Setting Up Accommodations
Students seeking to set up accommodations need to contact the Student Accommodations & Accessibility Office. Accommodations are primarily set up through three main categories: academic, temporary, and housing accommodations.
Academic accommodations are long-term accommodations for class environments, such as accommodations for testing, group work, assignments, and campus facilities.
Temporary accommodations are for students who have surgery, sustain a concussion, become pregnant, need acute mental health accommodations, have extended illnesses, have temporarily disabling injuries or circumstances, or have other temporary needs for health-related reasons.
Housing accommodations include any accommodations needed in the residence halls, such as an accommodation to the “no pets” policy to have an ESA in the dorm, accommodations for individual rooms, bathroom accommodations, and more.
Academic Accommodations
To set up academic accommodations, students need to schedule a meeting with the Student Accommodations Specialist. Accommodations meetings can be done in person or virtually, and alternate methods of meeting can be arranged if needed.
Many students choose to provide additional documentation, such as letters from healthcare providers or information from previous schools, such as 504 plans, IEP documents, or accommodations agreements. This documentation may be required on a case-by-case basis for accommodations to be approved.
The Student Accommodations Specialist can assist students in locating documentation if needed. Any documentation can be emailed to the Student Accommodations Specialist or dropped by the office in Olson Student Center, 2nd floor room 210.
Students can expect to discuss why they are requesting accommodations, what barriers to access they experience, and what accommodations might provide access through those barriers. Accommodations meetings usually take no longer than 30 minutes.
Accommodations are confidential. Students need to provide a written release of information during their meeting to allow the Student Accommodations & Accessibility Office to share necessary information with their instructors, student success advisor, and any other necessary Midland University personnel for the purpose of coordinating approved accommodations. Students can revoke this release at any time. Any information a student shares about their diagnosis, disability, or medical information remains confidential with the Student Accommodations & Accessibility Office.
The accommodations process is different in college than in high school. Students must disclose their need for accommodations and reach out to get them set up in college. The Student Accommodations Specialist can support students with any questions they may have regarding this transition.
Accommodations are not retroactive, meaning they cannot be applied to past coursework if they were not already sent to faculty from the Student Accommodations & Accessibility Office. It is best practice for students who had accommodations in high school to set them up for their first semester of college, and then decide if they need to continue using them in college or not.
Temporary Accommodations
Temporary accommodations are typically determined through three categories: concussions, surgeries, and other. Temporary accommodations currently also cover pregnancy and parental leaves.
Temporary accommodations can be guided by recommendations from the Athletic Training office, as well as the on-campus nurse and counselor. Occasionally, temporary accommodations can be recommended due to on-campus incidents from the Vice President of Student Affairs or the Title IX office.
The Student Accommodations & Accessibility Office does not provide accommodations for classes missed due to non-disability/health-related reasons, such as Midland University activities. Accommodations also do not apply to short-term illnesses like a cold. Extended illnesses or illnesses that are “sufficiently severe” are eligible for temporary accommodations.
Accommodations decisions are determined on a case-by-case basis and require an individualized, interactive process.
Email communication is typically sufficient to set up temporary accommodations, but some situations may require a meeting between the student and the Student Accommodations Specialist. Meetings can be done in person or virtually, or in another way that is more accessible for the student.
If a meeting is needed, the Student Accommodations Specialist students can expect to discuss why they are requesting accommodations, what barriers to access they experience, and what accommodations might provide access through those barriers. These meetings usually take no longer than 30 minutes.
Students with concussions working with Midland University Athletic Trainers may have their temporary accommodations coordinated primarily through their AT.
Students that sustain a concussion outside of Midland University need to provide documentation from a doctor. This can also be coordinated through the Student Health Office.
Students with concussion accommodations that have any questions relating to their accommodations need to reach out to the Student Accommodations Specialist.
Students having surgery just need to provide the Surgery Documentation Form or a letter from their surgeon with the same information. Athletic Trainers may help coordinate this. If there are any complications, the student needs to update the Student Accommodations Specialist about any extended or updated accommodations.
