Student requests for a course substitution as an accommodation will be individually reviewed by the College Committee on Curriculum Substitution for Students with Disabilities. The Committee will be composed of the appropriate Program Dean, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Coordinator, the appropriate involved Faculty, the Registrar, and any other ad hoc members as deemed necessary.
In general, academic requirements that the College reasonably determines are essential to the student’s program of instruction or to pertinent career licensing requirements will not be substituted because such substitutions can significantly diminish the integrity of the degree sought. For example, the College regards written communication as an integral and essential component of every program offered. Any modification of that requirement would substantially alter the nature of the educational preparation. Consequently, the College regards ENG 101 College Writing to contain core requirements that cannot be substituted.
Each request will be evaluated on an individual, case by case basis.
Procedure
A student seeking a course substitution must complete the following steps:
- Meet with and present to the ADA Coordinator documentation of the reasonable attempt to complete the course as outlined in the student’s program curriculum.
- Complete the College’s documentation process for eligibility for accommodation. The documentation provided must clearly establish the impact of the disability on the course required.
- Provide the ADA Coordinator with a written request of the need for substitution of a required course in the degree program and why the student believes this request should be granted.
- Sign a release of information so that the provided documentation can be shared with the Committee members, who understand the confidential nature of this information.
The ADA Coordinator will:
- Make the initial assessment of the relationship between the requested substitution and the disability.
- Forward all documentation and the written request to the Committee chairperson.
The Committee chairperson will within 10 working days of receiving the request information:
- Meet with the Committee and review the program requirements to engage an interactive process to review the program requirements and the rationale the College has for the requirement.
- Once the purpose of the requirement has been established, the Committee will consider other courses or courses in other disciplines where the requirements and goals may approximate those of the course in question.
- After the alternatives have been examined, the Committee will determine, consistent with any legal advice, whether another course(s) would be an acceptable substitution for the program requirement. The Committee will have 15 working days from its first meeting to carefully review all information and come to a reasoned decision.
Outcomes
- There is no reasonable substitute for the required course as the elimination of the course would result in a fundamental alteration of the program of study; the request is denied.
- Reasonable substitutes do exist; the request is granted.
The Committee chairperson will notify the student and the Committee members within 10 business days in writing of the Committee’s decision, and indicate what, if any, actions are necessary to take. If the substitution is granted, the written communication will include the following information:
- What course or courses are acceptable for substitution.
- That this substitution will be indicated on the student’s transcript.
- That all other degree requirements, such as the total number of degree credits, must be met.
This process will be well documented so that others who were not involved can follow the deliberate, reasoned process completed, the alternatives considered, and the reasons for the final decision.
If the student does not agree with the decision of the Committee, the student may file a grievance, according to the Student Fair Treatment Policy and Procedure.
Approved:______________________________________________________________________
Monika Bissell, DBA
President