student.
The Accessibility Services Office and/or CAP staff is available to assist as needed.
Substitute Assignments: Faculty may also provide substitute assignments in place of pop quizzes.
Please note: Under no condition should a faculty member suggest that a student with accommodations take a quiz in the classroom. A student with this accommodation may, over time, decide that they are comfortable taking the quiz in the classroom. This would be solely the student’s decision and would not affect their other accommodations.