In accordance with federal & state law, and University policy, students with documented disabilities may be entitled to reasonable academic accommodations and services. Providing reasonable accommodation(s) is a shared responsibility amongst all UCD campus faculty and staff. Reasonable accommodations apply to all areas of the University’s programs and activities.
Students with eligible disabilities are responsible for initiating contact with the Student Disability Center (SDC) to engage in an interactive process to determine eligibility for services. If a student discloses a disability, please refer them to the SDC. Once eligibility and services have been established, students may request accommodation via the Student Portal located on the SDC website. Letters of Accommodation (LOA) are generated electronically and available to instructors.
When a student makes a request for an LOA, instructors are sent a university email and directed to access the document through the Faculty Portal. Once received, the instructor and their department are responsible for providing most testing and other in-class accommodations as specified in the LOA. If there are any questions or concerns about the accommodations, the instructor should consult with the SDC Specialist as soon as possible and should not address accommodations concerns directly with students. Instructors must not disclose or comment upon a student’s disability or accommodation in the classroom or elsewhere except as necessary to implement an accommodation.
In the event an instructor believes an accommodation(s) and/or academic adjustments may result in a fundamental alteration of the course or academic program, please contact the SDC. For more information about fundamental alteration, see Ethics, Compliance, & Audit Services.
We encourage students to request their accommodations as early in the quarter as possible. Please be aware that becoming eligible for academic accommodations and services is a fluid process. A student may become eligible at any time during the academic year
For more information, we encourage you to read UCOP Academic Accommodations Briefing for Faculty.