Student Accessibility Support Services Application for Accommodations

• Student participation in SASS shall be entirely voluntary.
• Receiving SASS support services or instruction shall not preclude a student from also participating in any other course, program, or activity offered by the college.
• Evaluation is based on ability, not disability.
• All health records maintained by the SASS office shall be protected from disclosure and shall be subject to all other requirements for handling of student records under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
• If an agreement between faculty member, SASS professional, and the SASS Director cannot be reached regarding services and accommodations, students may appeal through the formal College of the Redwoods grievance process and/or the Office of Civil Rights (OCR).

1. Provide the SASS office with the information, documentation, and/or forms (medical, educational, etc.) deemed necessary by SASS to verify diagnosed health conditions. 

2. Do not make any unauthorized changes to any forms or paperwork submitted to or distributed by the SASS Program. 

3. Meet with a SASS counselor to complete necessary paperwork and discuss appropriate accommodations and services each term. 

4. Request accommodations from the SASS office in a timely manner each term. Students must request a new Support Services Agreement (SSA) each term from the SASS office in order to have accommodations approved for that term. Students must abide by policies surrounding timeliness (i.e., refrain from same-day accommodation requests). Although SASS will provide them if logistically possible, requests should be made with ample time to allow staff and faculty to coordinate the provisions of accommodations and services. Requests for alternate media, interpreting, captioning, and human note-takers should be made well in advance given the challenges in scheduling and providing those accommodations. Please contact SASS to determine if a specific accommodation request has a specific timeframe. 

5. Collaborate with faculty and SASS staff in a timely manner to ensure implementation of approved accommodations, and notify the SASS office promptly if any issues or barriers are encountered in the classroom or in other college spaces that impede the implementation of accommodations or equal access.  

6. Comply with the student conduct code adopted by the college and all other applicable statutes and regulations related to student conduct, per CR AP 5500. 

7. Utilize SASS services and accommodations in a responsible manner and understand that SASS uses written service provision policies and procedures that must be adhered to for continuation of services. 

8. When enrolled in educational assistance classes, make measurable progress toward the goals developed for the course as established in the student’s Academic Accommodation Plan (AAP). 

9. When the student is enrolled in general college classes, meet academic standards established by the college, as applied to all students. 

10. Check student Redwoods email regularly for updates and notifications of accommodations provided by SASS. 

11. Students are presumed to have independent living skills to provide for their personal needs on campus. Personal assistance is not considered a mandated educational accommodation; therefore, the student must provide a personal attendant or mobility aide at their own expense, if one is needed. Any personal attendant must be approved through SASS prior to assisting the student on campus.  

12. Students receiving contracted SASS services (e.g. interpreters, captioners, and note-takers) are responsible for notifying the SASS office of any planned absences at least three (3) business days prior to the time these services have been scheduled to be delivered. Failure to do so may result in the suspension of these SASS services. 

1. Set academic standards for their courses. 

2. Evaluate the student based on the standards of the class and grade accordingly. 

3. Require students to follow the conduct standards of the college. 

4. Appeal a decision regarding the provision of an accommodation that would pose a fundamental alteration to the course objectives or program requirements. Appeals should be submitted to the Director of SASS. If an instructor is dissatisfied with the appeals outcome, they can process a complaint with CR administration.

