107.4 Committee on Academic Program Accessibility

107.4 Committee on Academic Program Accessibility

A. Background

Furman University desires to make all its programs accessible. To aid in ensuring accessibility the Committee on Academic Program Accessibility was established.

B. Policy

Academic programs at Furman University are to be made accessible to all students. The Committee on Academic Program Accessibility (CAPA) in carrying out its responsibility to make program recommendations to assure accessibility to academic programs and to assure compliance with Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973 shall adhere to the guidelines stated below.

C. Guidelines

1.  The committee has three charges:

• To receive and review student requests for academic program accessibility on the basis of handicap.
• To review recommendations and test results conducted by qualified professionals regarding the student's handicap.
• To make recommendations regarding the accommodation of the student's request.

2.The committee will include the following members, appointed by the President:

• Associate Dean and University Registrar
• A Special Education faculty member in the Department of Education
• Chairman of Campus Access Committee
• Two additional faculty members
• One student

A Special Education faculty member in the Department of Education will be chairman of the committee.

3.  These procedures will be followed in acting upon requests:

• Incoming Students: The information form sent to all incoming students from the Admissions Office will request voluntary information concerning any handicaps which might require reasonable academic accommodations. Should any incoming student request academic accommodations on the basis of a handicap, the matter will be referred immediately to the CAPA. See (3) for specific procedures to be followed.
• Presently Enrolled Students: Any requests for academic accommodations on the basis of handicap must be referred immediately to the CAPA. No modification of the present program or promises of modification should be made to the student until the CAPA has completed its work and made recommendations. See (3) for specific procedures to be followed.
• All requests for academic accommodations must be submitted in writing to the chairman of CAPA who will acknowledge receipt of the request in writing within five days. The committee will then be convened within ten working days after receiving the written request to determine whether or not the student has a legitimate request. The results of this meeting will be communicated to the student within ten working days. If the request to investigate the claim is considered legitimate by the committee, the following action will be taken:

(a) The committee will usually require the student to provide appropriate professional data which validate the handicap claim. Such data may include educational testing, medical data, psychological data, etc. The primary responsibility for the collection of data rests with the student and his/her family, and it is recommended that such data be submitted as soon as possible. The University also reserves the right to substantiate all data through alternative sources.

(b) Within ten working days after the receipt of both student and University data, the committee will convene to review the case. Parents and/or students will be advised as to the time and place of the meeting and shall have the right to present witnesses and professional experts. Participants in the meeting may include the following: student, parents, professional witnesses, faculty or any other agents of the University who may be affected by the case.

(c) On the basis of this review, the committee will issue a judgment on the validity of the claim. If the claim is judged to be invalid, a notification will be sent within seven working days to the student and his/her parents; both will be advised of the procedures to appeal the decision.

(d) If the committee judges that the claim is valid, it must then formulate and submit to the student and/or parents a plan for reasonable academic accommodations within thirty days. This plan will be developed with the assistance of persons involved in the review. (See 3.b.) After the recommended plan has been accepted by all participants in the claim, a written acceptance will be required and the plan implemented. Copies of the plan will be sent to the student and parents, the faculty involved, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean, and the Director of Counseling and Testing as compliance officer of Section 504. A copy will also be kept on file with the committee.

(e) Any plan involving changes in graduation requirements must be approved by the Appeals Committee before being implemented.

(f) If the recommended plan is rejected by the student or parents, an appeal may be made in writing to the Appeals Committee within ten working days. The Appeals Committee will convene within ten working days following the appeal to review the accommodation plan. The student and/or parents will be notified regarding the date and place of the meeting. The results of the appeal will be communicated to the student within ten working days. If the Appeals Committee rejects the plan of accommodation, the student and/or parents will be advised to follow the usual appeal procedures of the University.

(g) The responsibility for the implementation of the accepted plan for reasonable accommodations will rest with the CAPA and faculty involved. After a minimum of thirty days, CAPA or any individuals directly involved may request a review of the plan.

(h) All information regarding handicaps will be treated as confidential. As such this information will be communicated to--but only to--those faculty and administrative personnel who have a justifiable reason to have the information, including provisions made to accommodate the handicap.

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