Students requesting accommodations due to a disability must contact the Office of Disability Services for Students, and once they have been approved for such accommodations they must renew their Faculty Memorandum each academic year. The information given below outlines the procedure students should follow for requesting/renewing accommodations.
- Submit an Accommodation Request Form and supporting documentation to the Office of Disability Services for Students (DSS). Please refer to Rensselaer's documentation guidelines for more information.
- Wait for a response from DSS. Their office will review the student's request and documentation, and will then contact them to schedule an accommodations meeting to discuss:
- What accommodations are available/reasonable based on the nature of the student's disability and current function limitations.
- How the student can use their faculty memorandum to request disability accommodations from faculty.
- What campus/community resources are available to the student.
- Receive a faculty memorandum (via email in PDF form) detailing the disability accommodations.
- Share the memorandum with faculty and request a meeting to discuss details/logistical arrangements of any specific needs and/or accommodations.
- Contact DSS if any questions or concerns arise regarding the accommodations.
Students are requested to please allow for five business days of processing time between submitting their request and information and being contacted by DSS. Similarly, students should also allow for five business days of processing time between attending an accommodations meeting with DSS, and receiving a faculty memorandum.
- Submit an updated Accommodation Request Form each academic year.
- Attend an accommodations meeting if any changes are requested. Students do not need to attend this meeting if they are not requesting any accommodation changes.
- Receive a faculty memorandum (via email in PDF form) detailing the disability accommodations.
- Share the memorandum with faculty and request a meeting to discuss details/logistical arrangements of any specific needs and/or accommodations.
- Contact DSS if any questions or concerns arise regarding the accommodations.
Students are requested to please allow for five business days of processing time between submitting their updated Accommodation Request Form and receiving an updated faculty memorandum.
Students who sustain an injury which results in one or more limitations of a major life activity are also eligible for temporary disability accommodations, based on the student's needs and the duration of their disabling condition.
- Submit an Accommodation Request Form and supporting documentation, which includes expected duration of the condition, to the Office of Disability Services for Students (DSS)
- Schedule an accommodation meeting with DSS to discuss:
- What accommodations are available/reasonable based on the nature of their disability, current function limitations and duration of the condition.
- How to request accommodations from faculty using their faculty memorandum.
- What campus/community resources are available to students.
- Receive a temporary faculty memorandum (via email in PDF form) detailing the disability accommodations.
- Share the memorandum with faculty and request a meeting to discuss details/logistical arrangements of any specific needs and/or accommodations.
- Contact DSS if any questions or concerns arise regarding the accommodations.
