Disability Resource Center

Academic Accomodations Questions

Who determines what “reasonable accommodations” I will get? Will I automatically receive all the same services I received in high school?
The staff of Disability Resource Center determines what reasonable accommodations you will receive. Though your preferences will be taken into account they will not be automatically granted and the university reserves the right of final decision. You are not required to receive all of the same services you may have gotten in high school though that information will be taken into account when determining a service plan.

Because of my disability I need Testing Accommodations for exams given in classes. How does that work?
Testing accommodations are discussed and approved during the initial interview when you register with the office. At that time, procedures are discussed, such as timeliness of request for space, how you notify the professor, etc. We have a complete description of the testing program on our main web site.

I had a foreign language exemption in High School. Will I have to take a foreign language at the University at Albany?
The University at Albany undergraduate bulletin states that the basic proficiency in the understanding and use of an ancient or modern language other than English is required for graduation. This is demonstrated by:

• The satisfactory completion of foreign language study or its equivalent as stated in the current bulletin
• Passing a Regents "Checkpoint B" Examination or a Regents-approved equivalent with a score of 85 or above
• Demonstration of competency in a language other than English, including languages not currently offered for formal instruction at this university
• Satisfactory completion of at least one college semester in a study abroad program in a country where English is not the primary language of instruction.

If you wish to attend the University at Albany, and would like to have a foreign language waiver/course substitution considered, you will need to have current documentation that supports that request. The fact that you have a foreign language exemption during high school is not sufficient documentation, as some schools routinely wave foreign language requirements for a student classified with a learning disability, regardless of the area of the disability. Any deviation from the University's required course of study needs to be backed with documentation that directly addresses that deviation. Your documentation will need to directly address language acquisition, auditory discrimination, auditory processing or other areas that deal with learning a foreign language. The documentation will need to directly address the test results and the impact the measured deficit that will have on your ability to meet a foreign language requirement. Once appropriate documentation is on file, you, the student, are responsible for requesting a course substitution from the Vice Provost of Undergraduate Studies. The Disability Resource Center will supply you with a letter stating that you have documentation on file to support the substitution. Once you have the letter and the request on file with the Vice Provost of Undergraduate Studies. The Vice Provost then makes a formal request to the Registrar to allow the course substitution to fulfill the foreign language requirement.

There have been many students that had a foreign language exemption in High School, who chose to take a foreign language at the University and successfully completed the requirement.

Can American Sign Language fulfill the language requirement?
The University at Albany does not offer American Sign Language as an option to fulfill the foreign language requirement. There may be circumstances under which you would be allowed to use/substitute American Sign Language to fulfill the foreign language requirement. A request for substituting American Sign language for the foreign language requirement would need to be filed with the Dean of Undergraduate Studies Office. Each case/request is evaluated on an individual basis, and if warranted and approved by the Dean of Undergraduate Studies and the Registrar, then American sign language may be substituted.

My disability is in mathematics. Do I have to meet the math requirement?
The math requirement is part of the general studies requirement for graduation. A student that has completed math through the equivalent of Math III and passed the Regents exam with a score of 85 is considered to have met this requirement. A student can also take an equivalent course at another college, community college or university and transfer in the course, provided they receive at least a "C" in the course and the course meets the University at Albany’s requirements and approval within the students course of study.

If student is requesting a waiver or course substitution for the math requirement, documentation directly addressing the ability/inability to learn math will need to be supplied. A course will be sought that meets the thought process of the math requirement for the program you have declared as your major, and if approved be used as a course substitution to meet the requirement. IF the department feels the math requirement for their program is an essential element of the program of study, a substitution will more than likely be refused. The student then must decide whether to change their major or discover a way to complete the math requirement.

Once documentation is on file, you, the student, are responsible for requesting a course substitution from the Dean of Undergraduate Studies. The Dean has to make a formal request to the Registrar to allow the course substitution to fulfill the mathematics requirement. The Disability Resource Center can supply you with a letter stating that you have documentation on file to support the substitution.

Do students with Learning Disabilities and/or ADHD or other Disabilities take the same classes as other students?
Yes. Students, with disabilities, must complete the same requirements as any other student at the University. Any exceptions to the core requirements, as required by the Board of Regents, are reviewed on an individual basis and must be supported with appropriate documentation. The decision to waive or substitute other courses for required courses is not made lightly and is not made by the Disability Resource Center. The Disability Resource Center can make a recommendation for a course substitution or waiver to the Dean of Undergraduate Studies.