Accommodations and Support
STUDENT HANDBOOK: Academics - Accommodations and Support
Bennington College provides reasonable accommodations to otherwise qualified students with documented disabilities when such accommodations are requested and necessary to ensure equal access to College programs and facilities. This is in compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act of 2008 and similar state laws. A “disability” is a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits a major life activity, such as caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating, and working, or other activities as defined by law.
Bennington College does not offer programs or courses specifically designed for students with disabilities. However, in addition to reasonable accommodations, the College offers all students a variety of support services such as peer writing and math tutors, faculty advising, academic advising, and health and counseling and psychological services. These services, along with Bennington’s small classes, easily accessible faculty, and an individualized approach to education, create an environment where students thrive and learn to take increasing responsibility for their own education, their own work, and their own lives
Requesting Accommodations
All students with disabilities seeking academic accommodations are encouraged to work with the Director of Student Accessibility Services to request reasonable accommodations and discuss the various supports available. However, the disclosure of a disability and a request for accommodations is an individual choice and one that the College can encourage but not require.
Requests for accommodation can be made at any time; however, the process may take up to 90 days to complete. In order for accommodations to be approved prior to the start of the term, completed forms and documentation must be submitted by June 1 for fall term and January 15 for spring term (these dates vary for Master of Fine Arts programs). Requests made after the deadlines or during the term will be reviewed and determined as quickly as possible. As housing assignments are for the full academic year, accommodation requests made after the June 1 deadline may be more difficult to fulfill.
Once a request for accommodation is submitted, students are expected to work cooperatively with the Director of Student Accessibility Services to determine appropriate accommodations. The Director of Student Accessibility Services will engage in ongoing dialogue with students, faculty, and staff to determine, provide, and arrange for reasonable accommodations, which are reviewed and approved on a case-by-case basis.
Once accommodations have been approved, students will receive confirmation in writing. Students are responsible for communicating with faculty and staff about approved accommodations and working with them to make necessary arrangements for accommodations. Students are also responsible for communicating with faculty and the Director of Student Accessibility Services about the effectiveness and delivery of the approved accommodations.
Accommodations are not retroactive; accommodation requests granted after the beginning of a term will not apply to previous coursework for that term or previous terms. The Director of Student Accessibility Services will work with students to ensure access to approved accommodations following appropriate review and will assess the efficacy of the accommodations provided.
Providing Documentation
Accommodation requests must be as specific as possible and must be accompanied by documentation of the disability from a healthcare provider or other treating professional. Students are encouraged to share relevant reports or testing (e.g., a copy of a psychoeducational evaluation) to document the need for the requested accommodation.
Grievance Policy for Students with Disabilities
Students who think they have been denied equal access to the College’s academic programs, resources, or other services because of a disability may file a detailed written grievance with the Dean of Studies as soon as possible, but no more than 60 days after, the alleged discrimination occurred. In order to establish the basis for such a grievance, students must have filed a Disability Accommodation Request Form and supporting documentation and discussed their request with the Director of Student Accessibility Services. The College encourages students to first speak with the Director of Student Accessibility Services in order to resolve their complaints informally. If informal steps do not satisfactorily address the complaints or there is a complaint about the Director of Student Accessibility Services, students may file the written grievance described above to the Dean of Studies, who serves as the College’s Section 504 Coordinator. The Dean of Studies will investigate the complaint and issue a finding, normally within 30 days.
- Noelle Murphy, Dean of Studies (802) 440-4664
Appeals Process
Students who are not satisfied with the Dean of Studies’s decision may file an appeal by contacting the Provost or designee. Appeals must be submitted within 7 business days of receipt of the Dean of Studies’s decision. The Provost or designee may affirm or modify previous decisions made and/or may send the matter back for reconsideration by the Dean of Studies. The Provost or designee will communicate a final decision to the student in writing.