Accommodations Policy and Procedures

Accommodations Policy and Procedures

The Institute of Buddhist Studies is committed to providing equal access to its academic programs and activities, in compliance with the Rehabilitation Act (Section 504) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Qualified students with disabilities may be eligible for reasonable academic accommodations that do not fundamentally alter the nature of a course, program, or academic requirement. 

Requesting Academic Accommodations 

New Students (First-Time Requests)

Students requesting academic accommodations for the first time at IBS should submit the following to the Accessibility and Accommodations Coordinator:

• an Initial Request for Academic Accommodations
• Documentation Verification (see below)

Documentation Verification 

IBS acknowledges that once a person is diagnosed as having a disability, the disability may be life-long. The purpose for requesting documentation is to consider each person individually and to understand if and how the individual is currently impacted by their disability in a higher education environment. 

Note: IBS does not provide accommodation testing. Students seeking evaluations should pursue external testing services. 

Appropriate disability accommodations are determined based on documentation which may include: records of receiving accommodations at past educational institutions (ex. 504 plan or Individualized Education Plan [IEP]) and/or signed letter from an appropriate professional. 

Accommodation Approval and Implementation 

All accommodation requests must be reviewed by the Accessibility and Accommodations Coordinator, who will meet with the student after receiving the request. Students will be notified, via written correspondence, of the outcome of their request, and once accommodations are approved, the Accessibility and Accommodations Coordinator will coordinate with instructors regarding implementation. Students are encouraged to communicate with their instructors early in the semester regarding their accommodation needs. 

Using and Renewing Accommodations

Approved accommodations are not automatically renewed. Students must request to renew their accommodation services each semester in which they wish to use them by submitting an Academic Accommodations Renewal Form to the Accessibility and Accommodations Coordinator. 

Student Responsibilities

Students are responsible for:

• Initiating accommodation requests and completing renewal requests
• Providing appropriate documentation
• Communicating with the Accessibility and Accommodations Coordinator each semester
• Communicating with their instructors regarding accommodations
• Using approved accommodations appropriately and consistently