Concordia College is committed to providing access to learning, housing, and dining opportunities for students with disabilities who meet the standard criteria for admission. Students accepted for admission are considered capable of meeting academic standards if reasonable accommodations can be made for their disability, which do not compromise the academic integrity of the college or the students’ educational program. The College is further committed to complying with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and interpreted, and strengthened by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in meeting the needs of students who have disabilities under the law.

Concordia College policy calls for appropriate accommodations to be made for students with documented disabilities on an individual and flexible basis. It is the responsibility of students, however, to make their needs known and to seek the assistance available at the college. The following guidelines describe procedures by which reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities enrolled at Concordia College can be accomplished.

Accommodations will be designed to meet the individual needs of the students. However, the academic accommodations cannot compromise curricular goals, standards, or essential course content, nor interfere with the rights or opportunities afforded others. All acceptable accommodations will recognize the faculty members’ right to determine the content and academic performance standards in the classroom. Unless students have gone through the formal process of official documentation with the Disability Services Coordinator located within the Center for Holistic Health, they cannot expect to receive academic accommodations from faculty, housing accommodations through Residence Life, or dining accommodations through Dining Services.

Definition of Disability

An individual with a disability is defined as a person with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity, a record of such impairment, or being regarded as having an impairment. Major life activities include, but are not limited to caring or oneself, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating, and working. Students seeking support from Disability Services may have a wide variety of disabilities including learning disabilities, psychological diagnosis, chronic health conditions, physical/mobility challenges, or temporary medical conditions.

Specific Procedures

1. Student self-identifies as having a disability or is referred to Disability Services by a campus staff/faculty.
2. Student meets with Disability Services Coordinator (DSC) in the Center for Holistic Health (CHH) located at Old Main 109A.  In this meeting, DSC will learn about student needs and discuss possible accommodations. Accommodations may include but are not limited to distraction-reduced testing environment, extended time on exams, access to class notes, attendance, extended time on assignments, text in an alternate format, recording lectures, priority registration, single room, Emotional Support Animal, or reduced meal plan.
3. Student and DSC will discuss needed documentation from a provider to support the requested accommodation(s). See Documentation Guidelines below.
4. Letter of Accommodation (LOA) will be formulated with and provided to the student. Academic accommodations are not retroactive and will be considered effective as of the date the LOA is provided to faculty. It is the student’s responsibility to share their LOA with faculty with assistance from DSC as requested. DSC will distribute LOA to Residence Life for approved housing accommodations and/or Dining Services for dining accommodations.
5. When there are questions or concerns about an accommodation being reasonable or potentially compromising curricular goals, standards, or essential course content, the faculty and DSC (and the student if appropriate) will meet to address the questions and concerns.
6. Each semester, the student must initiate the review and renewal of the LOA as appropriate and meet with DSC for revisions as needed.
7. Petition Process: Whenever there is a request or petition for a change in a curricular requirement, the student is required to inform and involve the DSC. The student will be directed to write a letter of petition to the appropriate individual or committee according to the specific request, explaining the nature of the disability and stating the rationale for the change(s). The DSC, with the support of the Director of CHH, will also write a letter to the appointed individual or committee to verify the disability. DSC will then forward the letters to the designated individual or committee (department chair or Core Committee, for example) for review and approval or disapproval. Should additional information regarding the disability be needed from whomever, the student will be asked to sign a release authorizing the CHH to provide additional information. The college Registrar will be notified of any approved change(s) in graduation requirements. A notation indicating the change(s) will be added to the student’s advising folder. If the change(s) are not mutually agreeable, the student, faculty/staff member or director may use the appeal process.
8. Appeal Process: In the event that a reasonable accommodation plan cannot be formulated working through the DSC and/or the Director of CHH (and in some instances the department chair or Core Committee), either the student or faculty/staff member may file an appeal with the college 504 Officer. Their decision will be final.
9. Grievance Process: A grievance may be filed when there are allegations of disability discrimination, failure to provide reasonable accommodations, or harassment based on disability. Before filing a formal grievance, individuals are encouraged to attempt informal resolution through a meeting with the DSC and involved parties (faculty, department chairs, etc). A formal grievance must be submitted in writing to the 504 Officer and include the name and contact information of the complainant, description of the alleged violation (date, location, individuals involved), and requested resolution. Upon receiving the grievance, the 504 Officer will review the allegations and respond within 60 calendar days. The written decision will include findings from any necessary investigation, recommendations, and corrective action as appropriate. The complainant or respondent may appeal this decision within 15 calendar days in writing only on the basis of procedural error or new evidence; a final decision will be issued by a designated administrator within 15 calendar days of receiving the appeal.

Documentation Guidelines

Formal documentation is used to establish whether a student is a person with a disability as well as provide rationale for identifying and implementing reasonable accommodations. The documentation needs to be provided by an appropriately qualified health or other service professional who is knowledgeable about the student’s condition and can clarify the need for an accommodation. Examples include special education professionals, medical doctors (primary care or specialist), and therapists (mental health, physical, or occupational). In some circumstances, the DSC may request updated provider documentation to confirm disability is still current and causing functional impairment. Below is a list of acceptable documentation.

1. IEP that was in effect immediately before the date when the student exited high school
2. 504 plan that was in effect immediately before the date when the student exited high school
3. Plan or record of services from a private school or education agency
4. Record of evaluation from an appropriately qualified health or other service professional who is knowledgeable about the student’s condition, finding that the student has a disability
5. Plan or record of disability from another institution of higher education
6. Documentation of disability due to military service
7. Specific forms will be given and need to be completed for requests of housing and dining accommodations

In an instance where a student does not have documentation of their disability at the time of the request of accommodation(s), DSC may establish a provisional Letter of Accommodation for the current semester. Required documentation must be provided before the accommodation(s) can be renewed for subsequent semesters. Housing and dining accommodations will not be provided on a provisional basis.