Modified Assignment Deadlines

• This accommodation is NOT a blanket or automatic extension on every assignment. An extension must be requested for each individual assignment.
• Students are expected to contact an instructor as soon as they reasonably can to request an extension on an assignment. This accommodation typically does not apply retroactively. There may be circumstances where a student was unable to contact you in advance because they were experiencing the symptoms of their disability. Consult with DRS if needed.
• The use of this accommodation should be infrequent. If a student starts unreasonably using this accommodation for your course, please contact DRS so we can determine how best to support the student.
• If a student with a modified attendance accommodation requests an extension, that extension should be provided. Please work with the student to determine a new due date.
• It is up to each individual instructor to determine the appropriate length of the extension, but DRS recommends 1-2 days and rarely longer than one week (in standard a 16-week course). Limiting the extension to 24 hours would be appropriate for compressed classes or courses with intense scaffolding.
• DRS strongly encourages reasonable deadlines. Do not remove all deadlines. Allowing a student to submit all work by the end of the semester does not usually end well. Do not set the student up for failure or yourself for frustration.
• Late or missed work penalties can and should still apply if a student fails to meet the agreed-upon deadline.
• This accommodation does NOT apply to take-home exams.
• This accommodation does NOT allow for an extension past the end of the semester.
• DRS recognizes that this accommodation may not be needed in some classes if instructors have flexibility with assignment deadlines outlined in the syllabus or course policies.
• DRS explains to each student the parameters of this accommodation. Please refer a student back to DRS if there is any misunderstanding.

Memory Tool Accommodation

A memory aid is a testing accommodation used to support students who have documented challenges with memory. It is a tool used to trigger information that a student has studied but may have difficulty recalling due to the disability’s impact on memory and recall. The memory aid allows the student to demonstrate knowledge of course material by helping prompt the student’s memory, not by providing the answer. This accommodation is not intended to reduce academic requirements or alter the standards by which academic performance is assessed. It is essential to consider whether the course’s learning outcome is for students to memorize or apply the material. The use of a memory aid may be appropriate for some exams and not others, even within the same course.

A proper memory aid will not be useful to the student unless the student knows and understands how to use the information to which it refers. If the student doesn’t understand the course material, a proper memory aid will not help.

• Once a student has been approved for a memory aid by DRS, the accommodation will be included in the student’s FNL for the course. DRS may need to consult with the instructor to determine whether the request is reasonable.
• A memory tool accommodation may still be needed for a student with a disability even if an instructor provides a general formula tool to the class because the student's specific disability may hinder their ability to effectively use or remember the provided tool. Tailored memory tools ensure that the student can access and utilize information in a way that compensates for their particular challenges.

Once approved, the student should:

1. Initiate the request for the memory tool on the upcoming assessment by contacting the instructor.
2. The instructor emails or meets with the student to provide general guidance regarding the content that may be allowable on a cue sheet for this particular course or a specific exam.
3. The size should typically be limited to one side of an 8 ½” X 11” sheet of paper or one side of a large file card, although in situations in which large print or Braille is needed, there may be exceptions.
4. Instructors and students should meet outside of class to craft the memory tool together and determine what is appropriate and allowed depending on what competencies are measured.
   1. It may include acronyms, diagrams, tables, category headings, a list of steps in a procedure, key terms, and formulas.
   2. If one of the learning objectives is to recall a formula from memory, the formula should not be allowed on the cue sheet; however, if the learning objective is to demonstrate the ability to apply the formula, then it could be allowed on the cue sheet.
   3. If the purpose of a test is to determine whether the student can define certain terms, having the definitions of those terms on a cue sheet would make it an “answer sheet” and therefore not acceptable (but including the terms alone may be allowable).
5. Students must submit their memory aid to instructors at least 3-5 days in advance of the test date for final approval. The instructor reviews the tool and removes or redacts information that is not allowable, according to the criteria discussed above.
6. Instructors are responsible for submitting the memory aid with the exam materials.