Frequently Asked Questions for Faculty
Based on national trends, faculty should expect about 10 to 15% of students enrolled in their courses to have a disability - not all of these students will have registered with SAEO, and not all students who register with SAEO will choose to share their accommodations with each of their professors.
As faculty, your role is to work with your students and with SAEO to implement the accommodations described in their accommodations letter. Please consult with the student’s case manager should you require support in this, or email saeo@vcu.edu - the below are answers to some of the most common questions we receive from faculty.
If they have not also shared an accommodation letter with you, it is appropriate to ask them if they have registered with SAEO - if they have not, you should refer them to do so in order to receive academic accommodations. You can share the instructions at this link with such students.
You can find the case manager’s signature on the student’s accommodation letter, or you can check our About Us page to check who you would be reaching out to.
Every now and then, our team changes, and we need to re-assign students to new case managers to ensure they continue to receive support. Know that you can always reach us at saeo@vcu.edu, and you will be redirected to the right person to address your question.
You can access the faculty portal in our Accommodate database - instructions are at this link.
There is no deadline for registering with SAEO - in many cases, you will receive accommodation letters part way through the semester because that student has only recently taken the step of engaging in the interactive process to receive them. In some cases, students may delay requesting and/or sharing their letter for other reasons.
Keep in mind that accommodations do not apply retroactively, and begin the moment the letter is shared with you.
Accommodations should be applied as written except in cases where they are not applicable (e.g.: attendance in a course with no attendance policy), or where they would fundamentally alter an essential learning objective of your course.
Should you feel that a student’s approved accommodation fundamentally alters an essential component of your course, you should share this concern with the student and their case manager as soon as possible, so that the group can engage in a deliberative, interactive process to identify an alternative.
SAEO has historically represented between 12 and 14% of students on the Monroe Park Campus - and this number has increased over time. We recognize this number can be a lot of students for some courses. A few possible solutions:
- Create a Canvas page specifically for students with SAEO accommodations that provides instructions on specific accommodations.
- Include specific instructions for students in your syllabus.
- Create an email template that you send out to the student in response to receiving the Accommodation Letter, providing accommodation specific responses.
- Have the students meet with you during your standard office hours (but be sure to maintain confidentiality).
We are happy to provide you with additional support if needed; email saeo@vcu.edu.
Accommodations for attendance, assignment extensions, delayed class arrival, and rescheduling of exams are often provided in cases where students experience unexpected and unpredictable symptoms. It is not uncommon that this can result in a higher level of need than what the accommodations’ standard text accounts for.
Absences, or additional assignment extension, beyond the text of the accommodation are at your discretion. It may at times be appropriate to provide this flexibility, if the student’s needs are higher due to elevated or persistent symptoms, and further absences would not fundamentally alter your course. We encourage you to consult the student’s case manager for guidance in such cases.
We encourage leniency with students in such circumstances - if the impact is expected to be short term, it may be best to refer the students to the Dean of Student Advocacy for support. If the student expects a long-term impact (2 weeks or longer), referring them to SAEO for deliberation on temporary accommodations is appropriate.