Accommodation Guidelines

While Presbyterian College does not have a specific program for students with disabilities, the college makes every effort to provide reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities and to assist those students in obtaining their education. Students requesting reasonable accommodations from Presbyterian College (PC) based on a disability are required to submit appropriate documentation to verify eligibility under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1991 and amended in 2008 (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Fair Housing Act of 1988 (for residential accommodations) and the policies of the PC Academic Success Office.  All students, including those with documented disabilities, must take the required courses for a B.A. or B.S. degree.

The definition of “disability”, according to the ADA, is, with respect to an individual, “a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of such individual; a record of such an impairment; or being regarded as having such an impairment” 56 FR 35694, 35717 (July 26, 1991); 56 FR 35544, 35548 (July 26, 1991).

Major life activities include, but are not limited to: “Caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing, sitting, reaching, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, writing, communicating, interacting with others, and working” 81 FR 53202, § 35.108 Definition of disability (C) (1) (August 11, 2016).

Students with documented learning, physical, sensory, health, or psychiatric disabilities may request reasonable accommodations to ensure equal access to education, housing, meal, and co-curricular activities at Presbyterian College. (Equal access is defined by the U.S. Department of Education as an equal opportunity of a qualified person with a disability to participate in or benefit from educational aid, benefits, or services.).

Reasonable accommodations are those that do not fundamentally alter the nature of an academic course or the institution’s policies, including the required courses for a B.A. or B.S. degree and do not place an undue hardship on the institution. Reasonable accommodations are distinguished from services of a personal nature that PC does not provide. In addition, PC does not provide transportation to any classes or medical offices for any student.

Students who wish to request reasonable accommodations are expected to self-disclose by completing the Accommodations Initial Intake Form and by providing current documentation of their disability. Documentation must not be more than three calendar years old from the student’s initial date of enrollment at Presbyterian College. Students may contact the Academic Success Office about securing accommodations at any time, though most students do so in their first semester of enrollment. Documentation should be directly sent to the Academic Success Office (not the Admissions Office) in advance of arrival to campus. Documentation should be sent to accommodations@presby.edu OR to Presbyterian College, Academic Success Office/Accommodations, 503 S. Broad Street, Clinton, SC 29325.

The Presbyterian College Catalog is available annually to each student. This catalog contains information about required coursework and majors, and it has answers to many questions that an incoming student will need to know when enrolling at the institution. The college also supplies each student with The Garnet Book, a student handbook on rules, regulations, etc. for campus life. Each student should study these publications to become familiar with the academic and student life requirements.

Documentation Requirements

In order to be considered eligible for reasonable accommodations, a student must submit the following to the Academic Success Office:

Accommodations Initial Intake Form »

Documentation (Disability Provider Forms)

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder » Word | PDF
Autism Spectrum Condition/Disorder » Word | PDF
Chronic Medical Condition » Word | PDF
College Housing Documentation Guidelines » Word | PDF
Deaf and Hard of Hearing » Word | PDF
Learning Disability » Word | PDF
Physical Disability » Word | PDF
Psychological » Word | PDF
Visual Impairment » Word | PDF

Federal Law

The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) enforces Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 which states:

“no otherwise qualified handicapped* individual in the United States. . . shall, solely by reason of. . . handicap, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under, any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”

OCR also enforces Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (amended in 2008), which prohibits discrimination of the basis of disability. Postsecondary schools are subject to one or both of these laws.

The College complies with The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974. It is the policy of Presbyterian College to provide for the protection of confidential information contained within student records against improper or illegal disclosure.

Grievance Procedures

In the event that a student who is registered for disability support services encounters a problem regarding reasonable academic accommodations that cannot be resolved with an individual faculty member, he or she should first contact Dr. Jane Warner, jmwarner@presby.edu or 540.391.2995. If not resolved, students should then submit a written appeal to the Dean of Academic Programs. If the student is not satisfied with the decision made by the Dean of Academic Programs, an appeal may be submitted to the Provost.

For Further Questions

Email Accommodations@presby.edu

Presbyterian College
Accommodations
503 S. Broad Street
Clinton, SC 29325

Dr. Jane Warner
Coordinator, Disability Support Services
jmwarner@presby.edu
540.391.2995

Dr. Alicia Askew
Dean of Academic Programs
jaaskew@presby.edu
864.833-8215