Mission Statement
The Office of Student Disability Services envisions a University community who values and accepts all members of the student population by providing a campus environment that is structurally, culturally, and curricularly accessible to all.
In conjunction with the University’s core values and overall mission, the purpose of the Office of Student Disability Services (OSDS) is to ensure equitable access for all students and to both recognize and appreciate disability as a respected feature of diversity and inclusivity.
In a direct effort to fulfill its purpose, the OSDS:
- Provides individualized services and facilitates adjustments to students with disabilities;
- Collaborates with both campuswide and community-based partners to develop a welcoming and inclusive campus that is structurally, culturally, and curricularly accessible to all students; and
- Provides institution-wide consultation, guidance, and training on disability-related subject matter including legal and regulatory compliance and accessibility to promote a campus community who values diverse learning styles and other disabilities.
The Office of Student Disability Services (OSDS) located in 101A Lathrop Hall, is committed to providing students with disabilities equal opportunities to benefit from all services, programs, and activities. OSDS at Colgate University uses a web-based software system called Accommodate to service students with academic adjustments. Access to this system is available to all students who are registered with our office as well as to all faculty members on campus.
Academic Adjustments/Accommodations Process
- Students seeking adjustments/accommodations and services must register through the OSDS.
- Adjustment plans are active for one semester only; each semester the student’s plan is reviewed and reissued if appropriate.
- Disclosure of a disability and providing documentation supportive of the disabling condition is the student’s sole responsibility.
- The exact nature of one’s disability is kept confidential, and the necessary paperwork is processed by the OSDS via Accommodate, a software portal used to electronically process academic adjustment/accommodation requests.
- Although we utilize an electronic portal for processing academic adjustment/accommodation requests, the student must ensure receipt of their own adjustment plan to instructors and other necessary personnel.
- Many students find disclosure useful in pursuit of their academic, social, and/or personal goals at Colgate.
- Individuals may also grant permission to the OSDS to discuss the nature of their disability with others in pursuit of these goals.
Request Academic Adjustments/Accommodations
Accommodate access for incoming or current students who have not yet registered with our office but would like to request academic adjustments/accommodations, please complete an adjustment/accommodation request:
Academic Adjustment/Accommodation Request
Providing Documentation
Depending on the nature of their condition, students are asked to provide sufficient and complete documentation from their medical provider, psychologist, former academic institution, and/or other appropriate professionals.
Documentation must:
- clearly identify the individual’s disability
- how the disability impacts the academic environment provided by Colgate
- include recommendations for appropriate and reasonable adjustments/accommodations.
Request Review and Consultation
Once the documentation has been reviewed by the OSDS, an appointment will be scheduled to discuss the request for adjustments/accommodations. Determination of appropriate and reasonable adjustments/accommodations will be made using input from the student, documentation provided by the student, and with consideration of the courses in which the student is enrolled.
Log in to Accommodate
Accommodate access for faculty and current students who are registered with our office:
Accommodate simplifies the way we review and process your academic adjustments, and allows students registered through the OSDS to access their academic adjustment plan, make online requests related to their adjustments, and much more!
As we develop Accommodate, more services will become available. Faculty will also have access to Accommodate, but their access will be limited to adjustments only. Specifically, faculty members will receive notice that a student has been approved for adjustments and will utilize the Accommodate portal to access the student’s issued adjustments through the OSDS. Faculty will not have access to confidential student records.