For students to access their legal accommodation plan they must:
- Provide you with an official academic accommodation plan completed by Student Accessibility Services
- Communicate with you to confirm and coordinate relevant academic accommodations
If students request accommodations but do not have a completed plan by Student Accessibility Services please refer them to our office for a consultation. Accommodations should not be provided without an accommodation plan by Student Accessibility Services.
You are encouraged to remind students that they must meet with Student Accessibility Services and receive an official academic accommodation plan at the beginning of each semester to access their accommodations:
Bentley University abides by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 which stipulate no student shall be denied the benefits of an education solely by reason of a disability. If you have a hidden or visible disability which may require classroom accommodations, please call Student Accessibility Services within the first 4 weeks of the semester to schedule an appointment- 781.891.2004, Jennison 336. Student Accessibility Services is responsible for managing accommodations and services for all students with disabilities.
Students who request exam accommodations are instructed to maintain good communication with their instructors:
- Students should request exam accommodations at least one week in advance of their exam
- Students are informed that late requests may not be able to be honored
- Students should work with their faculty to determine the logistics of their accommodations
- This may entail beginning the exam before class, finishing the exam after class, or completing the exam on a different time of day
- If you are unable to make accommodation arrangements please proceed to the Test Room tab
- Extra time legally needs to be based on the longest amount of time a student without a disability receives
- The location of the exam needs to be comparable to the location their peers have (consider noise and distractions)
- Cannot give fewer number of questions in the same amount of time for class to finish together- point distribution is not equal
Students are approved for the accommodation of a note-sharer if they have a disability that interferes with their capacity to take notes:
- The student and the note-sharer are responsible for completing the necessary paperwork
- You may be asked to assist in this process by making the class aware of the need for a note-sharer. You may ask a specific student or make a class announcement. This can be done via email.
- In doing so, please do not disclose the student’s name
- Names can be shared once a student has volunteered to be the note-sharer
- It is the responsibility of the note-sharer and the student receiving this accommodation to make arrangements for the remainder of the semester
- The student receiving the accommodation must attend all classes to receive notes
Please contact Stephanie Segalini, Steph Bohler and Katie Johnson with any questions or concerns.
Grading and Evaluations
Students with disabilities should not be evaluated or graded differently than other students in the class. Academic accommodations are not provided to give a student an advantage or to raise or lower academic expectations. Rather, accommodations are designed to “level the playing field” and allow the student to demonstrate mastery of the course material. Academic accommodations may provide an alternative manner in which a student has access to course information. All students, including those with disabilities, should be evaluated at the same level.
Universal Design
If you are struggling to reach students of various learning styles in your classroom, there is something you can do about it. A growing trend in college curriculum is universal design, which helps all students get the most out of their education. We are available to work individually with you or provide group workshops on how to integrate universal design into existing and new syllabi. For more information, contact Student Accessibility Services at 781.891.2004.
Bentley University strives to make web content accessible to all users. If you are having difficulty accessing information and need this content in an alternate format, please contact Stephanie Segalini at 781-891-2004 or ssegalini@bentley.edu.