Faculty Resources & FAQs

 

Evergreen Valley College is committed to creating a teaching and learning environment that facilitates equal access to educational and academic opportunities for all students.

  1. Faculty are required by law* to provide approved reasonable accommodation per the student with disability's individualized Academic Accommodation Plan (AAP). 
    Faculty are required to provide a reasonable accommodation when the student has an educational limitation that affects their ability to acquire information or to demonstrate knowledge of the course material in a standard way due to a disability. Compliance does not require lowering or substantially modifying academic or program standards, or fundamentally altering the integrity of a program or course curriculum.  Please consult with the Disabilities Support Program (DSP) office if you have questions or concerns about any approved accommodations per a student's academic accommodation plan.
    EVC's qualified staff identify need for individualized accommodations and develop the Academic Accommodation Plan with accommodations to address the student's disability related barriers and allow equal access. Examples of approved academic accommodations may include, but are not limited to increased testing time, use of memory aides, sign language interpreters, notetakers etc.
  2. Make Your Online Course Accessible
    Your documents and presentations need to meet current accessibility standards.  Online lectures and videos must be captioned. The  EVC Faculty & Staff page is a great resource page, and you can also check out the  IOTL Canvas Course for faculty which includes accessibility workshop videos and training.  
    Other online accessibility training resources:
  3. Maintain Student Confidentiality
    Under Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and related laws affecting higher education and disability information, students have the right to confidentiality. Students have expressed fear of having their disability revealed to others. If their information is revealed to classmates or others without the student's permission, it is a violation of confidentiality laws and the trust that the student has in the instructor and the college. Exceptions:  Mandated Reporters (required by law) - a student can be reported if the student is determined to be a danger to self or others, or when there is reasonable suspicion of child abuse or the abuse of a dependent adult.

  4. Include an EVC accessibility statement in your Course syllabi and Canvas Courses (See sample statement below)
    Any student that anticipates or experiences any barriers to learning in this course or has an approved accommodation plan through the Disabilities Support Program (DSP), is advised to connect with the instructor to discuss their needs.   Students with disabilities anticipating or requiring reasonable accommodations due to a physical, learning or mental health disability, or other medical conditions should contact the DSP to develop an Academic Accommodation Plan.   For additional information or to schedule an appointment call the Disabilities Support Program via phone at (408) 270-6447 or Email: evc.dsp@evc.edu
    We appreciate your efforts and wanting to be a supportive advocate on behalf of students, but we request that you please refer students to contact the Disabilities Support Program office directly to the extent possible so that they can learn to advocate for themselves and DSP staff can comprehensively evaluate and address their needs. 
    Feel free to consult our office if you have questions about accommodations, need intervention assistance, testing accommodations, or want to learn more about how disability laws are applicable to instruction. 

    Law References:

Faculty FAQs

  1. What is Section 504 and the American's with Disabilities Act and why are we legally required to provide accommodations?
    Please visit the U.S. Department of Education to read about protecting students with disabilities as mandated by Section 504 and the American's with Disabilities Act
  2. I have a student in class who told me that they have a disability, but since that time has never requested any accommodations or provided me with a notification from DSP. Am I still responsible for accommodations?
    No, you are only responsible for accommodations authorized by DSP. In this case, you may wish to speak with the student in private and refer them to DSP.
  3. I have an online class. What does it mean when I have to make sure my materials are accessible to all students?
    Certain accessibility requirements must be addressed when developing learning materials for electronic dissemination to students. Distance education courses, resources and materials must be designed and delivered in such a way that the level of communication and course-taking experience is the same for students with or without disabilities.