Mission Statement
SUNY Morrisville Norwich Campus offers students with accessibility needs a variety of academic accommodations and services that provide equal access and opportunities throughout their college experience. Students who have a 504 or IEP Plan in high school or have a medical condition must provide documentation in order to receive services. Our mission is to facilitate an accessible and inclusive college environment.
Students who would like to know more about Accessibility Services at the Norwich Campus should make an appointment with Rosie Frost.
Confidentiality
At SUNY Morrisville, we will treat all student information with the strictest confidentiality. In the ASC, most information is educational records and thus governed by the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). We do, however, follow both FERPA and HIPAA guidelines as psychological and medical reports are submitted on occasion. Accommodation requests and supporting documentation are confidential and will not be released until the student provides written consent. Please note, as a college student, we would encourage you to offer consent to the ASC in order to share your information with appropriate parties for “comprehensive” support during your academic career.
The consent section is located in the Academic Accommodations Request Form.
Academic Accommodations
Am I eligible?
Students with disabilities may be eligible for Academic Accommodations. Federal law, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 assures equal educational opportunities. By law, a person with a disability is someone who:
- Has a physical or mental impairment
- Has a record of such impairment or
- Is regarded as having such an impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities such as self-care, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing or learning.
What academic accommodations are available?
Once approved, common academic accommodations include:
- Extended time when testing
- Quiet, distraction free testing environment
- Note taking assistance
- Assistive technology
- Readers
- Other
How do I request academic accommodations?
Students who will be requesting support services must identify themselves to the Accessibilities Services Center. To verify eligibility, documentation must be provided that clearly indicates the diagnosis of a disability. To register, please complete the following:
- Complete the Academic Accommodations Request Form and email to frostar@morrisville.edu.
- Provide the Accessibility Services Center copies of your IEP or 504. Or provide any current medical, psychoeducational or neuropsychological documentation indicating your disability and suggested accommodations by a physician.
Notification of Academic Accommodations
Upon approval, students eligible for services/accommodations will meet with a member of the ASC Staff. We will discuss academic needs and start a working relationship to support the student throughout their academic career at SUNY Morrisville. If students fail to self-identify and/or provide adequate documentation of a disability, they will be unable to access services/accommodations. Early identification is encouraged.
Furthermore, upon approval, the ASC will create an informative email (Notification of Academic Accommodations) for each student registered with the ASC for each faculty member. This email will certify that the student has a disability, cites the circumstances for which accommodations are needed and describes the accommodations recommended by the IEP or 504. The students and faculty members will sign/date receipt of the Notifications email (returning a fillable Acknowledgement of Accommodations Notification Form via email to the ASC), hence confirming acknowledgement and good intent of fulfilling the reasonable accommodations for said student. Please note, all parties are invited to contact the ASC if there are any concerns or questions prior to signing the Acknowledgement of Accommodations Notification Form.
Once signed, Faculty will be expected to assist with the provision of accommodations when reasonable and necessary. Moreover, (it is critical) that Instructors share a brief meeting, once notified, with each student to agree on how the accommodations will be executed throughout the semester.
Note: Faculty are not expected to compromise essential elements of the course or evaluation standards. Continual evaluation and open discussion must occur between the student and Instructor to maintain approved standards of work relative to accommodations and class expectations. Should a conflict occur between the student and the Professor, the ASC is available to listen to concerns and mediate between both parties. However, we are not accountable for a student’s academic progress and/or student absences. The primary instructional relationship is between the Professor and the student, like every other student. If further action is required, a Grievance Process is available.
Furthermore, this is very important: please note that college accommodations are quite different from high school accommodations. You might be used to numerous Special Education Teachers working with you daily or Aids that work alongside you during class for comprehension. We do not offer full time aids to work with registered students daily – either in the classrooms or in housing – due to limited resources. Most colleges have the same staffing issues relative to student needs. That said, the ASC at SUNY Morrisville can only provide you with the arrangement of your Accommodations and assist you with identifying campus resources (Tutoring Services, Wellness Center, Advisors, Coaches, Counseling). Moreover, we will provide workshops to support self-advocacy development, time management, organization, study skills and test taking strategies.
The Office of Accessibility Services at Norwich Campus is a National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) voter registration site.
