The purpose of this accommodation is to suggest that extended time on course assignments may be a reasonable accommodation when a student’s disability impacts their ability to complete an assignment by the published deadline. If the student has a disability with random or cyclical acute episodes, the accommodation allows for flexibility in assignment deadlines and makeup work. The number of days given for each assignment extension is determined on a case-by-case basis and depends upon the interactive process between the student, the faculty, and SDAC. Where granted, extensions are typically short, that is, a matter of a day or two. For extensions longer than 5-7 days, students should meet with their SDAC Advisor to consider alternative strategies. If an extension is granted, specific information should be communicated between the faculty and student regarding the revised due date and time. Students with this accommodation have a responsibility to anticipate their need for and request an extension before the published deadline as much as possible. Also, students should not plan on the granting of an extension as a matter of course and should use this accommodation with care.
For this accommodation, there must be communication between the student, faculty, and SDAC (as needed/requested) to determine whether a reasonable extension would be permissible for the student; the outcome of the conversation should be recorded on our Agreement with Instructor form (also available online through the student's SDAC portal). Below we provide an outline for the steps in the process, guiding questions for this conversation, and examples of how this accommodation has been implemented in other courses.
Steps for Implementation
- Student contacts faculty to discuss how this accommodation will be implemented in that particular course. If the student does not reach out, we encourage faculty to contact the student. This should happen as early in the semester as possible.
- The student and faculty determine the implementation of the accommodation based on the specific structure of the course. SDAC has provided guiding questions for this conversation (see below), and also is available to participate in this discourse if requested.
- Student (ideally during the meeting with faculty) logs into their SDAC portal to fill out an Agreement with Instructor form, outlining the details of the conversation.
Guiding Questions
The number of days given for each assignment extension is determined on a case-by-case basis and depends upon the interactive process between the student, the faculty, and SDAC. Where granted, extensions are typically short, that is, a matter of a day or two. For extensions longer than 5-7 days, students should meet with their SDAC Advisor to consider alternative strategies. If an extension is granted, specific information should be communicated between the faculty and student regarding the revised due date and time. SDAC does not recommend open-ended deadlines.
- What are the course practices and policies regarding deadlines?
- What method is used to calculate the final grade?
- Does the fundamental nature of the course rely on meeting deadlines as an essential component for learning?
- To what degree does the student's failure to submit timely work impact others in the class?
- Are assignments used as course content when they are due (e.g. problem sets reviewed as the first lecture on that content)?
Examples of Past Scenarios
- The student reaches out to the faculty before the deadline and requests an additional 1-5 days on the assignment. The faculty thinks that this is reasonable, and they come to an agreement about the adjusted due date/time.
- The student is unable to reach out to the faculty before the published deadline due to their disability but does so as soon as is possible. The faculty determines that this is still reasonable, and the faculty and student come to an agreement about the adjusted due date and time.
- The student has requested multiple extensions, and the work is beginning to pile up. The faculty should refer the student to consult with their SDAC advisor and reengage in the interactive process.
- The student requests an extension way beyond what was initially agreed upon on the Agreement form. The faculty refers the student to consult with their SDAC advisor and reengage in the interactive process.
- The student requests an extension on an assignment that must be submitted on time, such as preparatory work before a lab. The faculty consults with SDAC, and together they decide whether this would constitute a fundamental alteration of the course, and subsequently be denied.