Procedure
- Students should contact their instructor immediately, and with as much advance notice as possible and reasonable upon determining they may need an extension on an assignment deadline due to circumstances extenuating from their disability. Students must initiate this process each time an extension is warranted. Prior granted extensions will not apply. Any extension or alternative due dates must be professor-approved and should be determined through ongoing communication between the student, instructor, and when necessary, an OEA staff member.
- An OEA staff member should be copied on all email correspondence regarding discussion of extensions of deadlines in relation to this accommodation.
- Faculty should contact OEA should there be any questions or concerns pertaining to disability related absences. If necessary, the department chair or other appropriate administrators may also be included in these discussions.
- The extended due date extension accommodations require ongoing, student-initiated, proactive communication for continued use.
Guidelines
It is understood that faculty determine policies regarding assignment extensions, make-up work, and missed assignments and that these policies are set forth by faculty at the individual, departmental, or institutional level. Faculty are not required to lower or make substantial modifications to individual course standards for accommodation purposes.
- Students are expected to follow assigned assignment deadlines established by their instructors in each class; however, when a student has a disability with unpredictable or cyclical acute episodes, the flexibility of due dates may be appropriate as an accommodation.
- In every case, the proper written documentation from an appropriate professional must be submitted to OEA before an accommodation request can be considered. Accommodations are not retroactive.
- An accommodation for extended due dates is not considered an overall accommodation for all assignments. Rather it should be considered on a limited, case-by-case basis, when applicable due to circumstances extenuating from a student's disability, and should only be applied when necessary. The extension and agreed-upon due dates should be determined through ongoing communication between the student and instructor. This accommodation does NOT offer the student immediate extensions for all required assignments in any given course.
- Consideration of the specific assignment expectations, prior notification of the assignment, and other course-related responsibilities are integral to the process of determining reasonable extensions.