Implementing Accommodations

Students with any academic or temporary test accommodations needing proctored by the Student Accommodations Specialist need to reach out at least 48 hours before each test to set up their test appointments. 

Students cc their course instructor and include the date/time of the test, the name of the class, and the name of the test in their email to the Student Accommodations Specialist.  

If a test gets rescheduled or a student forgets to notify the Student Accommodations Specialist, efforts can still be made to arrange the test to be proctored, but it may not be guaranteed.  

Tests proctored by the Student Accommodations Specialist are taken in the individual test rooms in the back of Luther Library. 

At the time of the test appointment, students meet their proctor in the Student Accommodations & Accessibility Office to get started. 

Students with accommodations for temporary absences or attendance must be given the opportunity to make up any points attached to those class periods or during the relevant dates.

Professors can decide specifically how that works for their classes. Some professors choose to provide alternate assignments for students to make up points. Other waive points students miss. However, the student must be given the opportunity to make up any points and missed content in a manner that is accessible for them. 

While Midland University policy doesn’t allow to mandate a hybrid Zoom option for classes, students can receive the accommodation to “allow student to Zoom into class and/or provide an alternate experience to make up missed content.”

If a class cannot be offered in a hybrid format, professors can choose to meet virtually with students individually or in small groups. As a short-term solution, text-based communication such as emails over missed content may suffice for some students for this accommodation. Other students may need to attend virtual office hours or have other supports available to access the opportunity to make up missed content.

Students with temporary accommodations can only utilize their accommodations during the dates listed on their plan or through their concussion protocol. 

Concussion accommodations include a list of potential accommodations that a student may utilize. As concussion symptoms may fluctuate, this list provides the students with accommodations options for barriers they may face while they are recovering. 

Students need to communicate with their faculty about which accommodations they are utilizing, based on what they need in their recovery.

Students may have a temporary or ongoing need for campus accessibility accommodations such as having classes in rooms accessible by elevator. The second floor of Fremont Hall is not accessible by elevator. 

The Student Accommodations Specialist works with the Assistant Registrar to ensure students’ classes are located in rooms that are accessible for them by relocating classes. 

If a room is unable to be moved for any reason, students may be offered the opportunity to Zoom into class or make up that content through an “alternate experience” to accommodate the inaccessibility of the class location.  

Students needing to relocate to an accessible dorm room in University Housing need to notify the Student Accommodations Specialist to work with Residence Life on any temporary or longer-term relocations for accessibility.

Students in circumstances such as prolonged illnesses or emergencies may choose to take an incomplete grade in a course. Incompletes can typically only be used when students have completed roughly two-thirds of the course with a D or better and can reasonably be expected to complete the work within the time allotted to remove the incomplete.  

For fall and spring terms, incomplete courses must be completed within sixty days following the end of the semester. That deadline can be extended if needed in cases of hardship at the instructor’s discretion. Incompletes are not calculated into a student’s GPA until the course is completed and the incomplete is removed.

Midland University’s full incomplete policy can be found in the academic catalog. 

The Student Accommodations Specialist can connect students with their Student Success Advisors to coordinate incompletes in most circumstances. Requirements for completing incomplete courses are largely determined between each professor and the student, but if the student is needing accommodations in completing their incomplete courses, the Student Accommodations Specialist can help the student navigate that process and their accessibility needs.

Students may choose to withdraw from courses if necessary due to their circumstances. The last day to withdraw from a class can be found in the current year’s Academic Catalog or Academic Calendar. 

Students are responsible for withdrawing from any classes by contacting their Student Success Advisor and completing the necessary paperwork. This assigns a grade of “W” to the class. Midland University also has Administrative Withdrawal and Institutional Withdrawal policies, which can be found in the Academic Catalog.  

Students can coordinate pregnancy and parental leaves through the Student Accommodations & Accessibility Office in partnership with their Student Success Advisor. 

The Student Accommodations Specialist works with students to determine (a) any necessary accommodations prior to their leave, (b) what options may be available during their leave, such as getting some work early or taking incompletes to finish coursework, and (c) what other items may need coordinated, such as housing or activities.

Emergency and crisis response accommodations are coordinated in partnership with the Student Affairs team. Partners across campus, including the Director of Counseling, Student Success Advisors, the VPSA, the Title IX Coordinator, and more may help to coordinate these accommodations. 

Emergency and crisis response accommodations are for hospitalizations, such as inpatient mental healthcare, medical emergencies, and other emergency-response situations.

If a student is unable to communicate for themselves (i.e. if they do not have access to their phone while in inpatient care or are unconscious), then the Student Accommodations Specialist can send a generic message to faculty to communicate that the student is off-campus for a medical reason and an accommodations plan can be sent when possible. 

Students returning to campus after a crisis response has been enacted may need continuing short-term temporary accommodations or to set up academic accommodations.