Reasonable and Unreasonable Accommodations
A reasonable accommodation includes actions to eliminate or reduce physical or instructional barriers to learning. Accommodations are individualized to a student’s needs, which can include physical accessibility and participation in course activities.
Accommodations are reasonable unless they:
- Alter or remove essential requirements.
- Fundamentally alter the nature of the program.
- Impose undue financial or administrative burden.
- Pose a threat to others.
The determination that an accommodation is unreasonable is an institutional decision that must meet legal and educational requirements. Though the academic judgments involved in such decisions are typically the prerogative of the academic unit involved, those judgments must be made within legal parameters. Therefore, such determinations require collaboration between faculty, the academic department and ODS. Faculty members may not unilaterally determine that an accommodation is unreasonable.
Accommodation Disputes
Faculty can dispute the accommodation if it is felt the accommodation is unreasonable per the definition in “Unreasonable Accommodations” above. If a faculty member is concerned about providing an accommodation, the concern should be raised with ODS promptly preferably before the term begins or by the next business day after receiving an accommodation notice. Please complete the Accommodation Dispute Form and return to ODS.
ODS shall immediately attempt informal resolution of the matter. If informal resolution efforts are unsuccessful, ODS shall notify the student of their right to file a grievance with the University’s Advisory Committee. The Advisory Committee will attempt to resolve the dispute as quickly as possible and within the term in which the issue was raised. Unless there is an appreciable threat to the safety of the student with a disability or others, the student should be allowed to proceed under the proposed accommodation until the matter is resolved. Advisory Committee will comply with the time limits prescribed by Xavier's Discrimination Complaint Procedures.