Students with Disabilities Policy and Procedures
ECPI University does not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities in admission or in access to our programs, services and activities, in accordance with our obligations under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and the ADA Amendments Act of 2008.
Admission of Students with Disabilities. The University will make admission decisions using criteria which do not consider an individual's disability, but rather, the student's individual qualifications, to meet the essential elements of the program, service or activity being offered, assuming the incorporation or use of the appropriate academic adjustments/ auxiliary aids and services, if necessary. Students with disabilities desiring to enroll in any program, service or activity of ECPI University must be able to meet the minimal standards of the University and of the particular program, service or activity to which admission is sought.
Definitions. A person with a disability is someone who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, including, but not limited to, caring for one's self, performing manual tasks, learning, walking, seeing, hearing, breathing, and working; has a record of such an impairment; or is regarded as having such an impairment. Although disclosure of a disability may not be necessary or appropriate for some persons, those who seek academic adjustments/auxiliary aids and services from ECPI University must follow the procedure outlined below.
Procedure for Requesting Academic Adjustments/Auxiliary Aids and Services. Students requesting academic adjustments/auxiliary aids and services must take the initiative to seek assistance, comply with deadlines and agreements, and participate in the following procedure:
- Contact the Campus President or Approved Academic Designee. ECPI University students requesting academic adjustments/auxiliary aids and services should contact their Campus President or Approved Academic Designee. The Campus President or Approved Academic Designee will meet with the student to discuss the student’s disability, the impact and functional limitations of the disability in the academic setting, and the proposed academic adjustments/auxiliary aids and services.
- Provide Medical or Other Diagnostic Documentation. The student will provide acceptable medical or other diagnostic documentation that supports the request for academic adjustments/auxiliary aids and services. Acceptable documentation includes a report from a qualified professional explaining the disability, the impact or functional limitations in an academic setting, suggested academic adjustments/auxiliary aids and services, and the expected duration of the disability and requested academic adjustments/auxiliary aids and services. The documentation provided should be current (e.g., within 3 years of the students enrollment in the University.) Individual Education Plans (IEPs) and 504 Plans generally do not contain sufficient information.
In all cases, the University may request additional diagnostic information and assessment when, in its opinion, such additional information is needed to document the existence of a disability or the need for academic adjustments/auxiliary aids and services in the educational or clinical settings of ECPI University.
Review of the Academic Adjustments/Auxiliary Aids and Services Request. All requests for academic adjustments/auxiliary aids and services (e.g. extra time and/or separate room for exams, etc.) are evaluated on a case-by-case basis, using an interactive process. This evaluation includes the review of medical or other diagnostic documentation and a determination of the reasonableness of the academic adjustments/auxiliary aids and services. Medical or other diagnostic documentation provided by the student is kept confidential and is released to a third party only with the student's written permission or as required by law. General information about a student's disability and, academic adjustments/auxiliary aids and services may, however, be shared with other ECPI University administrators or third parties with a legitimate need to know (e.g. clinical sites, externship sites, etc.) The student's disabilities file is maintained by the Campus President and is held separately from the student's official academic record.
Students with disabilities may request academic adjustments/auxiliary aids and services at any time, however, the Campus President or Approved Academic Designee must have time to review and approve the request (generally 2-3 weeks) although some requests for academic adjustments/auxiliary aids and services take more time to review than others. Therefore, students requesting academic adjustments/auxiliary aids and services requests are encouraged to contact their Campus President or Approved Academic Designee as soon as possible after they have enrolled with the University. Academic adjustments/auxiliary aids and services will not be made on a retroactive basis.
Because practical training in many of our programs may take place in a variety of settings – classroom to clinical – academic adjustments/auxiliary aids and services granted on admission may not be appropriate for all settings; the Campus President or Approved Academic Designee, in collaboration with other University administrators with a legitimate need to know, may review with the student, as needed, academic adjustments/auxiliary aids and services for each class or setting as the student progresses through the curriculum, to avoid compromising or fundamentally altering the essential components of a particular course or program.
Although a student's academic adjustments/auxiliary aids and services histories are important, other factors are considered as well in determining what, if any, academic adjustments/auxiliary aids and services are appropriate now at ECPI University. The receipt of particular academic adjustments/auxiliary aids and services in a previous setting does not automatically mean that identical academic adjustments/auxiliary aids and services will be provided here.
The Campus President or Approved Academic Designee has the responsibility to review each student's documentation conscientiously and diligently in carefully considering the student's request for academic adjustments/auxiliary aids and services. When the Campus President or Approved Academic Designee has completed the evaluation and has determined that the student's disability has a current functional impact on his or her academic work or ability to participate in ECPI University’s programs, the Campus President or Approved Academic Designee will work the student to determine what academic adjustments/auxiliary aids and services are reasonable and appropriate.
Academic adjustments/auxiliary aids and services initially recommended for a student may be modified as directed by a change in the student's needs or the nature of course requirements. It is the student’s responsibility to request the modification and to provide support for said change.
Implementation of Academic Adjustments/Auxiliary Aids and Services Request. The student will be provided with a Faculty Notification Form from the Campus President or Approved Academic Designee at the conclusion of the review/verification process. The student, CDAA, and Campus President will sign the Faculty Notification Form, acknowledging the academic adjustments/auxiliary aids and services that have been approved. The student must provide the Faculty Notification Form to faculty members at the beginning of each term to receive academic adjustments/auxiliary aids and services. A copy of the Faculty Notification Form will be retained in the student’s disabilities file.
Appeal. In the event that there is a disagreement between the student and the University regarding the outcome of the Campus President or Approved Academic Designee evaluation (including whether the student is a qualified individual with a disability, the adequacy of the student's documentation regarding the student's disability and decisions regarding academic adjustments/auxiliary aids and services), the student can file an appeal with the University’s Equal Opportunity Officer and Title IX/504Coordinator:
Shanna Campise
Director Student Support Services
(757) 994-1054
scampise@ecpi.edu