Requesting Academic Accommodations
The Director of Disability Services arranges academic accommodations for students with a disability. Students are welcome to contact the Director of Disability Services at hdavidson@anselm.edu for more information about college policies relating to disability and the procedure for requesting academic accommodations.
Saint Anselm College complies with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) of 2008.
As the needs of students with a disability vary, accommodations are determined on an individual, case-by-case basis. Academic accommodations at Saint Anselm College may include, but are not limited to, extended time for exams and quizzes to be taken in a distraction-reduced environment, preferred seating arrangements, alternative formats of course materials, permission to use an audio recorder in classes, note-taking assistance, and assistive technology.
Students must provide documentation to support their requests for academic accommodations. See below for documentation guidelines. Incoming students are advised to send their documentation to the Director of Disability Services prior to the beginning of their first semester at the college. However, matriculated students may request accommodations based on disability at any stage of their college career. Documentation should be delivered to the following address:
Hannah Davidson
Director, Disability Services
Saint Anselm College
100 Saint Anselm Drive
Manchester, NH 03102
Phone: (603) 641-7194
Fax: (603) 641-7318
Email: hdavidson@anselm.edu
Additional Information
Decision making about appropriate and reasonable academic accommodations is not based solely upon a medical diagnosis or a psychological evaluation. In order to make an informed decision about a student's unique need for academic accommodations, the Director of Disability Services relies upon: the student's self-reporting of a functional limitation affecting academic performance; a documented history, if any, of the student's prior use of accommodations within the classroom or elsewhere; and recommendations for suitable accommodations provided by qualified clinical professionals. The following are examples of documentation to be considered:
- A clear and unambiguous diagnosis provided and signed by a student's physician or medical specialist, psychiatrist, or licensed therapist, to include recommendations for specific academic accommodations.
- A neuropsychological or psycho-educational evaluation performed and signed by an appropriate clinician, such as a psychiatrist or a psychologist, to include recommendations for specific academic accommodations.
- A student's previous Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or 504 plan, to include a prior diagnosis of disability and recommendations for specific accommodations.
Please note:
Although this institution does not require documentation to be based upon a diagnosis or an evaluation to have been made within a specific time frame, the Director of Disability Services may consider documentation incomplete if it does not provide sufficient information needed to determine the appropriateness or reasonableness of the student's requested accommodations.
For detailed documentation guidelines for disabilities, please contact:
Hannah Davidson
Director, Disability Services
Saint Anselm College
100 Saint Anselm Drive
Manchester, NH 03102
Phone: (603) 641-7194
Fax: (603) 641-7318
Email: hdavidson@anselm.edu
Requesting Academic Accommodations
Once a student has been accepted to Saint Anselm College, they should immediately begin the application process for obtaining accommodations. The review and development of accommodations may take several weeks; therefore, students are strongly encouraged to initiate the process at least one month prior to the start of classes. Students may begin the process by contacting the Director of Disability Services at hdavidson@anselm.edu.
The following steps must be completed:
Saint Anselm College requires that students seeking accommodations provide appropriate documentation of their disability (see documentation guidelines above) to the Director of Disability Services in order to:
- determine eligibility as a qualified individual with a disability.
- determine appropriate academic accommodations for that student.
It is the responsibility of the student to contact and submit documentation of a disability to the Director of Disability Services. Students should allow three weeks for the evaluation and decision once the documentation is submitted.
When submitting documentation, students should include with it the following information:
- their name
- anticipated year of graduation
- contact information including phone number, home address, and e-mail address
Documentation should be emailed or delivered to the following address:
Hannah Davidson
Director, Disability Services
Saint Anselm College
100 Saint Anselm Drive
Manchester, NH 03102
The Director of Disability Services will review the documentation and will contact the student to schedule a meeting. Submission of documentation does not guarantee that a request for accommodations will be approved; the documentation must meet the guidelines established by the college. If documentation is incomplete, the student will be contacted by the Director of Disability Services for further information. The student may be asked to submit additional documentation.
