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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.
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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.
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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.