Service Animal Accomodations

Millikin University offers accommodations for students with a documented need for service animals.  Students requiring the use of a service animal should meet with a staff member in the Academic Development office to discuss policies, procedures and regulations.  All service animals MUST be registered with the Academic Development office.  For more information, please contact Carrie Pierson, Learning Resource Specialist, by calling 217-424-3999 or cpierson@millikin.edu.

Academic Accommodations

General Information
The Academic Development Office provides services for students with specific learning disabilities. Students should work with Academic Development staff as soon as they have their semester schedule solidified to schedule assistance.
Eligibility for services is determined individually based on documented need. Ongoing contact with the Academic Development office is important for students with learning disabilities.

Reasonable accommodations are determined on a case-by-case basis according to each student's individual documentation. Accommodations are made to provide students with disabilities access to classroom information and expression of their knowledge. Accommodations do not compromise the essential requirements of a course.
Millikin University does not provide assessment services for students who may have a learning disability. Additionally, the University does not have structured programs available for students with disabilities.

Conduct rules and attendance policies apply to all students regardless of their disabilities. Although students with disabilities may be eligible for accommodations; they are still required to meet all of a program's technical standards. Applicants should be aware that certain programs and degrees require the ability to perform specific critical skills.

Some students may not be admitted to or able to complete a program or degree because their disability cannot be accommodated in a manner that enables them to perform the required critical skills and meet the critical standards of the program. Prior to applying for or beginning a program of study, students should refer to the University Bulletin to review all requirements that are necessary for completion of the program.

Accessing Accommodations
- Submit documentation to the Academic Development Office.
- Meet individually with the Director of Academic Development to clarify and approve accommodations needs.

Required Documentation
Qualified Professional: The name, title, and professional credentials of the evaluator, including information about license or certification (e.g., licensed psychologist) as well as the area of specialization, employment, and state in which the individual practices should be clearly stated in the documentation. All reports should be on letterhead, typed, dated, signed, and otherwise legible.

Testing must be current: Current is defined as testing within the last five years.

Comprehensive Testing: A comprehensive test must include:

- A diagnostic interview (a combination of candidate self-report, interviews with others, and historical documentation, such as transcripts and standardized test scores, is recommended).

- An assessment (the neuropsychological or psychoeducational evaluation for the diagnosis of a specific learning disability must provide clear and specific evidence that a learning disability does or does not exist).

- A specific diagnosis (the diagnostician is encouraged to use direct language in the diagnosis and documentation of a learning disability).

- Specific Accommodations: The diagnostic report should include specific recommendations for accommodation(s) as well as an explanation of why each accommodation is recommended. Support of the recommendations with specific test results or clinical observations would be helpful but is not required.

Services Provided
The services provided by the Academic Development office include:

- Extended time for test taking
- Distraction free environment for test taking
- Textbooks on tape
- Note taking assistance
- Peer tutoring

Course Substitution
The following procedures are used for a student with a documented learning disability when seeking a modification of the quantitative reasoning or foreign language requirement:

- The petition process should begin as soon as there is strong objective evidence (e.g., current documented difficulties) that the student will be unable to fulfill the requirement.
- The student must provide the Office of Academic Development with current, relevant and comprehensive documentation and assessment data from a certified professional. This documentation must substantiate both the specific learning disability and its specific impact upon the student's ability in the area of mathematics or foreign language learning.

Upon completion of these steps, the Learning Resource Specialist, the Director of Academic Development, Dean of the student's School or College, and the Chair of the student's academic major will review the documentation and the supporting evidence from the case. The student will be notified of the decision in a timely manner. Students granted the petition will fulfill the University's quantitative or foreign language requirements as determined by the Chair of the student's academic major.

Travel Courses

In order to fully benefit from an international or domestic travel experience, students should be in good physical and mental health. All participating students must meet program/course requirements. Qualified students with disabilities requiring reasonable accommodation should submit a request for accommodation to the supervising faculty member or the Learning Resource Specialist, at the time of application for participation in the course/program. All students are responsible for securing health and travel insurance coverage for domestic and international travel.

Summary
It is the goal of the Academic Development Office to fully provide support to all students at the University. Questions may be directed to Carrie Pierson, Learning Resource Specialist, by calling 217-424-3999 or via email at cpierson@millikin.edu.

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