student disability services
Saint Mary's College is committed to providing support services to all students as they strive to reach their educational goals. In addition, reasonable and appropriate accommodations for individuals with qualifying disabilities are extended through the office of Student Disability Services. Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact the Student Disability Services Coordinator at (925) 631-4164 to set up a confidential appointment to discuss accommodation guidelines and available services. All disability information is kept in strict confidence and is only shared on a “need to know” basis in order to facilitate accommodation requests or is otherwise necessary to meet the needs of the student.
Accommodation requests are evaluated on an individual basis. However, the following information may serve as an informational guide to help you gather the documents needed to facilitate your request.
Accommodations Guidelines:
Disclosure: In order to determine accommodation eligibility, students with disabilities must submit appropriate documentation and meet with the Student Disability Services Coordinator. Students must sign a waiver each academic year indicating consent to limited disclosure from the SDS office to appropriate faculty and staff of accommodations in order to receive services. To receive classroom accommodations, students must renew their request each term and submit their class schedule and request accommodations each term. Updated documentation verifying eligibility is required periodically as appropriate to the disability.
Documentation: Original documentation or a facsimile sent directly to Student Disability Services by an appropriate diagnostician must be submitted for accommodation(s) consideration.
- Learning Disability documentation, which is no more than 3 years old, must include a psycho educational evaluation by a psychologist, learning specialist, or other qualified individual. Qualifying documentation includes most recent date of evaluation, diagnostic testing, diagnosis/disability, description of functional limitations, and accommodation recommendations. For the purposes of determining eligibility, Attention Deficit Disorders and similar conditions are classified as learning disabilities and require testing data to be submitted by an appropriate professional for accommodation consideration. High school Individual Education Plans may not be substituted in place of diagnostic testing.
- Medical Disability documentation must be no more than 6 months old, consist of the treating physician’s assessment of the condition, diagnosis/disability, permanent or temporary status of the condition, chronic or intermittent nature of the condition, expected frequency and duration of symptoms, description of functional limitations, and recommendations. If the disability is deemed to be temporary, an expected recovery time frame must also be included. Medical disability documentation may need to be updated frequently.
- Physical Disability documentation must be no more than 6 months old, consist of the treating physician’s assessment of the condition, diagnosis/disability, permanent or temporary status of the condition, chronic or intermittent nature of the condition, frequency and duration of symptoms, description of functional limitations, and recommendations. If the disability is deemed to be temporary an expected recovery time frame must be included. Physical disability documentation may be required to be updated as deemed appropriate.
- Psychological Disability documentation verifying the student’s disability must be no more than 6 months old, and be written by the treating psychiatrist/psychologist or other qualified professional. Diagnosis, expected course of symptoms, treatment, and functional limitations must be noted. Typical frequency and duration of symptoms must be included. Psychological disability documentation will be required to be updated every 6 months.
Timely notification: In most instances, it takes 2 weeks to process accommodation requests after the Student Disability Services Coordinator receives the appropriate documentation and has met with the student to discuss need(s). Accommodations are not extended retroactively.
Typical services include but are not limited to:
| Extended Time on Exams Isolated Testing Note Takers Enlarged Print Kurzweil Interpreter Consideration for Excessive Absences Extended time for in/out class assignments Disability Related Academic Advising |
Tutoring Priority Registration On-campus residency assistance On-campus facilities assistance Disabled Parking Information Referral to personal counseling Referral to Campus Ministry counseling Referral to Career Development Center Individual Academic Support |
