The Office of Office of Accessibility Services (OAS) has reorganized to provide greater clarity and support to students and faculty in providing reasonable accommodations. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act require institutions of higher education to provide architectural and programmatic access to persons with disabilities. We are committed to working with everyone to answer questions and concerns in relation to students with disabilities and their academic success here at WVU.
First, in an effort to make our processes clearer, our website serves as the first point of reference.
Specifically for faculty, the page on obtaining and implementing academic accommodations provides a starting place.
Secondly, as part of this interactive process faculty are provided authorized accommodation letters via their mix email account. By logging onto the WVU faculty portal all faculty are able to access their mix email account or you may also forward it to your @mail account by following the instructions available at TeamDynamix.
Thirdly, Students have a role in this interactive process, as outlined below:
- Must request academic accommodations, each semester, through OAS’s database SAMM
- Schedule an appointment with every instructor each semester to verbally request and discuss implementation of the Notification of Accommodation letter received via your MIX account
- Sign, obtain instructor’s signature, and save the Accommodation Agreement form. At this meeting students may also ask you to sign the Recorded Lecture Agreement Form.
- Allow at least one week for the instructor to provide academic accommodations
- If they feel they need additional accommodations to those listed in the Notification of Accommodation email, they are to make an appointment with their Accessibility Specialist
- If an authorized academic accommodation is not being implemented properly, we ask that they speak to their instructor and contact their Accessibility Specialist immediately.
Finally, the OAS Office is moving the week of May 22nd to the basement of Stewart Hall to provide easier access to students and faculty. We are planning an Open House to show the WVU community our new space and our renewed commitment to serving all on disability related issues as they impact the students of WVU. In the meantime, if you have a question about an academic accommodation or would like assistance in assisting a student who is having difficulty in your class please contact us at 304-293-6700 or at access2@mail.wvu.edu.