Faculty Resources for SAA

Student Accessibility & Accommodation uses an interactive process to determine reasonable accommodations that support equitable access, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.

As part of this process, students participate in an Initial Meeting with an Accommodation Specialist or the Director. During this meeting, students share their experiences, discuss disability-related barriers, and identify the accommodations they are requesting. SAA then reviews the student’s requests and considers what accommodations may be appropriate based on the course, program, or activity.

Third-party documentation may also be used to help SAA understand whether a student’s diagnosis rises to the level of a disability, how the disability may impact the student in academic or campus settings, and what accommodations may be appropriate.

Accommodations are determined on an individualized basis. Accommodations that are not effective, would lower academic standards, or would fundamentally alter the nature of a course, program, or activity are not considered reasonable under ADA and Section 504 guidelines.

A reasonable accommodation is an adjustment that provides a student with equal access to a course, program, or activity. Reasonable accommodations do not fundamentally alter essential requirements, lower academic standards, or substantially change how a course or program is designed or delivered.

Faculty expertise is an important part of this process. No one understands the essential requirements of a course better than the faculty member teaching it. If a faculty member believes a requested accommodation may fundamentally alter the nature of a course, lower academic standards, or raise a safety concern, they should contact SAA rather than deny the accommodation independently.

SAA will review the concern in collaboration with the faculty member and other appropriate University officials as needed. This process ensures that decisions reflect both the faculty member’s knowledge of the course and the legal standards that apply.

The University of Puget Sound is committed to ensuring that students with disabilities have full and equal access to its programs and activities. This includes making reasonable alterations and adjustments unless doing so would:

• Modify academic requirements that are essential to the instruction being pursued or directly related to a licensing requirement;
• Lower academic standards; or
• Substantially alter the course or program, also known as fundamentally altering the nature of the course or program.

Academic accommodations that present a fundamental alteration or undue burden are rare. These determinations may only be made after careful consideration by SAA and relevant University officials.

Students sometimes ask for flexibility, or mention a disability, without having gone through SAA. In that situation, direct the student to SAA, and avoid asking for details about the disability itself.

The same applies if you notice a student struggling in a way that might be disability-related, even if they haven't said anything. You can describe what you're observing, for example, that they seem to need more time than an exam period allows, and suggest they connect with SAA. 

If you're ever unsure how to handle either situation, reaching out to SAA directly is always the right move.

Once a student’s accommodations are approved, faculty will receive an Accommodation Letter by email. Accommodation Letters can also be viewed by logging into Accommodate.

Faculty should read each Accommodation Letter carefully, as some accommodations may need to be implemented right away. Letters may be sent at any point during the term, not only at the beginning of the semester. If anything in the letter is unclear, faculty should contact SAA for guidance.

Students are responsible for scheduling a meeting with their faculty member to discuss how their accommodations will apply in the specific course. Accommodations are not active in a course until the student has shared their Accommodation Letter and had this discussion with the faculty member. Students should not expect to use accommodations before this conversation has taken place.