Provision of Services
Minerva University has an institutional commitment to provide equal educational opportunities for qualified students with disabilities in accordance with state and federal laws and regulations, including the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. To provide equality of access for students with disabilities, accommodations and auxiliary aids and services will be provided to the extent necessary to comply with state and federal laws. For each student, these accommodations and auxiliary aids and services will specifically address those functional limitations of the disability, which adversely affect equal educational opportunity. Minerva University will maintain specific criteria and procedures to implement this policy.
Glossary
"Disabled" means having a physical or mental impairment, which substantially limits one or more of a person's major life activities.
"Qualified Disabled Student" means a disabled person who meets the academic and technical standards requisite to admission and participation in the educational program or activity.
"Accommodations" - Such modifications to the course, program or educational requirements as are necessary and appropriate so that such requirements do not discriminate or have the effect of discriminating on the basis of disability. Academic requirements that are essential to a course or to the program of instruction being pursued by the student or which relate directly to licensing requirements will not be regarded as discriminatory within the meaning of this section. Potential modifications that may be considered include (but are not limited to) changes in the length of time permitted for completion of the MBS degree, substitutions of specific courses required for the completion of degree requirements, extended time on an examination or paper, and other appropriate accommodations which do not fundamentally alter the essential nature of a course or academic program.
"Auxiliary Aids and Services" may include but are not limited to note-takers, readers, brailed or large print materials, and mobility training for students with visual impairments; sign language interpreters, real time captioning, and note-takers for students who are deaf or hearing impaired; and typists and scribes for students with manual impairments. (This is not an exhaustive list.) Devices or services of a personal nature such as personal attendants, individually prescribed devices, or readers for personal use or study are not provided.
Resources
The Office of Student Services is responsible for determining, coordinating and providing appropriate accommodations and auxiliary aids and services for qualified students with disabilities.
Eligibility
Students are eligible for consideration for accommodations and/or auxiliary aids and services if you have a documented disability and the Director of Student Services has met with the student and determined that functional limitations of the disability require such accommodation, auxiliary aids and/or services.
Student Responsibility
Each student bears the responsibility of initiating a disability-related request for accommodations, auxiliary aids and/or services with the Director of Student Services prior to the time such an accommodation, auxiliary aid and/or service is needed. See below for suggested timeframes.
Documentation
Once specific academic accommodations, auxiliary aids and/or services are identified and discussed with the Director of Student Services, the student will be asked to provide appropriate documentation to support the request. This documentation from an appropriate professional should reflect the student's present level of disability and how the disability affects the student's needs in an academic environment. The Director of Student Services have discretion to determine what type of professional documentation is necessary, and this may vary depending on the nature and extent of the disability and the accommodation, auxiliary aid and/or services requested. The request for an accommodation will be evaluated promptly once the documentation has been received.
Confidentiality
If a qualified individual with a disability seeks an accommodation, the individual is referred to Student Services for disability and accommodation review. The individual will provide appropriate and sufficient documentation to verify the disability and the need for an accommodation; and will request such accommodation. The individual with a disability will be an active participant in the interactive process to identify appropriate accommodations.
Disability and medical information is confidential and is not shared except where disclosure is required by law or is necessary to facilitate legitimate University processes, including granting appropriate accommodations, addressing direct threats or investigating claims or charges.