The student must schedule a meeting with the Director of Disability Services to discuss:
- the recommended accommodations
- the resources and services the student should utilize
- the accommodations the college will provide
The student should schedule this meeting during the first two weeks of the semester. During this meeting, if the documentation is complete, the student and the director will complete the accommodations form.
Please note:
The requested accommodations are limited to those that are recommended and/or for which the student has either received prior approval. If there has been a change in the nature of the disability and/or the recommended accommodations, documentation must be submitted to support the new request. The student should then adhere to the guidelines outlined in Part I: Supporting Documentation.
At the beginning of each semester, the student will submit a semester request in Accommodate to release information to their current faculty.
Faculty are not required to provide accommodations to students if they have not received a Verification Letter.
Please Note:
Documentation Submitted After the Start of the Semester
Students who submit documentation after the start of the semester should allow two weeks for a determination on the appropriateness of documentation submitted. Students should not expect a request for accommodations to be approved for an exam that they have in the same week or subsequent two weeks.
Once documentation and a request for accommodations have been approved, a student cannot then retroactively request accommodations for a test already taken.
Arranging Testing Accomodations in the Academic Resource Center
Students may take their exams in the Academic Resource Center, located on the top floor of the Student Center. However, they are not required to do so. Students can discuss testing options with their professor.
In order to utilize their approved testing accommodations, students must complete each of the following steps:
Students are expected to request an exam appointment in Accommodate at least three days prior to their exam for which they will utilize their academic accommodations. Students who do not provide at least three days’ notice may not receive academic accommodations. Accommodation availability will depend upon space in the Academic Resource Center and the professor’s availability.
Students who arrive at the Academic Resource Center without prior notification may be asked to return to the classroom to take the exam with the rest of the class. While students have the right to use their academic accommodations, they also have the responsibility to arrange them in advance.
Generally, exams will be taken at the same time the class is taking the exam. If a student needs to reschedule an exam, the student must discuss their options with their professor and then notify the Accommodations Coordinator (arcexams@anselm.edu) The Academic Resource Center will not reschedule exams without the professor's approval.
Please note, the best way to communicate about exam timing or questions is to use the email: arcexams@anselm.edu .
Faculty will be notified via Accommodate when students schedule an exam. Faculty may then upload the exam to the testing section of Accommodate (preferred) or email arcexams@anselm.edu. For accessibility compliance, if emailing your exam, please send a pdf.
On the day of the exam, the student should report to the Academic Resource Center, top floor of the Student Center, approximately 5 minutes prior to the start of the scheduled exam time.
Appeals Process
A student may appeal the decision of the Disability Services Office within ten days of the decision.
Appeals are directed to the Director of Disability Services and must be in writing and state the reasons for the appeal and the desired resolution. The description must include specific facts to support the appeal. A determination of the appeal will be made within ten (10) days of the request.
The student may appeal the decision of the Director of Disability Services to the Dean of the College. The appeal must be in writing and should state the reasons why the decision of the Director of Disability Services is being appealed and the desired resolution.
The appeal should be sent to the Dean of the College within ten (10) days of receiving the decision of the Director of Disability Services. The Dean of the College will make a final determination of the appeal and inform the student of the determination within ten (10) days of receiving the appeal.
Although the college will make reasonable efforts to comply with these timelines, circumstances such as access to information, availability of personnel, and school breaks may justify an extension of time.
Exam Policy
Students will be required to leave their backpacks, handbags, and cell phones outside of the testing area. Cell phones must be turned off.
Exam materials are permitted per faculty instructions.
If the use of a word processor is permitted, and the professor agrees, the student may use a Disability Services owned laptop without internet access, or their own laptop when permitted by instructor.
Students are not allowed to bring their own scrap paper. If scrap paper is needed, the student must ask an administrator in the Disability Services Office and obtain paper from the office's supply.
Students who arrive late will not be given additional testing time. They must finish at their designated stopping time.
One student may leave the exam room for a personal break, but must notify an administrator first. Personal breaks are restricted to restroom use and should not exceed five minutes. Students taking breaks must place their exam face-down on the table until they return.
The administrator will not answer any questions regarding the interpretation of exam content.
Attempts will be made by the administrator to contact a professor if there is a suspected error on the exam or an ambiguous question.
