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The Accessibility Services Office may approve a range of testing accommodations to ensure students with disabilities can fully demonstrate their knowledge. These adjustments provide alternative testing arrangements when standard formats, time limits, or environments create barriers without altering academic standards. When needed, staff will consult with faculty to ensure accommodations align with course objectives.

Common testing accommodations include:

• Extended time: Most often time-and-a-half, though more may be approved when appropriate. Unlimited time is not granted.
• Distraction-reduced location: A quieter space with fewer interruptions. Students can schedule an exam in the Annex through the AIM Portal.
• Use of a laptop for testing: This is used by students with written-expression or fine-motor challenges who need to type essay exams.
• Alternate format exams: Large print, Braille, or audio versions of exams are available for students. Requests should be made at least three days before the exam to allow preparation time.

Students may request new accommodations at any time through AIM. Please note that accommodations cannot be applied retroactively — for example, if extended time was not requested before an exam, it cannot be added afterward.

Students with visual impairments, learning disabilities, or physical disabilities that significantly diminish their capacity to read standard print may be eligible to receive textbooks in alternate format. All new and continuing students must submit their required reading list to the Accessibility Services Office at the start of each semester. Books not available in electronic format from another source may be converted to electronic format on campus.

When notetaking support is approved as an accommodation, class recordings are often the most effective and immediate way for students to access course content. Students approved for this accommodation are eligible to use software (Jamworks) designed to support audio recording and organized note-taking. Instructor permission and a signed agreement is required before recording.

Many faculty already share lecture notes, outlines, or slides, which may meet students’ needs without additional support. If recordings or faculty materials are not sufficient, Accessibility Services will work with faculty to coordinate a peer notetaker. 

In some classes, recording permissions may be limited. When this occurs, Accessibility Services will work with the student and faculty member to provide an appropriate alternative.

In limited cases, students with documented disabilities may be eligible to request a course substitution when a specific course requirement presents a barrier related to their disability. A substitution cannot fundamentally alter the nature or essential requirements of a program of study, nor can it lower the academic standards or integrity of the degree.

Requests for course substitution must include documentation that clearly links the need for the accommodation to the student’s disability. Each request is evaluated on a case-by-case basis by Student Accessibility Services.  Petitions for a substitution are forwarded to the Committee of Academic Standing for review and approval. 

Because this process can take time, students who believe they may qualify are encouraged to discuss their circumstances with the Accessibility Services Office prior to the start of Senior year.  

Students whose disability significantly limits their ability to manage a standard full-time course load (12 or more credits) may be eligible for a reduced course load accommodation while maintaining full-time status. Approval is based on documentation that clearly connects the request to the impact of a disability.

Requests are reviewed each semester and must be submitted to Accessibility Services no later than two weeks before the start of classes.  The accommodation must be implemented before the end of the Add/Drop period. 

Students approved for this accommodation are considered full-time in all other respects, including eligibility for housing and campus activities. However, a reduced course load may affect financial aid, billing, and academic progress. Before finalizing the accommodation, students should:

• Consult Financial Aid to understand how it may affect federal or state funding,
• Discuss academic planning with their advisor or the Accessibility Services Coordinator, and
• Review billing implications with Financial Services.

If documentation of full-time status is needed for a third party (such as a health insurer), 911±¬ÁÏ will confirm the student’s full-time status as an approved accommodation, but third parties determine their own benefit eligibility.

Some individuals with disabilities use service animals to assist them in activities of daily living. The ADA defines a service animal as any guide dog, signal dog, or other animal individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including but not limited to guiding individuals with impaired vision, alerting individuals with impaired hearing to intruders or sounds, providing minimal protection or rescue work, pulling a wheelchair or fetching dropped items. Service animals are working animals, not pets. Service animals are permitted to accompany students with disabilities anywhere on campus and are not required to be certified by a state or local entity. Service animals must be appropriately licensed in accordance with local regulations and wear a valid vaccination tag.

Owners are responsible for appropriate care and management of service animals. In the event that a service animal's behavior poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others, or the student handler fails to comply with the service animal agreement, the owner will be expected to remove the animal from campus.

Download a copy of our Service Animal Policy 

For some individuals, emotional support animals (ESAs) have been proven effective to help reduce the effects of psychological disorders and function to help lower anxiety, cope with panic attacks, predict seizures and alleviate post-traumatic stress. ESAs, however, do not meet the definition of a service animal as described above and therefore are not specifically covered under the law. Requests for ESAs in campus housing are made through the Housing Accommodation Committee (HAC). The HAC will review applications and documentation submitted by students. If an ESA is approved, students will meet with a representative of Residential Life to review the ESA policy and agreement. In the event that an emotional support animal's behavior poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others or the student handler fails to comply with the ESA agreement, the owner will be expected to remove the animal from campus.

Download Emotional Support Animal Request form