Health Center: OSWD Summary of Faculty Responsibilities

OSWD Summary of Faculty Responsibilities

Faculty are responsible for providing or facilitating each of the following:

CONFIDENTIALITY
The instructor must protect the confidentiality of students with disabilities.  Be careful not to disclose information or to call attention to students with disabilities.  Do not identify the student with disabilities by name in e-mail.  Do not include disability related information in a student’s academic file.  Always offer to speak with students about OSWD accommodations in a private confidential office or space.

Students with Accommodation Plans sign a Release of Information allowing communication about their accommodation on a need-to-know basis.  It is recognized that there is an inherent tension between providing accommodations and preserving confidentiality.  Be tactful and discreet.

ANNOUNCEMENT TO CLASS
In order to better identify students with special needs, the Provost has required that instructors include the following statement on each course syllabus and announce it to each of your classes on the first day of class:

If you need adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, if you have emergency medical information to share with me, or if you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible.  My office hours are...

SYLLABUS STATEMENT
If you have a disability and require an accommodation to fully participate in this class, contact the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSWD), located in the University Health Center (503 943-7134), as soon as possible.

If you have an OSWD Accommodation Plan, you should make an appointment to meet with me to discuss your accommodations.  Also, you should meet with me if you wish to discuss emergency medical information or special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated.

If a student identifies himself or herself as having a disability, but no Accommodation Plan information is provided to you by the student’s School or College, please direct the student to the OSWD.

A student’s Accommodation Plan must list the accommodation being requested or provided.
 
NON-CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES STATEMENT
In order to provide appropriate and timely accommodations, publicity for all University of Portland events must include the following statement:

If you have a disability and require accommodation in order to fully participate in this activity, please contact (office/person organizing event) at (telephone number) or via Oregon Relay Service at 1-800-735-2900 (TTY) at least 24 hours prior to the event.

EXAM PROCTORING
In accordance with the University’s mission as well as federal and state law, the University is responsible for providing reasonable accommodations, including exam accommodations, for students with documented disabilities.  The University relies upon the partnership of individual instructors, departments, and the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSWD) to share the responsibility for providing these legally-mandated exam accommodations.

Individual faculty or academic departments are responsible for proctoring exams when the accommodation is extended time, alternative setting (a distraction reduced environment), and/or a computer (word processing) for writing-intensive exams. 

The Office for Students with Disabilities is responsible for providing exam accommodations such as use of a reader, scribe, interpreter, assistive technology, or private room. 

For additional instructions and resources regarding exam proctoring, please refer to the Exam Proctoring Guide. 

ALTERNATE FORMAT BOOKS
 It is important that book orders be placed with the bookstore by the bookstore deadline.  This allows the OSWD to arrange for alternate textbooks to be ready for students on the first day of class.

STUDENT RESPONSIBILITY IN ACCOMMODATION PROCESS
It is the responsibility of the student to identify themselves as having a disability and to request accommodations.

ACADEMIC STANDARDS
All students regardless of disability condition are responsible for meeting all of the requirements of their courses and degree programs with or without reasonable accommodation.  Accommodations are designed to “level the playing field” to allow a student with a disability an equal opportunity to learn and to demonstrate knowledge.  All students are responsible for adhering to the Code of Conduct and the Code of Academic Integrity.