| Title: | Policy on Academic Adjustments for General Education Competencies: Quantitative Reasoning And/Or Second Language |
|---|---|
| Policy Owner: | University Senate |
| Applies to: | Undergraduate Students |
| Campus Applicability: | All Undergraduate Programs at all Campuses |
| Effective Date: | December 2006 |
| For More Information, Contact: | Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD) |
| Contact Information: | (860) 486-2020 |
| Official Website: | https://csd.uconn.edu/accommodations/academic-adjustments/ |
PURPOSE
The University Senate enacted General Education requirements to ensure that all University of Connecticut undergraduate students become articulate and acquire intellectual breadth and versatility, critical judgment, moral sensitivity, awareness of their era and society, consciousness of the diversity of human culture and experience, and a working understanding of the processes by which they can continue to acquire and use knowledge. A critical element of General Education is demonstrated competency in four fundamental areas –information literacy, quantitative skills, second language proficiency, and writing. The development of these competencies involves two thresholds: establishing entry-level expectations and meeting graduation expectations. In cases involving a significant disability, the graduation expectations for the quantitative skills and/or second language competency may be a barrier to degree completion. The University has established a policy for considering academic adjustments to the University General Education Requirements and individual school/college requirements in an effort to respond to the extraordinary circumstances of students while maintaining academic integrity. In all cases, justification of an academic adjustment requires evidence of the disability’s impact upon the student’s ability to learn the course material.
POLICY STATEMENT
The vast majority of students who experience difficulty in fulfilling the Quantitative Reasoning and/or Second Language Competency will experience success by employing any number of academic support and/or advising strategies. Academic adjustments are only considered for students with disabilities whose documentation and/or educational history provide compelling evidence of an inability to complete graduation expectations so that an academic adjustment is warranted. Each academic adjustment will be based on an individualized, case-by-case assessment and should not compromise the academic integrity of the requirements for a specific major or degree. Academic adjustments may include an exception to an academic rule, such as allowing a student to complete a required course(s) on a pass/fail basis or substituting an alternative course(s) for a required course(s).
The following rules will apply:
- If quantitative or second language competency is deemed an essential element of a program or
course of study, then a substitution is not permitted. The question of “essential element” will be
decided by the Dean or designee of each school or college. - Academic adjustments will not reduce the number of courses/credits required to complete General
Education requirements. Waivers of General Education requirements are never granted. - If the student changes his or her school or college of enrollment, academic adjustments will be
reviewed by the appropriate Dean’s office in the new school or college of enrollment. - Academic adjustments will be subject to the eight-year rule.
Students who plan to continue their studies beyond the baccalaureate degree should be advised that approved adjustments may not meet the requirements for admission to a graduate/professional school (e.g., law, medicine, etc.).
Students requesting a course substitution based on disability should contact the Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD) and register through MyAccess. The CSD will review the student’s request and supporting documentation about the nature of and functional limitations imposed by the disability. if the student qualifies as a student with a disability, the CSD will then engage with them to determine if a substitution is warranted, using a deliberative, iterative process to establish appropriate academic adjustments on an individualized, case-by-case, course-by-course basis. The CSD will also engage with the Dean or designee from their school or college to determine if the requirements under consideration are deemed to be an essential part of the student’s program or course of study. As noted above, if this is the case, a substitution is not permitted. If a substitution is deemed appropriate, the CSD Disability Service Professional (DSP) will notify the student and the Dean or designee from their school or college to discuss appropriate course alternatives. The Dean or designee will be responsible for determining which course(s) will fulfill the degree requirement. The CSD will also notify the Registrar and the Provost of the adjustment at the end of each semester.
At the end of each academic year, the AAC will submit a report on its activities to GEOC. The report will contain the number of cases reviewed in each category, and the outcome of each review.
PROCEDURES
Please visit the Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD) website at https://csd.uconn.edu/accommodations/academic-adjustments/ for the procedure to request an academic adjustment.
POLICY HISTORY
Effective: December 11, 2006
Revisions proposed by the Senate Curricula and Courses Committee October 2017 and Senate Scholastic Standards Committee November 2017 [Approved by the University Senate December 2017]; Revisions proposed by the Senate Scholastic Standards Committee December 2021 and by the Senate Curricula and Courses Committee January 2022 [Approved by University Senate February 7, 2022]