• Log into Accommodate to view student accommodations when they receive an email alerting them regarding a new Support Services Agreement (SSA). (Also known as an accommodation letter.)
• Advise the student to contact SASS if the student requests an accommodation and the instructor has not received written notification from the SASS office regarding that specific accommodation.
• Collaborate with the SASS office to facilitate the implementation of accommodations in an equitable and timely manner—prompt delivery of accommodations is crucial to student success.
• Contact the SASS office if there is concern or disagreement about the accommodations provided to a student.
• Respect and maintain a student's right to confidentiality by not announcing or discussing the student's health condition in the presence of other students or staff.
• Provide paper handouts in a timely way for alternate media provision. For example, Braille documents can take up to 12 weeks to prepare and provide to students, depending on the complexity of the material.
• Select textbooks in a timely way so that alternate media files can be ordered from the publisher and/or other alternate formats can be produced or procured by SASS as early as possible so that students do not fall behind in class.
• Provide material and course content in accessible formats. Work with the SASS Alternative Media Specialist regarding technology-related accessibility.
• Work with SASS and Distance Education (DE) to ensure that instructional web pages and other digital resources are accessible to students who use assistive technology.
• Work with SASS and Distance Education (DE) to ensure that all instructional videos are captioned.
• Ensure that testing accommodations do not impact lecture time or other course meeting requirements. Students with testing accommodations should not miss any instruction or activities provided to non-SASS students.
• Reach out to SASS with any accessibility-related questions.

• Refuse to provide any accommodations, unless they believe the accommodations would result in a fundamental alteration to their course objectives, in which case the faculty member must reach out to the SASS Director for a discussion about the implementation of said accommodations.
• Question whether the health condition exists when accommodations have been authorized by SASS.
• Inquire about the nature of students’ disabilities or health conditions.
• Examine students’ disability/health records, except the accommodations letters (SSA) provided by SASS, which only list approved accommodations.

• SASS will request documentation that supports the need for accommodations.
• SASS will deny a request for accommodations if the documentation demonstrates that the request is not warranted or if the individual fails to provide appropriate documentation.
• SASS will suspend services if a student persistently violates SASS policies and procedures regarding academic accommodations.

1. Verify the student's disabilities/health conditions and authorize accommodations based on educational limitations caused by the verified health conditions, per the interactive process with the student. 

2. Assist faculty in implementing or arranging accommodations in a timely and equitable manner. 

3. Hold student health records confidential except where permitted or required by law. 

4. Notify the CR Behavioral Intervention Team if any student speaks with a SASS staff member about harm to self or others, harassment or discrimination, or any form of assault or violence. 

5. Communicate to students, faculty, and staff the process to request accommodations. 

6. SASS helps students obtain accommodations and services necessary to allow equal access to College of the Redwoods’ programs and services. It is the responsibility of the SASS office to utilize resources so that all SASS students can receive equitable services. SASS establishes policies and procedures for responding to, in a timely manner, requests involving accommodations. Any accommodations, services, and/or instruction must: 

• Be provided in a timely manner. 
•  Be directly related to the educational limitations of the verified disabilities of the student.
• Be directly related to the student’s participation in the educational process. 
•  Not include any change to curriculum or course of study that is so significant that it alters the required objectives or content of the curriculum in the approved course outline, thereby causing a fundamental alteration.
• Be re-evaluated as necessary and as requested by the student.
• Promote the maximum independence and integration of SASS students, including student self-advocacy. 
•  Not duplicate services or instruction which are otherwise available to all students.
• Support participation of SASS students in educational activities consistent with the mission of the community colleges as set forth in Education Code section 66010.4.

7. Hold SASS students accountable to the CR student conduct code (AP 5500). 

8. Suspend services if a student persistently violates SASS policies and procedures regarding academic accommodations. 

9. Requests for services that require immediate modification can be permitted by the Director of SASS or designated College official with knowledge of reasonable accommodation requirements, pending final resolution after the assessment process and/or final resolution. 

Under the laws affecting higher education, including the Family Education and Right to Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) and Title 5, students have the right to confidentiality as it relates to their diagnoses and health records. All health-related records and information held by the SASS office remain confidential unless students sign a written release specifying which documents may be released to selected individuals. An exception to this right to confidentiality is that college or state auditors are permitted to examine student files for compliance with laws and standards. Faculty do not have the right to student health records.

Participation in the SASS program is confidential. There is a statement on the SASS application, which students sign when applying, allowing SASS staff to contact other college personnel who are directly involved in the student’s education in order to expedite student accommodations. SASS staff may use their professional judgment in sharing the names of SASS students and their accommodations with other College of the Redwoods employees who have an educational need to know; however, health records and diagnoses are not shared without student consent, aside from the exception for state auditors. Faculty are not allowed to disclose student SASS participation in front of other students. Any questions about confidentiality should be directed to the SASS office.

