Disability Resource Center Student Success Programs

For Purdue instructors, adding the following statements to your syllabus and Brightspace course helps students with disabilities

Approximately 7% of Purdue students have disability accommodations. About half of DRC-affiliated students have accommodations that affect how assessments (tests, exams, and quizzes) are administered.

The most common test accommodations include extended test-taking time and distraction-reduced environments. The University is obligated to ensure that these accommodations are implemented.

Instructors can choose to implement these test accommodations themselves, or they can request that the Disability Resource Center's Accommodated Testing Center administer their assessments for them. In either case, instructors need to make clear to students how they plan to handle test accommodations.

Suggested Syllabus Statements

Instructors are encouraged to incorporate one of the following statements in Brightspace and/or their course syllabus depending on their approach to test accommodations:

For classes in which instructors wish for the DRC to administer their exams:

Students with disabilities whose DRC Course Accessibility Letter (CAL) includes test accommodations must first release their CAL to me and then schedule to take their exams with the DRC at https://olympic.accessiblelearning.com/Purdue . You must do this at least one week before the exam date listed on the syllabus. In the case of finals week, you must do this at least four weeks before the start of finals week (or insert the relevant date for the semester). I/we will provide the DRC with your exam and they will administer it and provide the result to me for grade reporting. Students must inform me immediately of cases where the DRC does not have space so that I can make other arrangements. Students who fail to follow this process and these deadlines risk not being able to have their accommodations for that exam.

For classes in which instructors will implement test accommodations themselves:

I (or, my instructional staff and I) will arrange to provide test accommodations for those who have them as a part of their DRC Course Accessibility Letter (CAL). It is imperative that these students release their CALs to me as soon as they are available so that I/we can make these arrangements well in advance of exams. I/we may be unable to implement test accommodations if we do not have access to your CAL at least one week before the first exam date.

What steps do instructors need to take to arrange accommodated exams?

If instructors wish the DRC to administer their exams, then they need to:

  • Complete the Testing Information Form ( TIF) as soon as they realize they have students with test accommodations enrolled in their course. Completing the TIF makes it possible for students to schedule to take their exams with the DRC. Please note: If instructors teach multiple sections of a course, they will need to complete a TIF for each section.
  • Instruct students with test accommodations to do the following:
    • Complete their scheduling request with DRC Accommodated Testing Center for each of their exams at least one week before the testing date indicated on the course syllabus. *Note: In the case of finals week, students must make their schedule request at least four weeks before the start of finals week
    • Inform their instructor if they are unable to schedule with the DRC for any reason.
  • Provide the DRC Accommodated Testing Center with the exam no later than two business days before the date the student has scheduled for it to be administered. In the case of finals week, the DRC must receive the exam by 5 p.m. the Thursday before finals week.
  • Understand that the DRC Testing Center has limited capacity and may not be able to administer an exam at the exact same time as other students in the course.

Once a student schedules an exam with the DRC, instructors will receive an email notification and will have five calendar days to dispute the time the student requested. If not disputed, the request is approved automatically.

If instructors choose to implement test accommodations themselves, they must

  • Ensure that the conditions set forth in the student's Course Accessibility Letter (CAL) are met.
  • Complete the "Steps to Indicate the Instructor will Proctor Exams and NOT use DRC Testing" in the TIF. This will remove them from communications from DRC.

How will instructors receive information related to accommodations needed for their course?

Instructors receive specific information related to accommodations needed for their course in two ways.

  1. Aggregate Report: The Disability Resource Center (DRC) sends a report within the first two weeks of each semester to each instructor whose course enrollment includes students with disabilities. This report is aggregate and informs instructors of the numbers of students with accommodations and the numbers and types of those accommodations at the time of the report. However, it does not identify the students. The purpose of this report is to give instructors some initial information to use for planning and to invite any immediate questions for the DRC.
  2. Course Accessibility Letter (CAL): Once a student receives their CAL from the DRC, they make the choice to release that letter (electronically) to their instructors. This is the point at which the instructor is obligated to implement disability accommodations for that student. Instructors should immediately contact the student's Access Consultant (listed on the CAL) if they have questions or concerns about any accommodations indicated on the CALs.

Please contact drc@purdue.edu if you have any questions.