UNH 2010-2011
Student Rights, Rules & Responsibilities Guidelines

Every otherwise qualified student with a documented disability has the right to:

1. Equal access to courses, programs, services, events, jobs, offices, student club activities, facilities, meeting places, and transportation available through UNH.
2. Reasonable and appropriate accommodations, adjustments, and/or auxiliary aids determined by UNH on a case-by-case and/or course basis.
3. Appropriate confidentiality of all information pertaining to the disability with the choice of disclosure of the disability information, except as needed to implement an accommodation or for purposes of health/safety, as required by law.  A student can expect the following in order to expedite provision of service:
   • As needed, DSS will meet to discuss and determine reasonable accommodations, adjustments, and/or auxiliary aids and services based on information and documentation provided by the student.
   • Administrative and academic personnel will be provided with information as deemed necessary in order to assure the student's timely access to programs and services.
4. Information reasonably available in accessible formats.

Every otherwise qualified student with a disability has the responsibility to:

1. Meet the college's qualifications and essential technical, academic, and institutional standards, including the community standards and the code of academic integrity.
2. Identify himself/herself in a timely manner as an individual with a disability when requesting  protection from discrimination or accommodation to DSS.
3. Provide documentation from a qualified source that verifies the nature of the disability, functional limitation(s), and the need, if any for specific accommodations (see documentation guidelines for details).  The student is responsible for the costs associated with obtaining documentation.
4. Follow specific procedures for obtaining reasonable and appropriate accommodations, adjustments, auxiliary aids, and/or protection from discrimination, and cooperate with college personnel in developing reasonable accommodations or response to concerns.

Responsibilities of DSS:

1. Determine eligibility for participation of students with disabilities in the accommodation process based upon a review of appropriate documentation.
2. Coordinate with faculty members regarding testing accommodations.
3. When needed oversee test administration including training and supervision of proctors, readers, and scribers.
4. Determine the appropriate accommodation for each student based on the individual's need on a case-by-case/course-by-course basis.
5. Assure that the student is provided the opportunity for using the appropriate accommodation.
6. Interact with administrative and academic personnel when appropriate.

Responsibilities of the Student:

1. Student must inform faculty of the accommodations they are eligible for each semester by providing them with the Accommodation Letter provided by DSS to the student.  The student must discuss needed accommodations specific to the course. Students are required to notify DSS of any course/schedule changes.
2. Provide DSS with appropriate documentation of past history of service, medical, psychological, Psychoeducational, neuropsychological, Audiological, or vision-related evaluations indicating the student's disability as it might impact functioning in a higher ed environment.
3. Provide signed consent, if needed, authorizing DSS to discuss the student's need for reasonable accommodations, adjustments, and/or auxiliary aids with the professional source  (e.g., medical doctor, psychologist) of his/her documentation.
4. Meet the timelines, deadlines, and procedural requirements established by UNH and DSS for receiving services.  If the student fails to provide adequate notice of the need for space and/or assistance, he/she is still entitled to the accommodation, but the institution cannot guarantee the availability of the necessary service/support without appropriate notice.
5. Maintain the highest level of academic integrity and follow UNH Student Code of Conduct.

Responsibilities of Faculty and Staff:

1. Maintain the integrity of all college programs (e.g., programs, courses, activities, and services).
2. Assure that confidentiality of information regarding students with disabilities is maintained.
3. Discuss with DSS any concerns related to the accommodation(s) or arrangements that have been requested by the student during their initial contacts.
4. Provide appropriate accommodations by making arrangements with DSS.
5. Adapt test structure or accommodations if necessary.

The University of New Hampshire has the right to:

1. Maintain the academic standards of the college.
2. Deny a request for accommodations, adjustments, and/or auxiliary aids if:
   1. the documentation does not identify a specific disability;
   2. the documentation fails to verify the need for the requested services; and/or
   3. the documentation is not provided in a timely manner.
      (See documentation guidelines for details.)
3. Refuse to provide an accommodation, adjustment, and/or auxiliary aid that is inappropriate or unreasonable including any that:
   1. poses a direct threat to the health and safety of others;
   2. constitutes a substantial change or alteration to an essential element of a course or program;
   3. fundamentally alters the nature of the service provided; and/or
   4. poses undue financial hardship or administrative burden on the college.
4. Request from a student current documentation completed by qualified professional source to verify the need for reasonable accommodations, adjustments, and/or auxiliary aids.
5. Refer a student to his/her own qualified professional for further verification.
6. Discuss a student’s need for reasonable accommodations, adjustments, and/or auxiliary aids with the professional source of his/her documentation with the student’s signed consent authorizing discussion.
7. Select among equally effective and appropriate accommodations, adjustments, and/or auxiliary aids for each student on a case-by-case/course-by-course basis upon collaboration with others as required.

The University of New Hampshire has the responsibility to:

1. Ensure that the college’s courses, programs, events, services, jobs, offices, student club activities, facilities, equipment, honors, meeting places, and transportation, when viewed in their entirety, are offered in the most integrated and appropriate settings based on a review of what the law requires.
2. Offer on-campus educational programs and activities that will, when viewed in their entirety, be physically accessible.  In the event that a student with a physical disability is enrolled in a course or activity that is inaccessible, the class or activity will be moved to an accessible location or the location will be made accessible.  The college will examine off-campus sites chosen for any educational  experiences, such as clinical placement, field placement, student teaching, study abroad, and co-ops so that, within reason, the site chosen will be both physically and programmatically accessible.  In the event that a student with a disability is required to participate in program or activity that is inaccessible, the program or activity will, to the extent practical, be moved to an accessible location.
3. Provide information regarding policies and procedures to students with disabilities in a timely manner and to provide such policies in accessible formats upon request.
4. Evaluate students on their abilities, not their disabilities.
5. Maintain appropriate confidentiality of records and communication concerning students with disabilities except where disclosure is required by law or authorized by the student.
6. Assist students with disabilities who self-identify and meet UNH’s criteria for eligibility in receiving reasonable and appropriate accommodations, adjustments, auxiliary aids, and/or other protection from discrimination as determined on a case-by-case/course-by-course basis.
7. Provide reasonable and appropriate accommodations, adjustments, and/or auxiliary aids for students with disabilities upon a timely request by a student.