Regarding faculty interactions:

•  If a particular service provider, such as a sign language interpreter or captioner, is assigned, that information will be shared with the instructor.
• Any faculty discussion of accommodation issues should be conducted in private with the student.
• The student, and no one else, may share the diagnosis and other particulars of the disability with faculty. A student’s decision to share such information with faculty is entirely voluntary.
• Faculty must make generic classroom announcements, such as when requesting a notetaker, and not single out SASS students. This is especially important when making arrangements for testing accommodations, SASS students should not be singled out due to their testing accommodations.
• Information cannot be shared with other faculty, staff, or students without the student’s expressed consent. The only exception is a “specific professional need to know,” and if this rare circumstance arises, the faculty member is advised to first consult with the SASS Director or the College ADA/504 Officer.

In accordance with Subpart E of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and policy from U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights, a student with a qualifying disability which adversely affects the student’s ability to take or read notes may be permitted to audio-record class lectures as a reasonable academic accommodation. In an effort to ensure faculty concern for privacy and protection of copyright while still assuring the availability of recording classroom lectures as a reasonable accommodation for students, use of this accommodation is subject to the conditions listed below.

Violation of this policy may be deemed academic misconduct prohibited by the student conduct code (AP 5500).

If faculty members have questions or concerns regarding the recording of their class discussions, or the nature of the information presented here, please consult with the SASS office.

•  The faculty member must have received the SASS accommodations letter (SSA) specifying the recording of classroom lectures as a reasonable accommodation.
• Recordings of class lectures are only for the student’s personal use in study and preparation related to class.
• The student must comply with a faculty request to stop recording during discussions, demonstrations, guest speakers, or other situations of a sensitive nature that do not contain information affecting course competencies or grades. The faculty member should provide as much notice of these situations as possible in order for the student to coordinate with the faculty member and SASS to have notes taken on the substantive parts of the lecture.
• The student may not share these recordings with any other person without the written consent of the faculty member.
• Information contained in the recorded lectures may be protected under federal copyright laws and may not be published or quoted without the written consent of the faculty and without giving proper identity and credit to speakers. This includes publication via any social media platform, emails, or text messages.
• The student may not use the recorded lectures against the faculty member, other instructors, or students whose classroom comments are recorded as part of the class activity. This provision is subject to the protections under policy and the law.
• The student will erase all recorded class lectures when they are no longer needed for academic work. Upon written request from the faculty member, student will return all class recordings to the faculty member for erasure. Faculty members should provide SASS with a copy of the aforementioned written request. Likewise, students are not permitted to post the lectures on any social media platform.
• Students who wish to keep recordings beyond the end of the course for future review must obtain written permission from the faculty member.
• Audio recordings outside of the typical classroom experience (including fieldwork, internships, etc.) may be discussed on a case-by-case basis in collaboration with the faculty member, program of study, site manager, and SASS.

Students may have services suspended for the following reasons:

1. The student is not making progress toward their Student Educational Plan (SEP) and/or Measurable Progress Document (MPD), as determined by the instructor of an Educational Assistance Class or SASS counselor; or 

2. The student is not making academic progress according to the established college progress policy; or

3. The student fails to comply with the requirement(s) of their Measurable Progress Document (MPD) and/or Student Educational Plan (SEP); or 

4. The student abuses the use of reasonable academic accommodation support services provided by SASS. Abuse of services is defined as a failure to comply with the policies and procedures of the individual services that a student is using.  

Failure to comply with the above requirements may result in the suspension of some or all SASS services. Suspensions are for limited time periods based on the evaluation of the Director of SASS and/or designated college official. Notification of suspension of services should be in writing to the student.  

