Requesting Accommodations

Disclosure of a Disability

Under U.S. laws, students are not required to report a disability, but they must disclose and document their disabilities in order to receive disability-related accommodations. Concordia University Irvine students seeking accommodations on the basis of a disability must self-identify and request accommodations from the DLRC. Failure to give notice or provide detailed information may result in the accommodations being delayed or the request being denied. Students who request accommodations and/or services from other faculty and staff are to be referred to the DLRC. Once the student has disclosed information regarding the disability and desires disability-related accommodations, the school has the responsibility to make reasonable accommodations.

All admitted students, regardless of level or program, must be self-identified as a person with a disability by submitting medical documentation and "registering" before they will be recognized as disabled as defined by the ADA and Section 504 and before any requests for disability accommodations can be granted by the University. This policy is in place to protect the rights of both the student and the University.

Requesting Accommodations

Registering with the DLRC is required of all students wishing to be recognized by the University as a student with a disability regardless of whether accommodations are being requested. Students with disabilities must submit clinical documentation of disabilities that clearly establishes the need for services and accommodations directly to the DLRC. This documentation should meet the established documentation guidelines. A professionally verified disability is a condition certified by a licensed physician, psychologist, audiologist, speech pathologist, registered nurse, social worker, rehabilitation counselor, physical therapist, corrective therapist, learning disability specialist, or other appropriate professional. Students with prior diagnosis of a disability will provide testing and evaluation results dated no more than 3 years prior to the date of requesting accommodations at CUI.

All newly admitted students needing accommodations are encouraged to contact the Director of Disability and Learning Services as soon as they know that they will be attending Concordia University. Failure to give notice or provide detailed information may result in your accommodations being delayed or your request being denied.

Accommodation Approval Process and Timeline

Students who desire accommodations on the basis of a disability must make a formal request each semester by completing accommodation request forms available from the DLRC. All accommodation request forms received will be dated to indicate the date of their request. Failure to give notice or provide detailed information may result in your accommodations being delayed or your request being denied.

All accommodation requests will be evaluated by the Director of Disability and Learning Services. Factors involved in the evaluation of the request include the nature of the person’s disability and the type and extent of the requested accommodation. The DLRC reserves the right to contact appropriate University faculty and staff to discuss accommodation requests.

In some instances, a diagnosed and documented medical, psychological, or learning disorder may not be considered a disability and status as a student with a disability or disability accommodations may be denied. An accommodation may be denied even if it has been recommended by an appropriate medical professional or has been granted by another agency or institution in the past.

Decisions regarding the approval or denial of requested accommodations will generally be made within 5 working days of the receipt of the accommodation request form. However, the DLRC reserves the right to take up to 10 working days to make a decision regarding an accommodation request. Once a decision has been made, the student will be informed whether the accommodation request was approved, denied, or if additional documentation is needed. Students asked to submit additional information may be approved for temporary accommodations for up to 60 days in cases where the documentation submitted is determined to be out-of-date, incomplete, or otherwise insufficient.

Required Timeline

Receiving Accommodations

In order to receive accommodations during a semester, the student will be required to obtain an Accommodations Agreement from the DLRC, discuss their approved accommodations with each instructor and/or staff member during office hours, and return the signed form to the DLRC in a timely manner. Students are responsible for clarifying and planning their accommodations with each of their individual instructors. Clinical information about students will not appear in these letters. Instructors are encouraged to contact the DLRC with any questions or concerns regarding accommodations. A lowering of academic program standards or the elimination of identified essential elements of a curriculum is not required by law. Students are informed that if the DLRC does not have a signed copy of the Accommodations Agreement in their folder, then the DLRC is unable to mediate issues for them until there is a signed copy of the Accommodations Agreement.

Temporary Accommodations

Protections under the ADA and Section 504 are usually not provided for temporary disabilities. Accommodations may be provided on a case-by-case basis depending on severity, impact and duration. Students may be approved for temporary accommodations at the discretion of the Director of Disability and Learning Services. In most cases, students will have submitted some form of clinical documentation prior to receiving temporary documentation. Temporary accommodations may also be implemented to assist students with short-term physical or psychological impairments (e.g. broken limb). Temporary accommodations will generally not exceed one semester.

Instructor Notification Letters

Students who are approved for academic accommodations requiring instructor notification will receive letters to take to the faculty. These letters will clearly state the recommended accommodations for each specified course.

Accommodations for State Testing

If you require accommodations on required admissions tests such as the SAT, ACT, GRE, MAT, GMAT, LSAT or MCAT, you must contact the testing agency directly for their documentation requirements and deadlines for submitting your documentation.

Facility Accessibility

Classroom accessibility problems should be identified at the time of registration for classes each term. The problem should immediately be brought to the attention of the Chair of the Academic Department offering the class or brought to the attention of the Director of Disability and Learning Services for remediation or to arrange for the class to be moved to a more accessible location. Any identified problems with physical accessibility or out of order elevators on campus should be reported immediately to the Director of Disability and Learning Services. While not all buildings and rooms may be accessible, Concordia University continues to strive to insure that all programs and activities are accessible to persons with disabilities.