Academic accommodations for disabilities are modifications of academic requirements designed to help and support students who have a disability (and are registered with the Office of Disability Services (ODS)) to meet their academic obligations.  Academic accommodations for disabilities include, but are not limited to, extension of time during tests/exams, rest breaks during tests/exams, stop-the-clock test taking, alternative test locations, etc., and will be handled in accordance with University policies and legal requirements.  While academic accommodations for disabilities can modify essential requirements (adjustments to time, manner or place), accommodations cannot eliminate essential requirements of the educational program.

According to University policy, students seeking academic accommodations for their disability must register with ODS and submit the required documentation.  ODS consults with the Office of the Dean of the College (ODOC) as needed about the recommended academic accommodations for disabilities to ensure that they comport with essential requirements; however, while the deans can offer support for students and faculty, the deans are not involved in making decisions regarding appropriate academic accommodations for disabilities.  Instructors are informed directly by ODS of the appropriate academic accommodations.  Students who have concerns about their academic accommodations should consult with ODS. 

Academic supportive measures related to a Title IX/sexual misconduct matter are designed to help and support students who are having difficulty meeting their academic obligations while undergoing a Title IX/sexual misconduct-related matter (separate from any disability).  These academic supportive measures pertain to situations that have been reported to the Office of Gender Equity and Title IX Administration (either directly or through a report by a University employee), are typically limited in time, and typically relate to pending/ongoing Title IX/sexual misconduct proceedings (such as a University investigation).  Academic supportive measures may include, but are not limited to, short-term extensions on assignments or permission for a limited number of class absences while an investigation is in process, and will be handled in accordance with University policies and legal requirements.  While academic supportive measures can modify essential requirements, they cannot eliminate essential requirements.  These academic supportive measures typically do not include testing accommodations, including extension of time during tests/exams, rest breaks during tests/exams, stop-the-clock test taking, alternative test locations (such as those described in FAQ 1 above.

Students should request academic supportive measures related to a Title IX/sexual misconduct matter directly from their residential college deans or directors of studies. 

Students requesting long-term academic modifications related to Title IX/sexual misconduct matters which involve a disability (for example, anxiety, depression, PTSD, etc.) should register with ODS and request academic accommodations for disabilities through that process. 

Academic adjustments for students experiencing other difficult personal circumstances, including trauma-related experiences or SHARE-related experiences (which have not been reported to the Office of Gender Equity and Title IX Administration and thus do not qualify as academic supportive measures as described above), are modifications of academic requirements designed to help and support students to meet their academic obligations.  Academic adjustments for students experiencing other difficult personal circumstances are generally discretionary, short-term adjustments.  These academic adjustments do not include testing accommodations, including extension of time during tests/exams, rest breaks during tests/exams, stop-the-clock test taking, alternative test locations (such as those described in section I(A) above).

Students should request adjustments based on other difficult personal circumstances directly from their residential college deans or directors of studies, who will work with instructors to implement reasonable requests in an equitable manner.  

Students requesting long-term academic modifications related to other difficult personal circumstances which involve a disability (for example, anxiety, depression, PTSD, etc.) should register with ODS and request academic accommodations for disabilities through that process, as described above.

Academic accommodations for disabilities, supportive measures based on a Title IX/sexual misconduct matter, and adjustments based on other difficult personal circumstances should not be misunderstood as exemptions from deadlines or course requirements, as a condition of being an enrolled student is the ability to meet the essential requirements of being a student.  These accommodations, supportive measures, and adjustments must be “reasonable” and cannot compromise the essential academic requirements of a course or program of study. (See:  https://ua.princeton.edu/contents/academic-regulations)  Examples include:

• Intermittent or extended absence, generally not to exceed two weeks of class, may be appropriate.  However, the inability to attend class in-person on an on-going basis cannot be accommodated, and students who cannot attend class in-person on a regular basis should be encouraged to take a leave of absence until they are able to meet the requirements of full-time, residential study. 
• An assignment deadline extension of a week or possibly two may be appropriate when a student is experiencing acute symptoms, responding to Title IX/sexual misconduct investigation deadlines, hospitalized, etc.  Deadlines have pedagogical value and assignments build on each other, and thus repeated extensions of deadlines ultimately are not beneficial to the student.
• Extending deadlines for term-time work beyond dean’s date generally will not be considered reasonable.
• Although lengthy extensions beyond dean’s date generally will not be considered reasonable, short-term incompletes may be appropriate.  The University has very clear policies about dean’s date extensions, which are grounded in pedagogical principle and equitable application of regulations.  
• Long term incompletes are not possible for students who wish to remain enrolled students.  Students may not continue to be enrolled in a subsequent semester without having completed the work of the previous semester.  The logic behind this rule is that if a student is unable to complete the work of the previous semester, the student will not able to do the work required for the new semester.  Students unable to complete the work of the semester may receive longer-term (although still time-bound) incompletes while on leave, but all work must be completed before reinstatement.