The procedure for suspension of services is: 

1. The SASS Director will issue a written warning that SASS services may be suspended and request that the student meet with the SASS Director to discuss this matter. The letter will indicate that if the student does not meet with the SASS Director that SASS services may be suspended because the student failed to meet the requirements. 

2. If the student chooses not to meet with the SASS Director or if the student continues to fail to meet one or more of the requirements, the SASS Director determines if the student’s SASS services should be suspended and for what duration of time. The SASS Director will notify the student in writing that SASS services will be suspended as of a specific date and for what duration of time. The written notification will include notice to the student that they have ten (10) business days to appeal the decision to suspend SASS services.  

3. If a student appeals the suspension of SASS services, the student will need to meet with the SASS Director. At that meeting, the student will provide either written and/or verbal reasons why their SASS services should not be suspended. If the student is not satisfied with the outcome of the appeal, they can discuss the matter with the College’s Chief Student Services Officer. 

4. The SASS Director will evaluate the information provided by the student and can determine to continue the suspension of SASS services or to reinstate SASS services. The written decision will be mailed to the student within ten (10) business days.  

5. If the student is not satisfied with this decision, they may appeal it through the college’s grievance process as outlined in the college catalog and on the CR Student Complaint Process website. 

Under federal and state laws, the College is required to make modifications to academic requirements and practices as necessary to ensure that they do not discriminate against a qualified student with a disability. 

The College is also required to have a policy and procedure for responding to students with verified disabilities who request academic accommodations. SASS students have the right to receive reasonable academic accommodations to create an educational environment where they have equal access to instruction, without fundamentally altering any course, educational program, or degree.  

The Student Accessibility Support Services (SASS) Office is a resource for the general college community for information about and implementation of academic accommodations. Through an interactive process with SASS, appropriate accommodations are identified for students who have submitted an application and all necessary documentation to SASS. If you need academic accommodations, meet with one of the SASS counselors to complete a Support Services Agreement (SSA). Share information from the SSA with your instructor(s). If the instructor agrees, the accommodation is then implemented. While the right to accommodations is not negotiable, its implementation is. If the instructor questions the implementation, the student, the SASS director, and the instructor continue to talk until an agreement is reached. (Note: this may mean that an alternative accommodation may be implemented.) If the rare circumstance occurs that no agreement can be reached, the accommodation is temporarily implemented (per AP 5140) pending final resolution by the Academic Accommodations Committee. The Academic Accommodations Committee meets and reviews all information regarding the request. The committee will either approve, deny, or recommend a third accommodation. The decision is then final. 

In situations where an agreement cannot be reached on the reasonable academic accommodation or service for the student, the Director of SASS, the faculty member involved in the grievance, and an Academic Accommodations Panel will review the grievance. At this phase, every effort will be made to resolve the matter through the informal process. The panel will include three faculty (at least one from SASS), one student representative, one administrator and one SASS staff member. The student still has the right of external appeal to the Office of Civil Rights under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

Students who reasonably believe a college decision or action has adversely affected their status, rights, or privileges may file a student grievance form and submit it to the Office of the Vice President of Student Services. Students are expected to first make a reasonable effort to resolve matters informally with either the person whom the student has the grievance and then that person’s supervisor or college administrator, if necessary. Students seeking to appeal the denial of SASS services should seek remedy through the Director of SASS. If, after consulting with the SASS Director, students are still not satisfied, they may appeal via the Student Complaint Process. Additional information regarding College of the Redwoods academic policies may be found in the College catalog.

I am requesting SASS services. I acknowledge that SASS services will not be provided until verification of my diagnosis is received by the SASS office and my SASS Academic Accommodation Plan (AAP) is completed in collaboration with a SASS counselor. I understand that services provided by SASS must directly relate to the educational limitations caused by my mental/medical condition(s), and that SASS services are directly related to the educational process at CR and may not apply to other institutions or organizations.

I understand that I must fulfill the requirements for participation in the SASS Program as specified in the policies above. By signing this application I affirm that I understand the SASS Program policies and responsibilities of students and I agree to abide by them.