Student Rights & Responsibilities in Pursuing and Using Services

Statement of rights
Assurance of equal access to educational opportunity rests upon legal foundations established by federal law, specifically the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 including Section 504, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Self identify and request services
It is the responsibility of the student with a disability to identify himself/herself to the Disability Services Office after they are accepted to RIT if they wish to request accommodations. This is done by submitting a “Disability Services Request Form” . Students with a disability which has been verified and documented by a qualified professional are entitled to receive accommodations as approved by the Coordinator of Disability Services.

Work with Coordinator of Disability Services
Students work with the Coordinator of Disability Services through email, phone calls and/or in-person meetings to determine appropriate academic and/or nonacademic accommodations. For academic accommodations a “Disability Services Agreement” (DSA) is developed and signed that lists the approved accommodations. For nonacademic accommodations including housing or dietary arrangements or use of a service animal, a plan involving relevant campus service providers is developed. It is the student’s responsibility to interact with the coordinator throughout this development process.

Discuss accommodations with RIT faculty/staff
It is the student’s responsibility to present their signed Disability Services Agreement (DSA) and initiate a discussion about their academic accommodations with the appropriate faculty and staff.

Statement of Responsibility
A student with disabilities must meet the same admission, academic, technical, performance and behavior standards as any other student at RIT. All students are expected to work to their full potential and students with disabilities are not excluded from this expectation. Students are expected to commit themselves to professional excellence, personal integrity, and ethical behavior and demonstrate this commitment in their academic and professional conduct.

A good resource is "Students with Disabilities Preparing for Postsecondary Education: Know Your Rights and Responsibilities" from U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights.

Academic Accommodations
Students using accommodations involving the use of the testing center, note-taking services and the use of texts in alternate format are requested to follow these procedures:

Use of Testing Center
Student responsibilities:

• Give a copy of your DSA to each of your faculty and discuss your accommodations with them, including the logistics of where, when and how exams should take place
• If making use of the testing center and/or services offered therein (such as reader, scribe or use of word processor), provide advance notice to the Academic Accommodations Office (Eastman #2320) by completing the test request forms (hard copy or online at http://www.rit.edu/~369www/academicaccommodations) and picking up exam envelopes at least one week prior to exams and quizzes.
• Make exam envelopes available to your instructors.
• Arrive on time for your scheduled testing session.

Note-taking Services
Student responsibilities:

• Give a copy of your DSA to each of your instructors and ask them to announce or send a broadcast email stating that, “Someone in class requires the services of a notetaker. If you’re interested, please contact the Academic Accommodations Office in #01-2310.” Please note that your identity should remain confidential in this process unless you choose to disclose that the notes are for you.
• Complete request forms available in the Academic Accommodations Office (Eastman #2320) or online at http://www.rit.edu/~369www/academicaccommodations at the beginning of each quarter (or at the time the Disability Services Office approves your accommodations).
• Inform the Academic Accommodations Office if there is a change in your schedule and/or you have decided not to use the service.
• Attend classes – note-taking is NOT a substitution for class attendance/participation.
• Access notes online using assigned password.

Use of Texts in Alternate Format
Student responsibilities:

• Complete “request for auditory book” form available in the Academic Accommodations Office (Eastman #2320) or online at http://www.rit.edu/~369www/academicaccommodations as early as possible.
• Inform the Academic Accommodations Office if there is a change in your request and/or you have decided not to use the service.