Memorandum

Providing an inclusive and accessible learning environment to qualified students with disabilities is an important faculty responsibility. The Disability Services Office (DSO) is eager to assist you in fulfilling that responsibility and in building a successful community of learning for each student. DSO services and procedures can be found at http://dso.dasa.ncsu.edu or you may contact the office directly at 919-515-7653 (voice) or 919-515-8830 (TTY).  Our success, however, depends heavily on your active participation and cooperation. Federal law mandates that the university provides reasonable accommodations to qualified students with disabilities.  (See NC State’s Regulation on providing academic accommodations for students with disabilities at http://policies.ncsu.edu/regulation/reg-02-20-01.)  These accommodations are based on the premise that students with disabilities need an equal opportunity to acquire information and demonstrate what they have learned. This does not mean lowering class standards, but it may mean having students learn and express knowledge in a different mode or may require extended time to complete assignments or to take tests.

Do not attempt to diagnose a student’s disability or to create a reasonable accommodation on your own.  Instead, DSO is the authorized unit responsible for determining eligibility.  Students who self-identify as disabled and seek reasonable accommodations must disclose with DSO.

DSO provides each faculty member, identified by the student, with a letter that verifies that appropriate documentation is on file and that the student has a substantiated disability requiring effective reasonable accommodations. This letter lists some accommodations for which the student qualifies and the faculty must provide. Any student requesting accommodations without such a letter should be directed to the DSO office on the 2^nd Floor of the Student Health Services Building.  You should also make an announcement at the beginning of the semester inviting students with disabilities to schedule an appointment to discuss academic accommodations with you.

We also must provide students with disabilities the same access to University notices as provided to other students concerning all academic matters. This means that print notices you mail or post on classroom or departmental doors must be provided in an appropriate alternate format for students with disabilities.  When using Internet resources, you should ensure that the materials are accessible.  If unable to locate or use an accessible resource, you must offer an alternative resource that provides equally effective access. For guidance on making WebPages and other electronic resources accessible, please consult with DELTA or OIT at accessibility@ncsu.edu.

Thank you for your attention to the important goal of providing a learning environment conducive to the success of each NC State student.