Smcc

Student Registration

Though the majority of our students disclose the presence of a disabling condition during the enrollment process, a student may choose to disclose a disability at any point during his/her tenure at the College. If you are approached by a student in your class who discloses a disability, the student should be referred to the Disability Services Coordinator (DSC), Mark Krogman, at the SMCC Counseling Center, 741-5629. Faculty must not offer accommodations to students without registration unless these accommodations are to be made available to all students in the class. The ADA notification statement should be included in all course syllabi.

When students contact the DSC, an intake appointment is scheduled as soon as possible. The student is requested to submit appropriate documentation of their disability for review. If it is determined that the student meets the criteria for disability determination, the student and the DSC will discuss and determine reasonable accommodations. Individual faculty members may be consulted if a requested accommodation may potentially alter the fundamental nature of a course or compromise course integrity. If such is found to be the case, the accommodation will be deemed unreasonable and not approved.

The determination of disability and of appropriate accommodations involves an often complex analysis of social, legal, medical and psychological information. Failure to appropriately respond to disability issues can create legal liability for the institution and for individual employees. If you, as a faculty member, are in doubt as to how to best proceed in addressing a disability-related issue that has come to your attention, please contact the DSC immediately at 741-5629.

The Accommodation Memo

The accommodation memo sets forth the accommodations for which the student has been deemed eligible. Once signed by the student and the DSC, it is included in an accommodation packet which the student picks up from the Disability Services office and will distribute to their individual faculty for their current courses. Accompanying the memo may be guidelines or other information to assist in the provision of the recommended accommodations. If students are provided the option of taking their tests at the Learning Assistance Center (LAC), a form will be included that asks you to stipulate how a test is to be administered. Please complete this form and forward it to the LAC.

The accommodation memo serves as your notification of the student’s registration and will list the accommodations that have been deemed reasonable. At intake, the student is informed that they must follow up with their instructors as soon as possible to discuss how the accommodations will be provided for each course. If a disagreement or conflict arises that cannot be satisfactorily resolved between an instructor and the student, the instructor must contact the DSC for further consultation and assistance. Students have also been notified to contact the DSC in the event of questions or problems. Accommodation matters that cannot be resolved between the faculty member and the DSC will be referred to the ADA Compliance Officer for review.

Use of Accommodations

A student may decline to use an accommodation if he or she determines that the accommodation is not needed for a given course. A student may also defer use of an accommodation in order to determine if the accommodation will be necessary or useful. Students are instructed to inform a faculty member if they opt to decline or defer use of an accommodation for a given course. For testing accommodations that involve extended time, alternative test location or alternative format, students are informed that reasonable notice to the instructor is required in order to ensure timely provision. Likewise, an instructor has the responsibility to inform the student in a timely manner of any test which was not listed in the course syllabus.

Instructors also have responsibility for ensuring the quality of accommodations provided to the student in the classroom setting. For students provided with a classroom notetaker, the instructor should check-in with the student and the notetaker early in the semester to assess the effectiveness of the service. Students who are granted the accommodation of testing in a quiet, non-distracting environment should be referred to the LAC in most instances. A separate area which has a phone ringing, foot traffic or other interruptions would not be adequate to meet the student’s needs.

Renewal of the Accommodation Memo

The accommodation packet will only be provided to the student for distribution to their current assigned faculty and is not automatically renewed for subsequent semesters. For provision of the packet for subsequent semesters, the student will need to notify the DSC and provide a copy of their new class schedule. Students are encouraged to arrange an appointment to meet with the DSC to review their accommodations and discuss any disability-related difficulties that may persist.

Confidentiality

The nature of a student’s disability, the content of his/her supporting documentation and other records on file with the Disability Office are confidential. Information will be released to appropriate third parties only as necessary to administer matters related to the College’s accommodation of the student’s disability. Students are encouraged to discuss their learning needs and learning styles with faculty and are free to disclose any information that they choose about their disability. Students should not be compelled to divulge any information beyond what is contained or implied in the accommodation memo. With the student’s informed consent, further diagnostic or prescriptive information can be shared as needed to support effective accommodation. Faculty members who feel they need more information about a student in order to provide effective accommodations should contact the DSC.

ADA Policies and Procedures

The complete text of SMCC’s policy and procedures for ADA compliance is available from the Disability Services office. This includes SMCC’s grievance procedure for disability discrimination claims. Dean Diane Vickrey, the Dean of Students, is the ADA Compliance Officer and can be reached at 741-5798.

ADA Syllabus Statement

The following notification statement must be included in all syllabi for courses at SMCC:

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Notification

Southern Maine Community College is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution and employer. For more information, please call 207-741-5798.

If you have a disability and wish to request accommodations in order to have reasonable access to the programs and services offered by SMCC, you must register with the Disability Services Coordinator, Mark Krogman, who can be reached at 207-741-5629 (TDD 207-741-5667). Further information about services for students with disabilities and the accommodation process is available upon request.