Dear Faculty Colleagues,
Colgate University is committed to ensuring comprehensive educational access for all registered students seeking to meet course and curricular requirements and full participation in university programs and activities. In addition to this institutional commitment, Colgate is required to be in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) of 2008 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.
By Colgate policy, students seeking academic adjustments must register through the Office of Student Disability Services (OSDS), and only vetted and approved adjustments are communicated to faculty via the Accommodate system (and conversely, the only ADAAA-related adjustments faculty should make are those approved by the OSDS). Put another way, the adjustments communicated to faculty via Accommodate have been deemed necessary and reasonable by a trained and qualified professional. Once adjustments have been communicated, we are legally required to make those adjustments.
Like many of you, I am teaching this semester, and I am acutely aware of how much the various required adjustments of just 18 students complicate my schedule and make me think carefully about how to structure in-class assignments, assessments, and exercises. As faculty, we often look for ways to solve problems or improve learning outcomes while attending to student success, equity and curricular goals. It is natural to want to brainstorm with our students to further understand any issues at hand and to seek ideal solutions. I have to remind myself that as a faculty member, I should not be asking students about their disability nor try to negotiate with a student concerning an adjustment. Any questions regarding how an adjustment was determined, whether it is reasonable, or how it might be altered to fit pedagogical needs, should be directed to Evelyn Lester, PhD (elester@colgate.edu), director of the Office of Student Disability Services.
Meeting the needs of our students is not just the law, it is also part of our commitment to the broader ideals of diversity, equity, access, and inclusion. I know all of you are working so very hard and thank you so much for your commitment to our students and their education.
Sincerely,
Douglas N. Johnson, PhD (he, him, his)
Dean of Academic and Curricular Affairs
William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences