VCU is committed to ensuring equal access and providing reasonable and appropriate accommodations for students with a disability, medical/chronic health condition, and/or mental health concerns. We create inclusive and accessible learning opportunities and facilitate academic success through innovative services and programs in partnership with faculty, staff, and students at VCU.
SAEO considers all requests for accommodations through an individualized and interactive process. We will review requests for support anytime during a student’s time at VCU, however, we recommended that students begin the process prior to the start of a semester to ensure any needed accommodations can be in place.
All students seeking accommodation or disability-related support for programs based on the Monroe Park Campus (including pre-Nursing and pre-Health) should follow the registration process with SAEO detailed below. Students enrolled in VCU Health Sciences schools (College of Health Professions, Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, and Pharmacy) should contact The Division for Academic Success.
Connecting with SAEO
How do I share information about my disability/impairment and request support?
You have come to the right place! You can contact the SAEO office to speak with someone anytime. In order to formally receive accommodations or support, a student (as opposed to a parent or professional) should start by completing our intake form. The intake form provides students an opportunity to describe their disability, educational history, and needs in their own words. There is no official deadline for registering and students may start this process at any time. Please note, however, that accommodations are typically not implemented retroactively, so the sooner you connect with us, the sooner we can work together.
Am I required to provide documentation of a disability, medical/chronic health condition, and/or mental health concern?
We acknowledge that documentation may be time-consuming, expensive, or otherwise difficult to acquire, and it should not serve as a barrier to accessing our office. We also understand that extensive supporting records may not be available to you for a variety of reasons. While documentation is always helpful and occasionally necessary in understanding how best to provide support, if you do not currently have documentation to provide, you can still connect with us!
If you choose to provide supporting documentation, or if it is determined that your specific request(s) require it, please visit our Documentation Guidelines for information on what we would be looking for. You can submit your documentation as part of your intake form, upload it to your Accommodate profile, or send it via email, fax, mail, and in-person.
What happens once I complete an intake form and share any additional information related to the support I am seeking?
Once we receive your intake form and any supporting documentation you may provide, a staff member at SAEO will reach out to discuss the next steps. In many cases, this will involve scheduling an initial intake meeting with an assigned Access Specialist/Case Manager. Intake meetings are a chance for students to further clarify their needs and concerns, as well as familiarize themselves with the SAEO staff, procedures, and facility. Students can expect these meetings to be an open and interactive dialogue.
Intake meetings also serve as an opportunity to discuss student rights and responsibilities, as well as SAEO procedures. Intake meetings are typically held in person but may also take place virtually, last 30-60 minutes, and are scheduled during regular business hours. These meetings generally result in a student having a formal accommodation and support plan.
Who will be my case manager if I register with SAEO?
SAEO Case Managers sometimes referred to as Access Specialists, are each assigned unique caseloads. These are mostly dictated alphabetically by a student’s last name, although there are some exceptions. For the most up-to-date information on how to tell who your case manager is, check out our staff page!