Accommodations for Students with Special Needs

Alvernia University understands and follows the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Anyone covered by the ADA who has specific needs will receive reasonable accommodations.

Get help with disability services

The Office of Accessibility Services is located in Bernardine Hall, Room 105C. Our Accessibility Services Director, Andrea Swift, can be reached at accessibility.services@alvernia.edu or 610-568-1499. The fax number is 484-335-4486.

Appeal or Grievance Procedures

Institutions of higher education have the obligation to make informed decisions about accommodations. These decisions may not always coincide with recommendations from outside professionals or with prior Individualized Educational Programs (IEPs) and 504 Plans.

Students who do not agree with the accommodation decisions of the Office of Accessibility Services should follow the process outlined below.

A student who disagrees with the appropriateness of a decision regarding accommodations should speak first with the Office of Accessibility Services Director Andrea Swift to resolve the issue. 

If a satisfactory resolution still cannot be reached, the student has two options. For academic accommodations, written appeals should be sent to the Chief Academic Officer, Interim Provost Mary Ellen Wells. For non-academic accommodations related to medical and physiological disabilities, including campus access (residential, classroom, social and athletic) written appeals should be sent to the Senior Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs, Mary-Alice Ozechoski.

If the provost or senior vice president for enrollment management and student affairs (as appropriate) feels the decision settled upon by the Office of Accessibility Services Director was reached according to ADA guidelines, written notification of the decision will be issued to the student and kept in the student’s file in the Accessibility Services Office.

 

Frequently Asked Questions 

Who is responsible for facilitating accommodations at Alvernia? 

At the college level, responsibility for facilitating any accommodations rests with the student, who must provide the appropriate documentation outlining a diagnosis and request for accommodations. Your IEP from high school does not follow you.

What kinds of accommodations can Alvernia provide?

Reasonable services and accommodations include, but are not limited to, extended time for testing and assignments, testing in a sequestered site outside the classroom, use of tape recorders and preferential seating in the classroom.

I think I might qualify for disability services, but I'm not sure. What do I do?

Contact the Director of Accessibility Services prior to the start of the semester and submit a request for accommodations and a copy of your IEP and/or 504 and/or professional evaluation.  You will be notified if further documentation is required.

When should students request accommodations? 

You should request accommodations prior to the start of your first semester on campus. For returning students, request should be made at the start of the semester. Students qualifying for accommodations must see Andrea Swift to request that letters for instructors are generated. Letters will be given to the student in person at the beginning of each semester. It is the student's responsibility to distribute these letters to each instructor.

Receiving information regarding any physical concerns in a timely manner is important as accessibility arrangements can take some time. Please contact Andrea Swift as soon as possible if there are any mobility or other issues of a physical nature. Official documentation will be needed to establish and maintain any accommodations.

Please be advised that it takes time to review documentation. It may take a week or more between the submission of documents and the start of accommodations. Accommodations are never retroactive.  Please plan accordingly.

What type of documents must the student submit?

The application to request campus accommodations can be found via the Alvernia Student Health Portal.

  • Applications can only be submitted by students who have been accepted to Alvernia University and committed to attend. You will need your student ID and Password to log into the portal.
  • An authorization for release of information form must be completed and signed electronically. This form can be found at the end of your online application.
  • Your application MUST include official documentation of your disability. Please refer to the next drop-down tab on documentation requirements.
What are the requirements for Official Documentation? 

Official documentation should:

  • Be current — i.e., completed within the last 5 years for LD, last 6 months for psychiatric disabilities, or last 3 years for ADHD and all other disabilities (NOTE: this requirement does not apply to physical or sensory disabilities of a permanent or unchanging nature)
  • Identify a diagnosis
  • Describe the current academic, emotional or health function, as appropriate
  • Describe the functional limitations
  • Include suggested educational recommendations justified by assessments
  • Be supported by complete relevant educational, developmental and medical histories
  • Include the names and scores of testing assessments used to make specific determinations
  • Be prepared by a qualified professional in the appropriate field of concern, who is not a family member of the student
  • Be typed, signed, and on official letterhead

Records supporting the use of services in high schools or other institutions are helpful in assisting Alvernia staff, although reports such as IEPs, SOPs and letters from disability service providers at other colleges are not, in themselves, automatically considered sufficient to meet this documentation request. Alvernia professional staff reserves the right to request additional information to determine appropriate services or eligibility, if necessary

Who has access to my documentation once I submit it? 

Documentation is maintained in a secure file accessible only by the Office of Accessibility Services. Documentation is not shared with others. If requested, general information about the student’s accommodations may be discussed on a need-to-know basis with faculty or administrative professionals.

The Office of Accessibility Services is committed to maintaining utmost discretion in matters involving students’ disabilities and related matters. Pertinent information related to records may be shared with university personnel only when deemed necessary and appropriate to facilitate the student’s access to programs and services. Requests to share information with persons acting in roles external to the university will be considered only with prior written approval by the student. Files are usually maintained for five years beyond a student’s last registration with the Office of Accessibility, after which they are destroyed.

 

Contact Accessibility Services:

Andrea Swift Ed. D.

Director, Office of Accessibility Services

Bernardine Hall Room 105A

Phone: 610-568-1499

Fax: 484-335-4486

accessibility.services@alvernia.edu 

Current Students