In addition to supporting students with disabilities, we also assist faculty members with the implementation of accommodations. Information about accommodations can be found in the SAS Portal. If you have questions about a student’s accommodations or need guidance, sas [at] emerson.edu (contact SAS).
Accommodations and Documentation
Students must complete the SAS process in order to receive accommodations, which includes providing disability documentation to SAS to be evaluated by a staff member. If a student requests accommodations from you without completing the SAS process (e.g., providing you with a doctor’s note), encourage them to contact SAS to discuss the accommodations or services needed.
SAS does not generally support temporary disabilities, such as extended illness. If a student is repeatedly absent and requests accommodations in your course, you may refer them to us to discuss the situation. Please be aware that accommodations do not apply retroactively.
Exam Accommodations
For support with implementing exam accommodations, please contact Morgan Waite, our Coordinator of Academic Accommodations morgan_waite [at] emerson.edu ((morgan_waite[at]emerson[dot]edu))
FERPA and Disclosure
According to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1976 (FERPA), once a student is enrolled in a post-secondary institution, the student is the sole guardian of their records, including grades, transcripts, and records of interactions with SAS. Since a student’s contact with SAS is completely confidential, professors will not know the nature of a student's disabilities. Accommodation letters from SAS, delivered to professors, do not include any details of the disability. The student may choose to share that information with their professors, but SAS will never release any information about a disability without the student’s written consent.
Resources for Students
If you provide a student with accommodations for a disability and they are still struggling in your course, you may refer them to the Academic Advising Center or the Lacerte Family Writing and Academic Resource Center for further support. Additionally, you should submit a Concern Report.
If a student has been granted extended deadlines for assignments or leniency with attendance and exceeds those limits, you have the right to honor the course policies set forth in your syllabus. If you are concerned that granting accommodations to a student infringes on your course policies or course structure, you may sas [at] emerson.edu (contact SAS) to discuss your concerns.
If you are concerned about the behavior or well-being of a student in your course, you should submit a Concern Report.
Resources for Faculty and Staff Accommodation Requests
Faculty and staff with disabilities can request accommodations through Human Resources (HR) (hr [at] emerson.edu (hr[at]emerson[dot]edu); 617-824-8580). Faculty or staff requesting disability accommodations will be required to share medical information relating to that disability with the College, which in some cases may include (but is not limited to) medical records and a release to speak with medical care providers. Emerson will protect and maintain the privacy and confidentiality of any medical information obtained in connection with the reasonable accommodation process. The decision to grant or deny a requested accommodation will be made by HR and the employee’s supervisor by engaging in the interactive process with the individual. For more information about the employee accommodation process, please visit HR Reasonable Accommodation website. A Dean, Department Chair, or any other supervisor who receives an employee request for an accommodation must refer that individual to HR.
Employees with concerns about an accommodation request that was denied or an approved accommodation that was not properly implemented may be able to file a grievance with the Office of Equal Opportunity (oeo [at] emerson.edu (oeo[at]emerson[dot]edu); 617-824-8999). For more information, please refer to the Emerson Accommodation Grievance Process.