Students
Accommodation Information
- Academic Accommodations
- Housing & Dining Accommodations
- Requesting Accommodations
- Documentation Guidelines
- Testing Accommodation Center (TAC)
Academic Accommodations
Academic Accommodations
Students who have a documented, verifiable medical/physical, psychological, and/or learning disability may request reasonable and appropriate academic accommodations. Examples of commonly requested accommodations are listed below. Barriers to academic inclusion are specific to each student and consideration of the most appropriate accommodations will be determined through interactive discussion on a case-by-case basis. All accommodations must be approved by the Office of Disability Services.
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Exam Accommodations
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Note-Taking
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Accessible Media
See the "Requesting Accommodations" section below for details on how to initiate a request for accommodations.
Housing & Dining Accommodations
Housing & Dining Accommodations
Students who have a qualifying disability with sufficient supporting documentation can apply for housing and/or dining accommodations. All accommodations must be approved by the Office of Disability Services.
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Specific roommate and building assignments are not considered reasonable accommodations and may not be accommodated. These requests should be directed to Residence Life.
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Dining Accommodations: Alternative dietary options to accommodate food allergies and intolerances are available in the Bruce Lindsay Cafe. To inquire about available items that best suit your dietary needs please contact the Cafe general manager, Katy Cvitanich at katy.cvitanich@cafebonappetit.com.
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For more information regarding general housing policies and deadlines please visit Residence Life.
See the "Requesting Accommodations" section below for details on how to initiate a housing & dining accommodation request.
For more information about housing and dining on campus please visit the links below.
| Campus Dining | Residence Life |
Requesting Accommodations
Request Academic Accommodations
To apply for academic accommodations:
- Email documentation of disability to disabilityservices@vanguard.edu. Documentation may be provided by your healthcare professional as long as it meets the criteria listed in the 'Documentation Guidelines' section of this page or you may use our Disability Documentation Form (see below) to collect the necessary information from your provider.
- Disability Services reviews the submission and contacts student via email. If documentation is sufficient, the student will be asked to schedule an intake appointment. If documentation does not meet the requirements, the student will be asked to obtain supplemental documentation.
- Upon approval of documentation, you will receive a link via email to schedule an appointment to meet with a Disability Services staff member.
- Attend your scheduled meeting.
Request Housing/Dining Accommodations
Incoming freshmen and transfer students should submit housing accommodation requests as soon as possible after committing to Vanguard and making a housing deposit. Housing accommodation appointments for returning students are held in March for the following academic year. All requests for returning students should be completed at that time. Incoming freshman and transfer requests must be submitted by June 1st. Requests for accommodations submitted after established deadlines are subject to availability and may be placed on a waitlist.
To apply for a housing/dining accommodation:
- Email documentation of disability and the completed Housing Accommodation Request Form to disabilityservices@vanguard.edu.
- Disability Services will review the submission. The student will be notified via email if the request is approved/denied, or if additional documentation is needed. If a meeting with the student is needed, the student will be asked to schedule an appointment.
- Approved accommodations will be forwarded to Housing for appropriate room placement. Accommodation requests submitted after the the deadline will be subject to availability and may be placed on a waitlist.
Documentation Guidelines
General Documentation Guidelines
Below are general requirements for documentation of disability. Please refer to the tabbed items below for additional, more specific requirements by diagnosis type.
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Based on an evaluation by a healthcare or mental health professional currently licensed by the state to diagnose medical, psychological, and/or learning disorders.
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Documentation from student interns or clinicians under supervision must be co-signed by a qualified and appropriately licensed supervisor. The supervisor must list his/her license number.
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The clinician submitting the documentation may not be a family member or relative of the student.
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Is based upon a clinical evaluation thorough enough to objectively establish the need for accommodations and/or services.
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Printed on professional letterhead, dated, and signed by the evaluator; The license number and contact information of the clinician should be included. Notes written on prescription pads are not considered valid.
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A copy of the student's signed release of information form should accompany any reports sent directly from clinicians.
Psychological
- Provided by a clinician who is qualified and appropriately licensed to diagnose and treat psychological disorders (e.g. psychologist, psychiatrist, or marriage and family therapist)
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Evaluative methods used to establish the diagnosis should be indicated
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Test scores from measures of cognitive, neuropsychological, and academic functioning should be provided, if administered
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Clear diagnosis consistent with established clinical criteria including present symptoms and degree of impairment
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Description of how the condition impacts the student in an educational environment, including academic, personal, and interpersonal functioning
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Recommend accommodations that logically relate to the diagnosis and associated symptoms
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Prognosis for improvement and timeline for reevaluation; Due to the often transient nature of psychological conditions, annual reevaluations or evidence of ongoing treatment are generally required by the Office of Disability Services.
Learning
- Any and all recent documentation of the learning disability completed within the last three (3) years
- Based on an evaluation from a professional specialist qualified to diagnose learning disabilities (e.g. licensed physician, psychiatrist, educational psychologist)
- The evaluation must minimally include the administration of a measure of intellectual ability and a measure of academic achievement
- A written evaluation report that states:
- All tests administered
- All test scores including I.Q. scores, factor scores, and subtest scores; Classification ranges associated with the scores should be present (i.e. mild/moderate/severe)
- Diagnosis based upon established clinical criteria
- How the individual’s learning processes are affected
- Addresses the validity of the evaluation and its findings
- Recommendations for accommodations; The test findings should provide a logical rationale for the recommended accommodations.
Medical/Physical
- Provided by a healthcare professional qualified and appropriately licensed to diagnose and treat physical and medical disorders
- Diagnosis of a physical or medical condition consistent with established clinical criteria
- Functional impact that the condition has upon the person in an academic environment (e.g. attendance, stamina, mobility)
- Nature and course of the condition
- Recommendations for accommodations that logically flow from the person’s condition and associated impairments
- Information regarding the need for a reevaluation
- Recency of documentation needed will vary based on the diagnosis
Testing Accommodation Center (TAC)
The Testing Accommodation Center (TAC) is available for students who have been approved for testing accommodations by Disability Services. Testing services are only available to students with approved accommodations for courses taken at Vanguard University. Disability Services does not offer proctoring for make-up exams or for courses taken at other institutions.
Exam appointments are available Monday-Thursday from 8:00am-3:00pm and Friday from 8:00am-11:30am during fall and spring semesters. Appointments will be arranged on an as-needed basis during summer sessions. Appointments should be scheduled at least four full days in advance. Exams are to be scheduled at the same date and time that the exam is administered to the class whenever possible. Evening courses will be administered during regular proctoring hours and must be arranged in advance with Disability Services on a case by case basis.
Disability Services Forms
Disability Documentation Form
Housing/Dining Info & Request Form
