Students' Rights and Responsibilities

Rights and Responsibilities

Oregon State University is committed to student success; however, we do not require students to use accommodations nor will we provide them unless they are requested by the student. The student, as a legal and social adult, is responsible to request appropriate accommodations. The student must take the lead in applying to Disability Access Services (DAS) and submitting requests for accommodations each term. Application forms and requesting accommodations are available at http://ds.oregonstate.edu/home/start.php. Students are expected to work in concert with DAS to specify, arrange, and follow through on accommodations. Should problems occur, students should alert DAS in a timely fashion so that together we can address them.

The Rehabilitation Act and the ADA require that no qualified person shall, solely by reason of disability, be denied access to, participation in, or the benefits of, any program or activity operated by the University. Each qualified person shall receive the reasonable accommodations needed to ensure equal access to employment, educational opportunities programs, and activities in the most integrated setting.

Students with disabilities have the right to:

1. An equal opportunity to learn. If the location, delivery system, or instructional methodology limits your access, participation, or ability to benefit, you have a right to reasonable alterations in those aspects of the course (or program) to accommodate your disability, as long as it does not fundamentally alter the nature of the program or activity, lower academic standards, present an undue financial or administrative burden on the university, or pose a threat to personal or public safety.
2. You have a right to an equal opportunity to participate in and benefit from the academic community. This includes access to services, extra-curricular activities, housing, and transportation at a comparable level as that provided to any student.

Students with disabilities shall be responsible for:

1. Submitting appropriate documentation of a disability from an appropriate professional prior to receiving requested accommodations.
2. Providing documentation that demonstrates how the disability affects a particular delivery system, instructional method, or evaluation criteria when requesting accommodations.
3. Meeting and maintaining the University's fundamental academic and technical standards.
4. Identifying themselves as needing accommodations in a timely fashion to the Disability Access Services department (DAS). In addition to registering with the DAS office, students with disabilities must register the CRN numbers of their classes online, early enough for the DAS office to arrange accommodations. The guideline below states the minimum amount of notice our office needs to arrange accommodations.
5. Meeting with their professors and other service providers to discuss accommodations. Information about the disability is confidential. Anonymity is not guaranteed.
6. Notifying DAS of any issues, concerns or delays in receiving requested accommodations.

Personal Services

The law does not require that colleges and universities provide "personal services" to students with disabilities. Students can contact DAS for referrals to resources that are available to all students, or available within the community (campus tutoring resources, university shuttle, dial-a-bus, etc). Below are some examples of common personal services:

1. Tutoring
2. Personal care attendant
3. Personally prescribed medical devices (eye glasses, wheelchairs, hearing aids, etc.)
4. Personal transportation (OSU shuttle system which serves the campus, is wheelchair accessible and operates on a fixed route.)
5. Personal assistance to transport books or other personal items