Faculty Frequently Asked Questions
The following FAQ's address common questions asked of the Disability Services Associate Director by faculty working with Marquette students with disabilities.
- What is a disability?
- What are major life activities?
- What are substantial limitations?
- Who qualifies as having a disability?
- What is a reasonable accommodation?
- What are academic adjustments?
- When is an accommodation request unreasonable?
- How are accommodations determined at Marquette?
- How are instructors notified about students in their classes?
- What rights do students have in their classes?
- What can instructors expect of their students?
- What about attendance requirements?
- What about homework or research assignment deadline requirements?
- Are students required to receive accommodations in labs?
- How much information about a student’s disability is shared with faculty?
- Who pays for accommodations?
- What if a recommended accommodation from ODS is not appropriate for a
class? - What impact does FERPA have on this process?
- Does academic freedom have an impact on this process?
- Aren’t students with disabilities receiving an unfair advantage if they receive testing accommodations such as additional time? Wouldn’t everyone in the class benefit?
- If a student is eligible for an alternative test format, how is that done? How would a student receive an oral test, for example, in place of an essay exam?
- What if a student is disruptive in class, but has identified a disability? Would an instructor be impinging on that student’s rights? What about the rights of the other students in the class?
- If a student feels that he/she has not been treated fairly, what’s the procedure? What are the rights of the instructor if the complaint is directed at the instructor?
- If a student appeals a grade and states that the reason the grade is in question is because the student believes he/she wasn’t accommodated, what is the proper procedure to resolve this issue?
- What happens if an instructor catches a student engaging in academic dishonesty, and the incident occurs during a test or quiz for which the student receives an accommodation, such as extended time and a separate room? Can the accommodations be suspended?
- What assistance is available to faculty to meet accommodation needs, such as appropriate testing space, proctoring assistance, etc.
- Are there ways instructors can gear their teaching to help students process and retain the information instructors want them to know?
- What can an instructor do when a student will not even try to achieve mediocrity? Can instructors fail students with disabilities?
