ODA Student Responsibilities

The following information is extremely important to ensure your accommodations are effective and will greatly assist you, your professors, and the ODA in providing accessibility to your education at UNT. The ODA is available to help you determine appropriate and reasonable accommodations, better understand the accommodation process, and answer any questions you might have - at any time throughout the semester. Email your coordinator or contact our office at (940) 565-4323 to schedule an appointment. 
 
Your additional reminders and responsibilities will be detailed in e-Form Agreements specific to the following accommodations which you may have available: Accessible Alternative Formats, Attendance Modification, Access to Lecture accommodations, Interpreting and CART services, and Testing Accommodations. 
 
It is the student's (your) responsibility to: 

  1. Request Letters of Accommodation through the ODA AIM Student Portal as early as possible in the semester. ODA will email the letters to your instructors; and you will receive a copy of each email. 

  1. ONCE YOUR INSTRUCTOR RECEIVES YOUR LETTER OF ACCOMMODATION, you must meet with your instructor to discuss your accommodations as soon as possible, after receiving your copy of each email. 

  1. Report IMMEDIATELY to the ODA staff any difficulties receiving any needed accommodations. The most efficient and quickest way to bring a situation to our attention is to email your ODA Coordinator or the ODA at Apply.ODA@unt.edu describing the situation and how you can be contacted. 

  1. Follow all applicable procedures. Carefully read all e-Form Agreements you receive regarding your accommodations. After the e-Form Agreement is signed, it can be reviewed at any time via your ODA Online Student Services profile by accessing the “My e-Form Agreements” link on the left side of your profile page. 

  1. All ODA records will be kept confidential and secure in accordance with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). The ODA may discuss your accommodations with those on campus who have a designated need to know, Most often this would be your professors, Deans, academic advisors, etc. Besides exceptions allowed under FERPA, all information kept by the ODA will not be distributed beyond UNT without a release of information signed by the student. For more information on FERPA visit: http://essc.unt.edu/registrar/ferpa.html. 


Modification of Course Attendance Policy

Your accommodations include asking faculty to consider modifying the course attendance policy should you miss class due to an unexpected issue related to your disability. In an effort to ensure students who have this accommodation understand how this accommodation is provisioned as well as its limitations, you are responsible for understanding the information presented below. 

  1. This accommodation is NOT retroactive and does NOT begin until you and your instructor discuss how this accommodation would work in that class. Therefore, it is vital for you to schedule an appointment with each of your instructors as soon as possible after your accommodation letter has been emailed to your instructors. The ODA has created guidance to help guide the conversation. Contact the ODA if you would like assistance in discussing this accommodation with faculty. 
  2. Absences must be due to the limitations associated with the documented disability for which you are receiving accommodations. 
  3. Discuss EACH of the following items with each of your instructors: 
    • What does the instructor consider to be a reasonable amount of absences in this class? 
    • What is the instructor's preferred method of being contacted and what does he/she consider timely notification of your absence?  
    • What is the time table to turn in missed assignments and exams/quizzes, if applicable?
  4. ​An attendance accommodation does not allow you to be excused from class for all disability-related absences. Instead, it allows you a reasonable number of disability-related absences. 
  5.  The instructor determines how many absences are reasonable in his/her class based on criteria outlined in the Modification of Course Attendance Guidance (pdf) on the ODA website. The ODA can assist the instructor and student in determining what a reasonable number of absences would be. 
  6. An attendance accommodation does not cover frequent absences or being absent for long periods of time (even if these are disability-related). 
  7. This accommodation may not be permissible where class attendance or participation is considered to be an essential component of the course by the instructor (i.e., in-class group projects, presentations, labs, etc.). Assistance determining with is essential can be provided by the ODA. 
  8. You are responsible to contact your instructor, in the manner specified by the instructor, within the time frame established by you and your instructor during your initial discussion. In case of hospitalization, you should have a designated friend or family member responsible for contacting instructors. If unable to do so, contact ODA for further instruction. 
  9.  If no contact is made with the instructor regarding absences, at his/her discretion, absences may not be covered under this accommodation. 
  10. You are responsible for getting the course material when absent and arranging timely make-up of assignments/exams as previously discussed with the instructor. 
  11. Please use the Modification of Course Attendance Guidance (pdf) Form during your discussion to establish parameters for each course and review full details of this accommodation (which were provided to you initially via email) on the ODA webpage. 

If you have any questions, please contact our office immediately. 

Occasional Extension of Assignment Due Dates (up to 48 hours)

Extension of deadlines as a reasonable accommodation is infrequently used and typically reserved for students that have provided documentation of a disability that is unpredictable, acute, and episodic. Students eligible for this accommodation are expected and encouraged to meet assignment deadlines. However, they may occasionally have periods when they are unable to complete work at a scheduled time, such that some leniency in a late-work policy is reasonable. This accommodation typically applies to short-term assignments (e.g., homework); but in certain circumstances, it can also apply to long-term projects that have been assigned since the beginning of the semester.  Please consult ODA with any questions or concerns. 
 
In an effort to ensure students who have this accommodation understand how this accommodation is provisioned as well as its limitations, you are responsible for understanding the information presented below. 

  1. This accommodation is NOT retroactive and does NOT begin until you and your instructor discuss how this accommodation would work in that class. Therefore, it is vital for you to schedule an appointment with each of your instructors as soon as possible after your accommodation letter has been emailed to your instructors. Contact the ODA if you would like assistance in discussing this accommodation with faculty. 

  1. Requests for extensions must be due to the limitations associated with the documented disability for which you are receiving accommodations. 

  1. Extension of assignment due dates must be established with the instructor. Within two weeks from the date of receiving the letter of accommodation, students must schedule an appointment and meet with the instructor to have a conversation about how occasional extensions on assignments would work in the course. The following topics should be discussed each time a student needs a deadline extension due to a disability related reason: (a) Time frame that student must notify the instructor (e.g., within 24 hours of the missed deadline) and (b) Time frame within the missed deadline to submit the assignment. The accommodation states up to 48 hours. However, the instructor has discretion to adjust. Please contact ODA with questions. 

  1. Students must work closely with their instructors in adjusting deadlines for an assignment. Reasonable use of this accommodation requires active collaboration among students, instructors, and ODA on a case-by-case basis to ensure that the integrity of a course or program is maintained. 

  1. Students are responsible for notifying the instructor of their need to utilize their accommodation in advance of the assignment deadline. However, if the student is unable to inform the instructor due to disability-related reasons, the student should contact the instructor as soon as possible to discuss the possibility of make-up work. 

  1. Accommodations are not retroactive; instructors are not required to honor this accommodation if students notified instructors after the assignment due date has lapsed. 

  1. The student is responsible for completing all assignments and meeting all the core learning objectives and curricular outcomes, as outlined in the course syllabus, within the time period of the semester. 

  1. If at any time, the student believes an instructor is not honoring the terms of the accommodation, the student should contact ODA as soon as possible. ODA will contact the instructor to gather additional information and discuss available options. 

  1. If the student is unable to complete all assignments within the time period of the semester, the student should first visit with their instructor to determine what possibilities exist for additional flexibility, if any. The student or instructor is encouraged to consult with ODA staff. 

  1. In certain instances, extension of assignment deadlines may not be a reasonable accommodation during 3-week or 5-week academic terms. 

  1. Students should not assume this accommodation will automatically be implemented to any late work without discussing it with their instructors first. 

  1. Students are not required to provide a doctor's note when requesting this accommodation from faculty. 

At any point, if you need assistance from the Office of Disability Access staff, please feel free to contact us.