postsecondary accommodations process

the term "disability" means different things in public schools and postsecondary institutions. students in k–12 public schools are protected by the ideia (individuals with disabilities education improvement act 2004). public schools must evaluate, identify and provide services to students who qualify based on an iep (individual education plan). qualified students are covered under this plan until they turn 21 or graduate from high school. under ideia, a student may receive specially designed instruction, modifications to class requirements, one-to-one support or tutoring and accommodations based on the iep. federal funds are provided to k–12 schools to supplement these services. special education staff help deliver these services.

students at private postsecondary institutions are protected by the americans with disabilities act as amended (adaaa) and section 504 of the rehabilitation act. when serving students with disabilities, institutions must comply with these laws, which stipulate that they:

• cannot discriminate in college recruitment, admission or after admission based solely on a student’s disability
• are required to make individual, reasonable accommodations at no cost to students with documented disabilities (please note that accommodations that would cause an undue hardship on the college may not be granted)
• provide equal access and participation to students who qualify for an educational program
• make modifications “as necessary” to ensure that academic requirements are not discriminatory
• inform students of available services, academic adjustments, and the name of the coordinator of support services (this is the campus accommodations coordinator or cac)
• provide written information on how to access services or request accommodations

student rights and responsibilities

you are in charge of your own future. although the laws protect you, you have responsibilities as you enter postsecondary education. as a student, you should:

• understand your disability and provide current documentation verifying the disability
• advocate on your own behalf
• contact the support staff when accommodations are needed or if there are concerns/questions
• notify instructors of approved accommodations by giving each a copy of the instructor notification memo
• talk to instructors and work out arrangements for accommodations as soon as they are approved
• arrange for those support services that are not available in the postsecondary education setting (personal services or items of a personal nature)

students with disabilities can succeed in the postsecondary environment by demonstrating the following characteristics of a successful student:

• be motivated and goal-oriented
• be academically prepared
• demonstrate self-advocacy skills
• demonstrate organization skills
• demonstrate time management skills

services available to you

as a student at rasmussen college, there are many services available to help you succeed—in person, online, over the phone, 24/7 personal support center and even individual accommodations.

student services support

• scheduling assistance
• links to other rasmussen college resources and students
• 24/7 personal support center
• new student orientation
• referrals to community resources
• tutoring at no additional charge
• support for studying, assignments and test preparation

library

• program-expert librarians
• live “chat with a librarian” service for questions, directions and support
• tutor match
• assistance in locating resources
• questions about apa format
• how to use noodlebib
• research, resource and citation questions
• writing lab
• faq database

you’ll also have access to computer workstations (both pc and mac) as well as other on-campus services for all enrolled students, even if your courses are online!

online support

• access to faculty and tutoring
• writing assistance
• study aids
• time management resources
• test-taking strategies

career services

• career services advisors
• jobconnect
• optimalresume
• career development webinars

available accommodations

accommodations can include services, teaching approaches, compensatory strategies and changes or modifications in the learning environment that enable students with documented disabilities to demonstrate their ability to perform the essential skills and functions required in a program or course. accommodations are intended to ensure equal access to learning opportunities and to allow equal program participation. for example, an interpreter can provide access to lectures and discussions for a student who has a hearing disability. the knowledge that is to be learned by the student remains the same as for all students.

postsecondary institutions may provide academic adjustments if they do not change course outcomes or program requirements or place an undue burden on the institution. for example, reducing the acceptable level of skill required to pass an exam may result in a student not mastering a task that is required for safe and competent performance in the student’s chosen field. modifications such as this are not appropriate in preparing students for successful futures.

postsecondary education institutions provide approved accommodations to students with documented disabilities including, but not limited to:

• assistive technology
• testing accommodations
• support from note-takers
• readers
• interpreters

accommodations are intended to ensure access that allows students with disabilities to compete equally with their non-disabled peers. not all accommodations are appropriate for every student.

requesting an accommodation

although you may request an academic accommodation at any time, you should request it as early as possible. some academic adjustments may take more time to provide than others.

please note that disabled students are not required to self-disclose or register with the campus accommodations coordinator, although we encourage them to do so. students seeking academic accommodations or adjustments must contact the local campus accommodations coordinator to request such services. students who are unsure whom to contact should check with their academic dean or campus instructor.

how does the accommodations process work at rasmussen college?

first, you’ll want to contact the campus accommodations coordinator (cac) at your campus so they can help you locate the necessary forms and guide you through the process. you will need to:

• complete the student request for accommodations and document review form, which can be obtained from the cac and completed electronically or handwritten.
• obtain the necessary disability documentation to submit with this form. you can either submit:
  • your most recent iep evaluation (contact your high school for a current copy).
  • the qualified professional documentation form. this should be completed by a recognized professional, such as a learning disabilities specialist, educational specialist, physician, licensed psychologist or professional counselor who is qualified to perform psychoeducational or neuropsychological evaluations. do not fill in the information yourself.
  • note: if you cannot obtain this documentation from a healthcare provider, your request will still be reviewed.
  • complete a hipaa/ferpa authorization if you are willing to allow us to contact your previous school or your qualified professional to discuss your educational needs.
• schedule an appointment with the cac. this can be done over the phone or via a web chat. 
• send all forms and any related documents to your cac prior to the appointment. be ready to discuss your disability and how it affects your ability to acquire knowledge and skills.

