Student Accessibility Services

St. John Fisher College is committed to assisting students with documented disabilities who are otherwise qualified for admission to the College, in compliance with Section 504 of the 1973 Federal Rehabilitation Act and Title III of the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA, as amended). Students with documented disabilities (physical, learning, and/or psychological) who may need academic accommodations are advised to refer to the accessibility services information on the Student Accessibility Services website (www.sjfc.edu/student-life/student-accessibility-services/). For additional information, students may call or make an appointment with the coordinator of student accessibility services in the Student Accessibility Services Office, Kearney 300, (585) 385-5252.

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

Requests for accommodations must be made in a timely manner, be supported by appropriate documentation/diagnosis, and be determined reasonable by St. John Fisher College. Students with disabilities must meet the standard academic requirements to be considered for admission and must also attain the same competencies in all courses as all other students. The objective is to accommodate the functional limitations of the student’s disability while maintaining the integrity of the College’s courses and programs. Disability information provided to the College is shared only with College personnel who work together in a cooperative effort to provide reasonable accommodations to students with documented disabilities. Final determination for providing reasonable accommodations rests with St. John Fisher College, based on the relevant documentation/diagnosis information submitted by the student. Academic accommodations at the graduate level vary by academic program.

In the event that a student wishes to appeal a College decision in response to a request for a reasonable accommodation, the student must submit a written appeal to the Center for Career and Academic Planning indicating the basis for the appeal within 20 calendar days of notification of the initial decision. The appeal will be forwarded to the appropriate College officer (the appropriate school dean for academic-related requests; the dean of students for non-academic-related requests). The Center for Career and Academic Planning will forward to the College officer receiving the appeal all documentation and related information submitted to the College in support of the request. The officer hearing the appeal may request additional information from the student, as well as seek expert opinion from sources outside the College. The student must cooperate if the opinion of an additional expert is sought. The officer hearing the appeal will meet with the student to discuss the request and may interview other individuals who have information relevant to the request. After reviewing the documentation and meeting with the student, the officer hearing the appeal may modify or sustain the original decision regarding the request for accommodation. The decision regarding the appeal will be made within 30 calendar days of receipt of the appeal.

Additional information about the College’s policy and procedures for compliance with Section 504 of the 1973 Federal Rehabilitation Act and Title III of the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA, as amended) can be obtained from Student Accessibility Services in Kearney Hall.