What you should know about Accommodations at the College Level

Please view the Disabilities Resources Phoenix Friday Presentation regarding accommodations at Elon University.

 

FAQ’s

 

1. I had a language waiver approved and did not take a language in high school. Do I have to
    take a language while I am at Elon?

All students must meet the World Languages and Cultures (WLC) proficiency requirement in
order to earn a degree from Elon University.

To fulfill this requirement, students must meet one of the following:

  • complete a language course numbered 1020 or higher at Elon, or receive transfer or
    study abroad credit for the same;
  • place into a language course numbered 2000 or above upon arriving at Elon, using a
    department of world languages and cultures approved placement instrument; or
  • score 4 or 5 on an AP language exam or similar exam.

There is a process by which a student with a disability may request a substitution course in order
to meet the WLC proficiency requirement (there are no language waivers to meet this
requirement). Students interested in requesting a course substitution should meet with a
Disabilities Resources staff member early during their time at Elon to discuss this process. A
variety of factors are considered, including a student’s history with language learning in general,
the nature of their disability, and the instruction and support they received in high school
language courses. Students who have never tried a language-learning course may be required to
attempt a beginning level course before a decision is made regarding the substitution.

2. How do professors find out about my accommodations?

Prior to the beginning of each term or semester, students registered with our office for
academic accommodations will make semester requests through the on-line Accommodate
portal. Students will then be emailed an accommodation letter, which they will forward to each
professor for which they will need accommodations. Students are also strongly encouraged to
meet with these professors in order to discuss how their specific accommodations will work for
each class.
While accommodations are generally approved for all classes in which a student is enrolled, it is
not assumed that the student will need or choose to use accommodations for every class. It is,
therefore, up to the student to notify their professors about their accommodations.

3. How does extended time work in college?

The provision of classroom accommodations is a joint responsibility between professors and
Disabilities Resources. Part of the discussion you will need to have with your professors will be
about how extended time works in their classes (if this is one of your accommodations).
Some professors have time and a place to accommodate you during a test and would prefer to
make those arrangements themselves. Others may want you to make arrangements to test in
the Disabilities Resources testing rooms. In either case, it will be important for you to have
these discussions or make arrangements well ahead (we recommend at least one week) of
scheduled testing dates to ensure that things will go smoothly.

4. I am worried that everyone will know that I am registered with Disabilities Resources and
    have accommodations. What safeguards are there to protect my information?

We take confidentiality very seriously in Disabilities Resources and do our best to protect your
disability-related information. The records you share with our office are only available to us and
are used to make decisions regarding your accommodations. At times, we may share limited
information with other faculty or staff members who are also working with you…but we do that
on a need-to-know basis and we will most often inform you that we are going to do that ahead
of time.

This is also why we typically do not share information about your accommodation needs with
your professors ahead of time. We feel strongly that this is your information and that you have
the right to decide to whom that information is disclosed.

5. What if I only need my accommodations for certain classes? Will I be required to use them for
    all of my classes?

While accommodations are generally approved for all classes in which a student is enrolled, it is
not assumed that the student will need or choose to use accommodations for every class. You
are not required to use accommodations for any of your classes, if you choose not to do so.

6. Do I need to have a new evaluation done? What do I do if my documentation is too old?

Not necessarily. Generally speaking, evaluations for learning disabilities and ADHD performed
within the four years prior to enrolling at Elon should be recent enough to provide us with an
accurate picture of your current strengths and areas for growth and help us determine your
eligibility for accommodations. More recent information may be needed to document mental
health disabilities or other chronic health issues, which often change rapidly in the college-age
population. Provisional accommodations may be offered to students whose documentation is
outdated, provided they are able to document their use of accommodations previously.

7. Will my high school automatically send my IEP/504 plan or evaluations to Disabilities
    Resources? Will all of the accommodations I have now be approved at Elon?

Many students assume that their high school’s special education or counseling departments will
automatically send us their IEP/504 plans and evaluations if they are getting accommodations in
their public high schools. Generally speaking, this is not the case – if there are documents you
will need from your school, you will need to request that these be sent to us. Alternatively, they
may give you the documents and expect you to submit them to us as needed.
Many of the accommodations you are using now will likely be approved for use in the University
setting; however, accommodations that change the curriculum of the course (e.g., modification
of assignments) or that create an undue burden to the University will generally not be
appropriate in the college setting.

8. Who will my advisor be? Will I be able to meet regularly with someone in the Disabilities
    Resources office?

Most first-year students take a one-hour seminar class during their first fall semester called Elon
1010. The professor you have for this course will be your academic advisor until you declare your
major through an academic department.
Staff members in Disabilities Resources are not available to meet with all students registered
with their office on a regular basis; however we are available to meet with students when
needed to address issues with accommodations, working with professors, and developing
strategies to address challenges with accessibility at the University. Students who feel they
need to meet with a staff member on a regular basis may be interested in participating in our
academic mentoring program. Transitioning students with disabilities are paired with more
advanced students to meet with on a regular basis to discuss challenges, develop time
management and organization skills, and gain experience in strategy development while
participating in the program.

9. What resources are available to me to help me with my writing?

Two classes in the first-year core course requirements are writing intensive and designed to help
develop your written language skills (English 1100, Core 1100 – the Global Experience).
Additionally, the Writing Center, located on the first floor of Belk Library, is available for all
members of the Elon community to use by appointment. Writing Center Consultants can help
you develop your written work at any stage of the writing process.

10. Are there professional tutors available who can work with me?

Currently, all tutors available through Learning Assistance are highly trained student tutors. The
University does not employ professional tutors to work with students on skills development.
We encourage students to make use of office hours with professors to obtain academic subjectbased support as well.

11. Is there a fee for my use of the services available?

There is no fee associated with any of the services provided through the Koenigsberger Learning
Center (Academic Advising, Disabilities Resources, or Learning Assistance), the Writing Center,
or the Belk Library. These services are paid for through student fees.

12. I need help with time management and organization. Are there support services to help with
      this?

As previously mentioned, students may opt to work on their time management and organization
skills with their mentors via the academic mentoring program through Disabilities Resources.
Additionally, Learning Assistance has specialized learning strategy tutors who can help you work
to develop these skills.

13. You mentioned a release form so that I could receive information about my child’s progress and grades. What is the process for getting that put in place?

The student must file this information through the Registrar’s office.  Information on FERPA can be found on their website.