Managing Your Accommodations Each Semester

  1. Submit a semester request on Accommodate
  2. Reach out to your professor
    • Let your professors know that you want to discuss how the accommodations will work in their class
    • Send them an email, set up a meeting in person or online, or visit them during office hours
    • Scroll down for more guidance and examples of how to start this conversation!
  3. Keep track of how your accommodations will work in each class
    • It is always a good idea to keep track of what plan was decided for each accommodation
    • Send them a follow-up email about what you discussed or keep track of the decisions you both made in the conversation
    • Need implementation tips? Check out the extra information below!
  4. Reach out to us if you need any help!
    1. Need help with your accommodations? Reach out to us directly or complete our Student Support Request form for assistance!

What is a Notification Letter?

  • Notification Letters provide instructors with an official notification of academic accommodations for the semester.
  • Students who are currently eligible for academic accommodations must request Notification Letters each semester by submitting a Semester Request within Accommodate.
  • After sending out a notification letter, students must also set up a meeting or other communication with their instructors to discuss their accommodations before accommodations are implemented.

Please Note: Most housing, dining, and facilities accommodations will continue automatically each semester. However, some accommodations are fluid, and students may meet with our Accessibility Coordinators at any point to reevaluate their needs.

Requesting Notification Letters: FAQ

What are my rights?

Learn about your and your instructor's rights and responsibilities when implementing accommodations in your courses.

Shared Responsibility Statement

Discussing Accommodations with Instructors

Discussing accommodations with instructors can seem challenging at first, but there's no need to worry! We've put together some helpful resources to guide you through the process. Explore the resources below, and feel free to reach out if you have any questions or concerns about implementing accommodations with your instructors.

  • Female student sitting and typing on a laptop

    Starting the Accommodation Conversation

    Learn how to reach out to your instructors to start the discussion of your accommodations and view our email template for outreach.

  • Overhead photo of a desk including a notebook with large block letters saying PLAN, highlighters, glasses, and sticky notes

    Documenting your Implementation Plan

    Make sure you and your instructor are on the same page all semester by documenting the implementation plan with our Accommodation Planning Tool.

  • Student in red talking with instructor in white about accommodations

    Tips for Discussing Accommodations with Instructors

    Use our five tips for discussing accommodation implementation with your instructors to feel confident and well-prepared for your meetings.

Have Exam Accommodations?

Check out these supports for talking with your instructors about options and ensure everything runs smooth on exam day!

How to Submit a Semester Request

Each semester, students must request and specify which accommodations should be communicated to each instructor. This empowers you to control which accommodations are implemented in each course. To get started, please explore the tutorials provided below!

  • Video Tutorial

  • Step-by-Step Guide

Need Help?

Have questions or concerns about implementing your accommodations? Get support from SAS!

Frequently Asked Questions

  • You can submit your semester requests at any time, as long as your courses are listed for the requested semester on Accommodate.
  • SAS starts sending out accommodations for the upcoming semester the week before classes begin and continues throughout the semester. However, accommodations will not be processed after the week before finals, as instructors need time to implement them.
  • Please note that accommodations are not retroactive and will not apply to events that occurred before the accommodations were put in place. Be sure to be proactive!

  • Student Accessibility Services (SAS) will start sending out notification letters one week before the semester begins and will continue sending them as requested until the week before finals.
  • SAS typically reviews accommodation requests within a few days. However, please note that processing times may be longer at the beginning of the semester due to a high volume of requests. 
  • If you have not received an approval email within a few days of submitting your request, please contact us for assistance.

  • After your semester request is approved and Notification Letters are sent to your instructors, you must reach out and discuss the implementation of your accommodation before they will begin.
  • After receiving the Notification Letter and discussing the accommodation with you, instructors have one week to start implementing the accommodations or to contact SAS if there's an issue or concern with implementation.
  • Be proactive in sending out your accommodations and meeting with your instructors to ensure you're accommodated as needed.
    • For example, if you submit your request the week of an exam, there is not enough time for the instructor to prepare and implement the accommodations for that exam. You will likely not receive the accommodation for that week's exam; however, accommodations can now be in place for future exams.

  • If you change your courses or sections after submitting a request, you'll need to submit a new request for the updated courses.
    • Please note that changes to your class schedule may not be reflected in Accommodate until the following day.
  • If your courses aren't appearing correctly but you believe they should be, please reach out to our office for assistance!

  • If you decide later that you want an accommodation sent to a class you previously unchecked, you can submit a new request.
    • Simply create a new semester request and select only the specific accommodation you wish to update.
  • Make sure to reach back out to your instructor to discuss this additional accommodation and how it will be implemented in the course.