step 2: campus accommodations coordinator (cac)

the cac will interview you to develop a well-rounded picture of your needs, review your documentation and advise you if more information or more complete documentation is indicated. then, they send all necessary forms to the rasmussen accommodations committee.

step 3: rasmussen accommodations committee (rac)

the rac reviews your documentation within 2–3 weeks of receipt. they work with the cac to determine eligibility and recommend reasonable accommodations based on the requests you submitted, documentation of your disability and what is appropriate under the law. members of the rac may contact you or your qualified professional (if you provided a hipaa/ferpa authorization) to obtain additional information necessary for decision-making. they will determine eligibility, approve or deny requested accommodations and notify you and the cac. the rac also sends the cac the privileged and confidential memo and rasmussen college student accommodations instructor notification memo.

step 4: meet with cac

the cac schedules a meeting with the student to review the decision. if you are not eligible, the cac will:

• provide the privileged and confidential memo, explaining the basis for the decision
• request that you sign the notification memo to document receipt of this information
• provide counseling on available student support services available to you

if you are eligible, the cac will:

• provide the privileged and confidential memo and review the decision
• request that you sign the accommodation plan to document receipt of this information
• review the instructor notification procedures with you
• provide you with electronic or paper copies of the signed rasmussen college student accommodations instructor notification memo to distribute to each of you instructors
• follow up and provide support to you as needed in the implementation of the accommodations

step 5: meet with your instructors

present a copy of the instructor notification memo to each instructor and for every term that you continue to want the accommodation. meet with the instructor to make arrangements for how the accommodation will be provided in the course. do not wait until the last minute—the instructor needs reasonable time to put things in place for you. you can contact the cac if there are any complications in the provision of the accommodation or if you have any questions about the process.

be sure to reapply for the accommodation about six weeks prior to your anniversary date (one year after the date of initial approval) by contacting the cac and completing the returning student accommodations request.

resolve accommodations issues

if you are having trouble accessing your accommodations, meet with your instructor and share your concern. share your ideas for addressing the concern and work with the instructor to put the accommodation in place. if this does not adequately meet your needs, make an appointment with the cac to resolve your concern. if your concern has not been resolved through these steps, you may choose to use the disability appeals process by contacting the campus director.

campus accommodations coordinator contact information

disability services at rasmussen college is centrally coordinated under the legal/compliance department. our goal is a process where central management with local representation can facilitate effective and consistent delivery of services and, most importantly, a local and personal point of contact for each student.

each campus has a designated campus accommodations coordinator (cac), including online/accelerated programs. please refer to the list of cacs organized by campus. diane nemitz, senior compliance officer/national disability services coordinator, is the central point of contact for the cacs.

in addition to the operation aspects of disability services, rasmussen college maintains a disability services committee that meets quarterly to review the overall effectiveness and to set the strategic vision of our disability services function. this committee represents a cross section of the college. the goals of the committee are to find the best ways to serve our students and to become an industry leader in accessible education.

disability services committee members are:
lori kruizenga—general counsel
diane nemitz—senior compliance officer, national disability services coordinator
scott wendt—director of regulatory compliance
jon mladic—dean of library and learning services
tracy tepley—academic dean, bloomington campus
jenn endries—academic dean, green bay campus
mary kohler—dean of nursing, land o’ lakes campus, interim dean of rn to bsn entrance option (online)
becky costello—instructional designer ii
donnie murphy—lead student advisor, lake elmo/woodbury campus

non-discrimination policy

rasmussen college is committed to the principle of equal opportunity in education. rasmussen college admits students without regard to their race, color, sex, age, national or ethnic origin, religion, sexual orientation, ancestry, disability, veteran status, marital status, prenatal status or any other protected status to all the rights, privileges, programs and other activities generally accorded or made available to students at rasmussen college. the college does not discriminate against individuals of any protected status in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs and other rasmussen college administered programs and activities. otherwise qualified persons are not subject to discrimination on the basis of disability.

grievance policy

it is the policy of rasmussen college that students should have an opportunity to present school-related complaints through grievance procedures. the college will attempt to resolve promptly all grievances that are appropriate for handling under this policy. an appropriate grievance is defined as a student’s expressed feeling of dissatisfaction regarding any interpretation or application of school-related polices or the college’s personnel. students should notify the college in a timely fashion of any grievance considered appropriate for handling under this policy. as used in this policy, the terms "timely fashion," "reasonable time" and "promptly" will be 10 days. students are assured that no adverse action will be taken by the college or by any of its representatives for registering a grievance.

grievance procedure—disability services

if a student believes that rasmussen college has inadequately applied the principles and/or regulations of the rehabilitation act or the americans with disabilities act (ada), or believes he/she has experienced discrimination because of a disability, please file a grievance following these steps:

1. meet with the campus accommodations coordinator (cac) and outline the grievance. if the grievance is against the cac, the student should meet with the academic dean or campus director.
2. the cac (or academic dean/campus director) will work with the student and accept the written grievance on behalf of rasmussen college. the grievance will be submitted to the rasmussen accommodations committee for review and decision.
3. the decision of the rac will be delivered to the cac (or academic dean/campus director) who will then meet with the student and explain the decision of the committee and any options given.
4. if the student wishes to appeal the decision of the rac, a written appeal should be submitted to the cac (or academic dean/campus director).
5. the cac (academic dean/campus director) will submit the appeal to the college president via the rasmussen legal department. the college president’s decision will be final and may not be appealed further.

please note that complaints can also be filed using the procedures identified in the "resolutions and informal complaints" section of the rasmussen college catalog.