Guidelines
Faculty establish assignment deadlines and academic expectations based on the learning objectives of each course. Students are expected to complete assignments by the deadlines established in the course syllabus whenever possible.
Students whose disabilities involve unpredictable or episodic conditions may be approved for flexibility with assignment deadlines when disability-related symptoms temporarily interfere with completing coursework. This accommodation is intended to provide reasonable flexibility when necessary and is not an automatic extension for every assignment.
Because course requirements vary significantly, the amount of flexibility available is determined individually for each course through the Flex Plan Agreement.
Additional Guidelines
- Students must be approved for the Flexibility with Assignment Deadlines accommodation through OEA before it may be used. Appropriate disability documentation must be on file before the accommodation can be approved.
- Accommodations are not retroactive.
- The agreement establishes how assignment extensions, revised deadlines, make-up work, assessments, and other course requirements will be handled when disability-related symptoms occur. Assignment extensions are not automatic and do not apply to every assignment in every course.
- Students are expected to make consistent progress toward completing coursework and should use this accommodation only when disability-related symptoms prevent them from meeting an established deadline.
- While reasonable flexibility may be provided, frequent disability-related absences or repeated extensions may prevent a student from making reasonable and timely progress toward completing course requirements and may ultimately jeopardize their ability to successfully complete the course.
- Faculty are not required to modify essential course requirements or fundamentally alter academic standards.
- The agreed-upon flexibility may differ from one course to another depending on the structure, sequencing, and learning objectives of the course.
Procedure
- Students are responsible for scheduling a meeting with each instructor to review and finalize the Flex Plan Agreement. Students should schedule this meeting as early in the semester as possible, preferably during the first week of classes after providing the instructor with their accommodation letter.
- At the beginning of the semester, Students should meet with each instructor to complete the Flex Plan Agreement.
- The agreement establishes attendance expectations, make-up procedures, exams, labs, clinical experiences, presentations, and other course-specific requirements when disability-related symptoms affect attendance.
- Students must notify their instructor as soon as reasonably possible, consistent with the timelines established in the Flex Plan Agreement, when disability-related symptoms affect their ability to meet an assignment deadline.
- Students are expected to continue making progress toward completing coursework and follow the procedures established in the Flex Plan Agreement.
- If disability-related circumstances exceed the flexibility outlined in the agreement, the student or instructor should contact OEA to discuss whether additional review is appropriate.
- The Flex Plan Agreement may be reviewed or revised if course circumstances or disability-related needs significantly change during the semester.
- Faculty should contact OEA at oea@odu.edu if questions arise regarding implementation of the agreement or if disability-related circumstances extend beyond the parameters established in the Flex Plan.