University Statement: Letter from Vice President for Instruction Jere W. Morehead Regarding Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
January 8, 2007
Dear University of Georgia Faculty Member,
I write to remind faculty members of the University's policy regarding accommodations for students with disabilities.
Both University policy and law (the Americans with Disabilities Act) require that students with documented disabilities receive reasonable accommodation by way of access to classroom information and expression of their knowledge. Reasonable accommodations may include course modification and course substitution. Other possible reasonable accommodations are available on the web at www.drc.uga.edu by following the link marked Tips for Faculty under "Teaching Students with Disabilities."
Students with disabilities who seek accommodations should contact the Disability Resource Center (542- 8719). This office is also available to help faculty understand various types of disabilities and the processes for determining appropriate accommodations as well as to assist in making any required accommodation. At any time, if you have a question about an accommodation that a student discusses with you, feel free to call the Disability Resource Center.
Assisting faculty and departmental personnel in making required accommodations may take several forms. Some accommodations relate to test taking. The Disability Resource Center may be able to offer accommodations for test-taking on-site at its facility. If space limitations exist at the particular time that the test is offered, the faculty member and department will work to ensure that the student receives required accommodations by offering the accommodations at the same time the test is offered to the other students, at a different time negotiated between the student and faculty member, or at a different time as negotiated among the student, faculty member, and the disabilities testing office.
Staff at the Disability Resource Center are available to advise faculty members and departments as they work with students with disabilities. Under University policy, no accommodation proposed by the office can be denied unless it is reviewed jointly by the Disability Resource Center and the academic dean of the college or school in which the course is offered. College level decisions may be appealed to the Educational Affairs Committee.
Thank you for your assistance in helping the University comply with these laws and policies.
Sincerely,
Jere W. Morehead
Vice President for Instruction
c: President Michael F. Adams
Senior Vice President and Provost Arnett C. Mace, Jr.
Franklin House
Athens, Georgia 30602
706/583-0690
706/542-0419
An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Institution