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Faculty / Staff Resources

WVU’s faculty and staff are a vital part of a student's accessibility team. Disability is a dimension of diversity, and OAS welcomes the opportunity to collaborate with faculty to foster an inclusive learning environment for all Mountaineers.

Disability is a Shared Responsibility

The Role of the Office of Accessibility Services

  • Meeting with students and authorizing appropriate accommodations based on documentation
  • Communicating rights and responsibilities to students during intake
  • Communicating a student’s eligibility for academic accommodations to faculty
  • Maintaining records that verify Disability
  • Collaborating with students, faculty, and staff to provide guidance regarding the implementation of accommodations
  • Maintaining student privacy and confidentiality

The Role of Faculty, GTAs, and Instructors

  • Confirming that OAS has officially authorized the requested accommodations when uncertain
  • Confirming that accommodations do not compromise the technical standards of the course and the learning objectives. Please ask your department chair for additional information about technical standards and/or contact OAS before declining to provide an accommodation
  • Working with the student to implement accommodations, and digitally signing the Notification of Authorized Accommodation email during/after the initial meeting with the student
  • Implementing authorized accommodations within one week, once requested by the student, and adjusting as necessary to ensure effectiveness
  • Notifying OAS of any questions, issues, or concerns related to accommodations, especially accommodation requests that are unusual or complex
  • Maintaining student privacy and  confidentiality

Managing Accommodations

  1. What are accommodation authorization emails?

    A Notification of Authorized Accommodations is the official notice from our office to you of a student’s authorized accommodations. Accommodation emails outline the specific academic accommodations for an individual student.

    These emails are sent automatically to your official WVU MIX email. However, you can locate accommodation letters for all students in your assigned classes by going to accessibilityservices.wvu.edu, clicking SAMM, logging in under faculty, and clicking Accommodation Letters.

    Additional course instructors who will assist in the implementation of accommodations should also receive an accommodation letter. It is the responsibility of the primary instructor to ensure that all instructors that will assist in the implementation of accommodations (i.e., visiting instructors) receive a copy of the accommodation letter. 

  2. What is the timeframe for receiving accommodation authorization emails?

    Authorization emails may come at different times throughout the semester. While we encourage students to request accommodations at the beginning of the semester, students can register with our office and request or renew their accommodations throughout the semester.

    If a student experiences new access barriers during the semester, they may request different accommodations, which can result in receiving an updated accommodation letter later in the semester.

    While accommodations may be requested at any time during the semester, they do not apply retroactively to past work.

  3. How do I implement accommodations in my classroom?

    Students are required to speak with instructors about how their accommodations will be implemented in each class. Once a student speaks to you about how their authorized accommodations will be implemented in your class, you should digitally sign the accommodation letter in SAMM. When signing the letter, it  is important that you enter notes regarding your discussion with the student. If a question arises about what was agreed upon, those faculty notes provide important verification.  The student’s accommodations should be fully implemented within 7 days.

    If you have questions or concerns about any of the student’s authorized accommodations, reach out to OAS right away. If you feel an accommodation impedes the technical standard of your course or program, you should contact OAS to discuss your concern. Through the interactive process, the accommodations and standards can be discussed to determine if the accommodation is inappropriate in the specific class. Alternative accommodations can also be discussed at this time.

    OAS may also be in touch with you to coordinate the specifics of implementing certain student access needs (e.g., Sign Language interpreting, Live or closed captioning, Braille, etc.). This may happen before you receive an official Notification of Authorized Accommodations. Given that translating/formatting/captioning documents and course media can be time-consuming processes, we often reach out in advance of the semester to begin collecting materials in courses where we know a student will be making a request. Under those circumstances, it is reasonable to communicate with OAS directly and to begin making provisions for services in the upcoming semester, even though you have not yet received an official notification of accommodations email yet.

    We thank you in advance for your support in ensuring access to University programs! If you have additional questions, please consult our Faculty FAQ page and/or contact us.