Campus syllabus statements and contact information
Even if you follow all guidelines for digital accessibility and Universal Design for Learning, you will still have students who need accommodation. Make sure your syllabus provides contact information for your campus disability center so they can request that assistance:
Columbia
Please see the MU Disability Center for a syllabus statement and additional guidance on creating an accessible syllabus.
Kansas City
See UMKC Accommodations for a sample statement and important FERPA reminders regarding accommodations.
Rolla
Please include the following text in your syllabus:
Accessibility and Accommodations
(Note: Choose the appropriate heading level for your syllabus structure.)
It is the university’s goal that learning experiences be as accessible as possible. Student Accessibility and Testing provides services and accommodations that facilitate full participation in Missouri S&T’s learning experience for students with disabilities. If you anticipate or experience physical, academic, and/or digital barriers due to a disability, please contact Student Accessibility and Testing at 573-341-6655, email dss@mst.edu or visit Student Accessibility and Testing for information.
St. Louis
The UMSL Disability Access Center offers several sample syllabus statements.
When you receive an accommodation letter
If you receive an accommodation on a student’s behalf, it is your responsibility to implement it. You have no right to question the student’s need for accommodation or to refuse to accommodate the student.
Some faculty believe that students falsely claim a need for accommodation to gain an advantage in their classes. Indeed, the opposite is more likely to be true: Students who qualify for accommodations might not request them for a number of reasons:
- They might have received accommodations during K–12 schooling but do not know they are also available in college.
- They want to prove they can succeed without accommodations.
- They have experienced negative reactions in the past upon requesting accommodations (NCES, 2022).
- The disability is recent onset or temporary; think of a student with an eye infection that inhibits vision or a broken arm that limits use of a dominant hand.
Accommodations are not special privileges. They are intended to provide an equitable environment for the students who need them, not an advantage over other students.
If you have questions about how to implement a student’s accommodations, reach out to your campus disability center.
Learn more
National Center for Educational Statistics. (2022). A Majority of College Students with Disabilities Do Not Inform School, New NCES Data Show.
Created on October 9, 2024