Student, Faculty, and Disability Services Rights and Responsibilities : Office of Disability Services : Texas State University

Student

Students with disabilities at Texas State University (TXST) have the right to:

Expect nondiscrimination and equal access to courses, programs, services, activities, and facilities offered through TXST.
Receive reasonable and appropriate accommodations in a timely manner from DS and faculty.
Expect all disability-related information to be treated confidentially, except as required by law or as deemed necessary to prevent harm to the student and/or others.
Meet privately with faculty to discuss needed accommodations and any other concerns.
Appeal decisions regarding accommodations.
Be treated respectfully by all TXST faculty and staff.

Students with disabilities at TXST have the responsibility to:

Follow the set procedures for registering with DS and requesting reasonable accommodations.
Request specific accommodations in a timely manner for each semester in which accommodations are needed. Accommodations are not retroactive.
Discuss accommodation needs with faculty once the accommodation letter is provided.
Engage in self-advocacy by initiating and maintaining communication with DS and faculty concerning academic matters and accommodation needs. Seek information and assistance when necessary.
Notify DS and faculty immediately when an accommodation is not being provided completely or correctly.
Notify DS and faculty when an accommodation is not being used or is no longer needed.
Adhere to TXST's academic and student conduct standards.
Understand the policies and laws regarding students with disabilities.
Treat all University faculty and staff respectfully.

Faculty have the right to:

Determine the content of each course and decide how best to instruct students and assess students’ learning.
Maintain the academic standards and integrity of the course.
Receive verification of a documented disability from students in the form of an accommodation letter, which is produced by DS and emailed to the faculty. If DS does not provide verification, then the faculty is not obligated to and should not provide accommodations.
Expect students with disabilities to inform them of their accommodation needs in a timely manner.
Consult with DS to discuss students’ accommodation needs and question and negotiate alternative accommodations if the requested accommodations seem to violate the goals or essential requirements of a course.
Be treated respectfully by all students and DS staff.

Faculty have the responsibility to:

Identify and establish the goals and essential requirements of the course and evaluate students on this basis.
Maintain the same standards for students with disabilities as are applied to all other students.
Inform students at the beginning of each semester of the procedures to arrange reasonable accommodations. The use of a syllabus statement and class announcements informing students of this process are strongly encouraged.
Provide and arrange reasonable accommodations in a timely manner to students for whom faculty have received an accommodation letter from DS.
Coordinate quizzes and exams with Academic Testing for Students with Disabilities (ATSD) if students have been approved of testing accommodations by DS.
Maintain student confidentiality by protecting the students’ identities and keeping disability-related information in a protected location.
Consult with DS and students with disabilities if the accommodations requested seem to violate the goals or essential requirements of a course.
Understand the policies and laws regarding students with disabilities.
Treat all students and DS staff respectfully.

DS has the right to:

Identify and establish appropriate accommodations for courses, programs, services, activities, and facilities.
Request and receive appropriate documentation that supports the need for reasonable accommodations prior to them being initiated.
Deny a request for accommodations if the documentation demonstrates that the request is not warranted, if the individual fails to provide appropriate documentation, or if the request fundamentally alters that nature of a program or course.
Expect students and faculty to work cooperatively with DS to facilitate reasonable accommodations.
Be treated respectfully by all students and faculty.

DS has the responsibility to:

Provide or arrange reasonable accommodations for students in collaboration with the faculty and the students.
Determine eligibility for reasonable accommodations in a timely manner.
Maintain appropriate confidentiality of records and communication, except when required by law or as deemed necessary to prevent harm to the student and/or others.
Communicate procedures clearly to the students and faculty.
Make referrals to campus resources or community agencies when appropriate.
Assist students with disabilities in understanding their strengths and functional limitations and providing them with the skills they need to appropriately advocate for themselves.
Treat all students and faculty respectfully.