Title

Policy 2.06

Subtitle

Student Accommodation Policy

Body

Part 1. Accessibility Statement

Minneapolis College holds equity and inclusion in high regard. Minneapolis College values diverse perspectives and experiences and works to foster an appreciation and respect to ensure all students, faculty and staff feel welcome. Minneapolis College works to ensure all programs, services and activities are accessible by:

  • Recognizing that disabilities are socially and culturally constructed and that individuals with disabilities are a vital element to the diverse campus community.
  • Striving to empower students to be as independent as possible by facilitating an interactive process of creating a universally accessible campus.
  • Believing equal access is the shared responsibility of everyone: faculty, staff and students alike.

Students have a right to:

  • An equal opportunity to learn, work and receive reasonable accommodations, academic adjustments and/or auxiliary aids and services.
  • Access to services that may be needed for equal access to courses, programs, services, jobs, activities and facilities offered by the College.

Part 2. Definitions

Subpart A. An Individual with a Disability:

  1. Any person who has a physical or mental impairment which materially limits one or more of their major life activities.
  2. Any person who has a record of such impairment which means that a person has a history of, or has been classified as, having a mental or physical impairment that materially limits one or more major life activities
  3. Any person who is regarded as having such an impairment.

Subpart B. Qualified Individual with a Disability.

An individual who, with or without reasonable modifications to rules, policies or practices, the removal of architectural, communication or transportation barriers or the provision of auxiliary aids and services, meets the essential eligibility requirements for receipt of services or participation in a system office, college or university program or activity. Essential eligibility requirements include, but are not limited to, academic and technical standards requisite to admission or participation in an education program or activity.

Subpart C. Personal Devices and Services

May include wheelchairs, individually prescribed devices such as prescription eyeglasses or hearing aids, readers for personal use or study or services of a personal nature including assistance for eating, toileting or dressing.

Subpart D. Accommodations

Accommodations are reasonable alterations to the normal policies, procedures and rules to ensure equitable access. Accommodations are determined on a case-by-case basis and cannot alter the fundamental course outcomes or core competencies, or present an undue burden to the College. Accommodations may be requested at any point in the semester; however, they are not retroactive.

Subpart E. Accessibility Specialists

Accessibility Specialists are the College staff who meet with students to receive requests for accommodations and determine whether criteria is met.

Subpart F. Accommodation Notification

Accommodation Notification is necessary when the accommodations need to be implemented by faculty. Students will provide faculty with a Notification of Accommodation letter from the Accessibility Resource Center in a timely manner. Faculty are responsible for honoring these accommodations.

Part 3. Identifying and Determining Reasonable Accommodations

Students, faculty, staff and campus visitors are encouraged to identify potential accessibility issues or concerns regarding programs, services and activities at Minneapolis College and bring them to the attention of the Accessibility Resource Center (ARC).

Students who encounter accessibility barriers or identify themselves as having a disability that impacts their experience should meet with an Accessibility Specialist. During this meeting, students need to identify accessibility barriers and how the program, service or activity at Minneapolis College is created in a way that they are unable to access it. Through this process, students will jointly explore options with ARC staff to minimize or remove barriers. These options may include connecting students to appropriate resources on or off campus, coaching students on how to work through challenges, building advocacy skills, encouraging independence and growth and determining reasonable accommodations to ensure they are able to access the program, service or activity.

As part of the interactive process of creating a universally accessible campus, students may present identified needs for accommodations. Accommodations are determined on a case-by-case basis and must be designed to address identified barriers. An accommodation is not reasonable if it results in undue burden or hardship for Minneapolis College or if it results in a fundamental alteration or compromises the essential elements of an academic standard. All students must meet the same academic requirements at Minneapolis College.

If, during this process, an accommodation is approved that will need faculty involvement, the Accessibility Specialist will provide the student with a sealed envelope containing an accommodation notification. Students must deliver the envelope to their instructor as the final step in implementing the approved accommodation. This process needs to be repeated each semester and for each class.

The ARC reserves the right to request third-party documentation of the condition or circumstances. The ARC will ensure any content received or generated is kept private in accordance with FERPA and shared with College personnel on a limited and need-to-know basis only.

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, accommodations will not be provided for personal devices or services even though the individual may be a qualified individual with a disability, or that result in a fundamental alteration in the nature of a service, program or activity or in undue financial or administrative burdens.

Related policies: MinnState Board Policy 1B.4 Access and Accommodation for Individuals with Disabilities


Date of Adoption: 7/1/1999

Date of Implementation (if different from from adoption date):

Date of Last Review: 10/18/2018

Date and Subject of Revisions: