Rights and Responsibilites
In compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and the Massachusetts Constitution Amendment 114, students, faculty, and the institution are each entitled to rights and have responsibilities:
Students
Students with disabilities enrolled at Bentley University have the right to:
- equal access to courses, programs, activities, services, and facilities located throughout the University;
- reasonable and appropriate accommodations, modifications, and/or auxiliary aids determined on an individualized bias;
- confidentiality on all information pertaining to his/her disability with the choice of whom to disclose their disability to.
Students with disabilities enrolled at Bentley University have the responsibility to:
- meet the University's qualifications and essential academic and institutional standards;
- identity themselves to Disability Services in a timely manner as an individual with a disability when requesting accommodations
- provide documentation from a qualified professional source who verifies the nature of the disability, functional limitations, and the need for specific accommodations;
- follow specific procedures for obtaining reasonable and appropriate accommodations, modifications, and/or auxiliary aids.
Faculty Members of Bentley University have the right to:
- refuse to acknowledge accommodations of students with disabilities who have not previously met with Disability Services and received accommodation letters;
- discuss with Disability Services any concerns related to accommodations, modifications, and/or auxiliary aids requested by students.
Faculty Members of Bentley University have the responsibility to:
- maintain the academic standards of the University;
- acknowledge reasonable and appropriate accommodations of students with disabilities;
- assure the confidentiality of information regarding students with disabilities;
- discuss with Disability Services any uncertainties concerning policies and procedures with accommodations, modifications, and/or auxiliary aids;
- assure the timely delivery of exams along with all necessary instructions and materials for proper administration, if the student's exam is to be administered by Disability Services.
Bentley University, through Disability Services, has the right to:
- request current documentation from a student completed by a qualified professional to verify the need for reasonable accommodations, modifications, and/or auxiliary aids;
- discuss the student's need for reasonable accommodations, modifications and/or auxiliary aids with the professional source of his/her documentation with the student's signed consent permitting such discussion;
- select among equally effective and appropriate accommodations, modifications, and/or auxiliary aids in consultation with students with disabilities;
- deny a request for accommodations, modifications, and/or auxiliary aids if the documentation does not identify a specific disability, the documentation fails to verify the need for the requested services, or documentation is not provided in a timely manner;
- refuse to provide an accommodation, modification, and/or auxiliary aid that is inappropriate or unreasonable, including: (1) pose a direct threat to the health and safety of others; (2) constitute a substantial change or alteration to an essential element of a course program; or (3) pose undue financial or administrative burden to Bentley University.
Bentley University, through Disability Services, has the responsibility to:
- maintain the academic standards of the University;
- provide information regarding policies and procedures to students with disabilities;
- evaluate students on their abilities, not their disabilities;
- assist students with disabilities who self-identify and meet University criteria for eligibility to receive reasonable and appropriate accommodations, modifications, and/or auxiliary aids;
- provide reasonable and appropriate accommodations, modifications, and/or auxiliary aids for students with disabilities upon a timely request by a student;
- maintain appropriate confidentiality of records and communication concerning students with disabilities expect where disclosure is requested by law or authorized by the student.
Source: Modified from the Center for Students with Disabilities at the University of Connecticut
