Once students complete OSA registration they are eligible to begin using accommodations. Each semester and for every class, students must request an Accommodation Letter via the Accommodate portal. Accommodations are not retroactive and begin from the date of formal notification. The Accommodation Letter will be given to you by the student and outlines approved reasonable accommodations that will allow the student to fully access the course.
In general, faculty are not required to fundamentally alter a course by eliminating essential requirements of a course, i.e., those outcomes (including skills, knowledge, and attitudes) all students must demonstrate. It may be appropriate, at times, for the instructor, student, and the Office for Student Accessibility to engage in a dialogue about accommodations, particularly if the instructor believes the recommended accommodations are a fundamental alteration of the course.
Students are strongly encouraged to initiate a meeting to discuss accommodation plans. However, if you receive a letter and the student does not contact you regarding their accommodations, we recommend reaching out to the student. A brief email acknowledging you received the Accommodation Letter and encouraging them to meet with you is suggested. Include this email in your class records. Both the student and the faculty share a responsibility to engage in necessary accommodation discussions, through the assistance of the OSA office, and to cooperate for development of a positive and reasonable accommodation experience.
To recap, students should do the following to request accommodations:
Northern Kentucky University
Student Union, Suite 303
Highland Heights, KY 41099
Email: osa@nku.edu
Phone: +1 (859) 572-5282