In the event that a student’s provider is delaying their process in getting temporary accommodations set up, the Student Accommodations Specialist may send a notification email to their faculty that the student is in contact with the Student Accommodations & Accessibility Office and a Temporary Accommodations Plan is forthcoming.
Students having surgery may need classes moved, temporary housing accommodations, or accommodations with their meal plans. The Student Accommodations Specialist helps to coordinate those accommodations with Residence Life.
Students with any other temporary accommodations needs usually need to go through an interactive process with the Student Accommodations Specialist, typically through a brief meeting to determine what accommodations are needed and what documentation might be required. The Temporary Documentation Form can be filled out for students with injuries or meeting with off-campus providers.
Students needing accommodations for injuries working with Midland University Athletic Trainers may have their temporary accommodations primarily coordinated through their AT.
If a student is in contact with the on-campus nurse, counselor, or Athletic Training office regarding their need for temporary accommodations, those offices may help to coordinate with the Student Accommodations & Accessibility Office. Temporary accommodations can also be recommended due to on-campus incidents from the Vice President of Student Affairs or the Title IX office.
As of early 2023, students need to provide written Releases of Information for temporary accommodations. These may be given through email or through the Athletic Training Office.
Students can provide the written release of information with the Release of Information Form or by providing the same information in writing via an email to the Student Accommodations Specialist. This can also be given through the Athletic Training Office or through other campus partners, such as Student Health or Counseling. Students can revoke this release at any time.
The Student Accommodations & Accessibility Office does not release any detailed information to individuals outside of Midland University without a specifically written release of information – general questions can be answered, but not specific details about a student without a separate written release of information. This can be provided with the Release of Information Outside of Midland University Form or by providing the same information in writing via an email to the Student Accommodations Specialist.
Housing Accommodations
Housing accommodations are largely coordinated in partnership with the Student Affairs team.
Students needing accommodations in the residence halls other than an ESA or service animal, such as an individual room or access to an individual bathroom, need to provide a completed Housing Accommodations Request Form so the Student Accommodations & Accessibility Office can determine how their accommodations can best be coordinated on campus.
The Student Accommodations & Accessibility Office works with Residence Life to implement these accommodations.
Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) are animals whose presence verifiably reduces the impact of a disability, beyond the benefits of a pet, through its relationship with the owner.
Students must complete the following steps for their ESA to be approved to be on campus.
First, the student needs to provide the ESA Accommodations Request Form completed by their healthcare provider. Once returned, the Student Accommodations Specialist sends the form to the Vice President for Student Affairs (VPSA) for consideration and approval.
Once that is approved by the VPSA, students need to submit proof of their ESA’s Fremont license and current vaccination records, specifically showing the rabies vaccination is up to date. The Student Accommodations Specialist and VPSA will work with students with any ESAs ineligible for the rabies vaccination on next steps for approval.
Students then must complete and submit the ESA Residential Contract.
Once all of the above items are received and the ESA Residential Contract is signed by the VPSA, the Student Accommodations Specialist notifies the student that their ESA is fully approved and allowed to be on campus.
ESAs may be subject to removal from campus if they are on campus prior to full approval or in the event that any contractual agreements are broken.
Students with service animals can voluntarily register their dog with the Student Accommodations & Accessibility Office.
Registering a service dog can provide the following benefits, if desired by the student: notification to Residence Life of the dog in the dorm, notification to course instructors so faculty are prepared for a service dog in the classroom, and in case of emergencies, first responders can be alerted that a dog is with the student and is not to be separated from them.
To register their service dog, students need to provide an answer to the questions a) is the dog a service animal required because of a disability? and (b) what work or task has the dog been trained to perform? (one cannot ask the dog to perform that task on cue).
Students also need to provide the name and breed of the dog, proof of the dog’s Fremont license, and current vaccination records specifically showing the rabies vaccination is up to date. As there is not a national registry for service dogs, there cannot be requirements for a student to provide any sort of registration or certification.