Policies and Procedures
In Order to Receive Accommodations:
- Students must identify the disability. Students may self-identify at any time by contacting the Office of Access & Equity Services directly or by self-identifying to staff or faculty member who will advise students to contact the office of the Coordinator or Access & Equity Services.
- Students must provide the Coordinator of Access & Equity Services with documentation of the disability. Documentation of the disability must be current and appropriate. All documentation must identify the nature of the disability, how the disability will limit participation in courses, programs, services, employment, or activities, and the need for academic adjustments. Each student's input with respect to how the disability impacts him or her will be considered (this is considered part of the documentation). Hand-written documentation will require follow-up. Further information is available in Documentation Guidelines.
- The student requesting accommodations must work with BCL staff to develop an appropriate and reasonable accommodation plan during an intake meeting. The access plan could serve the student throughout his or her academic career at TC3 and may be modified through contact and discussion with the Coordinator of Access and Equity.
- In order to receive academic adjustments for a particular semester, students must review their individual access plan with BCL staff. After reviewing their individual access plan, students will receive a memo addressed to each of their instructors describing the approved range of academic adjustments for their courses that semester. Students who wish to use their academic adjustments must deliver the memo to their instructor(s) prior to receiving modifications or auxiliary aids or services in that class.
- Students must meet with instructors individually to discuss implementation of their access plan. Students are encouraged to meet with their instructors during office hours early in the semester to discuss specific needs and method(s) for implementing their access plan within each course.
Privacy: All information provided concerning a disability is confidential and is released only with the student's consent. A student must sign a consent form to allow BCL staff to discuss planning, progress, and concerns with parents or guardians.
Testing Modifications: Students must make an appointment every time they wish to take a test in the BCL. Under most circumstances, students must request an appointment with one school day in between their request and the day of their test. (For example, if a test is on Wednesday, an appointment needs to be requested by Monday. If a test is on Monday, an appointment needs to be made by Thursday because of the weekend.) This provides the BCL staff enough time to retrieve the test/exam from the student’s instructor and to reserve a space for test administration. Exceptions are made for pop-quizzes and other evaluations for which the student has short or no notice.
Students must request appointments electronically through their myINFO accounts.
Note that the link in myINFO will only work after the student has picked up the memos for his/her instructors (which must be done each semester).
Alternate Format: Alternate format, or alt format, is an accommodation that provides accessible digital texts to students with a print disabilities.
Assistive Technology: Some students will automatically have access to certain assistive technology hardware and software depending upon their individual access plan. For example, as student with a visual disability could have access to Window-Eyes or Zoom Text software. The BCL provides training for students to use adaptive technology as part of an access plan.
Other forms of adaptive technology are available to all students at TC3. For more details about available hardware and software, including information about adaptive technology specifically for students with disabilities, see the Assistive Technology page.
Note-Taking Assistance: Students eligible for note taking assistance will receive information from the Baker Center about finding a note taker, how to organize copies of the notes, and study tips when they sign their academic adjustment paperwork at the beginning of each semester. Students are generally responsible for finding a note taker in their classes; however, BCL staff and classroom faculty can help with this process as needed.
Once a student has found a note taker, the Baker Center will provide him or her with a copy card or NCR (carbon) paper to make copies of the note taker’s notes. Copy cards are signed out on a semester-by-semester basis and must be returned to Access and Equity at the end of the semester. Students may have the copy card refilled as needed by consulting the Access & Equity secretary.
For students with certain functional limitations, the Baker Center can help you obtain copies of in-class presentation materials (such as PowerPoint) in addition to notes. Unlike high school, college lectures move much more quickly and last longer, so obtaining presentation materials allows students to study at their own pace. For more information about note taking assistance and study tips, see our Note-Taking handout.
Classroom Seating: Those needing alternative seating in classrooms to accommodate physical disabilities should contact the Office of Access & Equity Services to make this request. Alternate seating can be arranged in each classroom.
Requesting Interpreter Services: Students who need interpreter services in order to participate in classes and college programs should contact the Office of Access & Equity Services (AES) as soon as possible so that this service can be arranged. When classes or schedules change, notify the AES as soon as possible. We need to have two-weeks notice as a minimum for requesting semester-long interpreter services or and a minimum of 2 business days’ to change prior arrangements.
Emergency Evacuation
For information on students with disabilities or medical conditions who may require assistance with emergency evacuation, please go to the Emergency Evacuation page.