Students who raise concerns about the meaning of an exam item should indicate these concerns on the written exam.
Questions are accepted only during the exam period. No communication (physical, verbal, or electronic) between students is permitted.
Students will be provided extended time, depending on their approved accommodations. The Disability Services Office cannot accommodate any additional time that a professor provides to the general class.
The time provided for exams in courses that meet one night per week will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
Acts that violate the standard of honesty include cheating (unauthorized use of notes, talking, copying from another student) and intentionally helping another student. These will be considered violations of college policy.
A proctor who observes academic misconduct will inform the student as soon as is practical, while maintaining exam integrity and privacy.
The proctor will provide the course instructor with a description of the misconduct.
Adapted from Babson College, Disability Services, Office of Academic Services
Making the Transition to College
Students should understand that the process for accessing services is very different from the process they may have experienced in high school, primarily because the federal law that protects their rights has changed. In high school, the IDEA protected the rights of students and now at the college level, the Americans with Disabilities Act mandates universities to have a process in place for securing reasonable accommodations for all eligible students.
To learn more about transitioning from high school to college, please refer to:
Rights and Responsibilities
Responsibilities of the Disability Services office
- Determining eligibility for participation of students with disabilities in the academic accommodations process based upon a review of appropriate documentation
- Determining the appropriate accommodation for each student
- Responsible for seeing that the student receives the appropriate accommodation
- Responsible for interacting with faculty on disability issues
Rights of the Disability Services Office
- Request current documentation from a student completed by a qualified professional to determine eligibility for accommodations. The Disability Services office evaluates all documentation and requests for accommodations which may include, with written consent, requesting more information and discussing the student's situation with the professional source of the documentation.
- Select among equally effective and appropriate accommodations, modifications, and/or auxiliary aids in consultation with the student.
- Deny a request for accommodations, modifications, and/or auxiliary aids if the documentation does not identify a specific disability, the documentation fails to support the need for the requested services, or the documentation or request for an accommodation is not provided in a timely manner.
- Refuse to provide an accommodation, modification, and/or auxiliary aid that is unreasonable or inappropriate. This includes accommodations that pose a direct threat to the health and safety of others, constitute a substantial change or alteration to an essential component of a course or program, or poses undue financial or administrative burden to Saint Anselm College.
Responsibilities of the Student
- Meeting the College's qualifications and essential academic standards.
- Contacting the Disability Services office at the beginning of each semester so that appropriate accommodations can be made in a timely manner (within the first two weeks of each semester
- Providing the Disability Services office with appropriate documentation indicating the student's disability and suggested accommodations.
- Responsible for meeting the timelines and procedural requirements established by the Disability Services office for scheduling exams which includes requesting assistance, informing the Disability Services office of the day and time of their exam, and arranging with a faculty member for getting the exam to the testing location. If the student fails to provide adequate notice of the need for space and/or assistance it may result in the accommodations not being available.
Rights of the Student
- Equal access to courses offered throughout the College.
- Reasonable and appropriate accommodations, modifications, and/or auxiliary aids determined on an individualized basis.
- Confidentiality on all information pertaining to their disability records within the parameters of law, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
- Appeal the College's decisions regarding reasonable accommodations. For more information about the Appeals Process, please contact the Disability Services office (603) 641-7017.
Responsibilities of the Faculty Member
- Responsible for discussing with the Disability Services office any concerns related to the accommodation(s) or arrangements that have been requested by the student in their initial contacts.
- Responsible for determining the conditions under which the exam is to be administered (e.g.: open book, use of notes, formula sheet, calculator, scrap paper, dictionary).
- The faculty member is responsible for assuring the timely delivery of the exam, along with all necessary instructions and materials for proper administration.
Rights of the Faculty Member
- Refuse to provide accommodations for students with disabilities who have not followed Saint Anselm College policies and procedures for participating in the accommodation process.
- Discuss with the Disability Services office any concerns related to accommodations, modifications, and/or auxiliary aids requested by students.
- Identify and establish the skills and knowledge that are fundamental and essential components to their academic courses/program and to evaluate each student's performance on this basis.