Sending your accommodation letters is easy with our online services. Sign in below to customize and send your accommodation letters, and request services such as exam proctoring and notetaking. You may also want to watch the tutorial below for a step-by-step guide on how to send accommodation letters. Anytime you wish to access our online services, you may do so through this link, or from mySamford  under the “Student Affairs” tab.

Online Services

If you have spoken with your professor about your exam accommodations and have determined that exams will be proctored by Accessibility and Accommodations, you will use our online services to request an exam appointment for each quiz, exam, final, etc. You may want to watch the tutorial below for a step-by-step guide on how to request an exam appointment. Once your exam appointment has been approved, you will receive a confirmation email which specifies the building and room number you should report to on the day of your exam.

In order to best serve students who wish to test with Accessibility and Accommodations, we are now requesting one week’s notice to schedule an exam. While we still honor requests made up to two full business days before the test, both space limitations and testing volume may impact our flexibility to proctor on the preferred schedule. We apologize for any inconvenience that causes. When we cannot accommodate all requests for a given day or time, priority will be given based on the order the requests are received. Requests received less than two business days before the exam will not be accommodated.

Beginning in Spring 2023, we will transition to requiring one week’s notice to ensure both space and proctor availability. And please note that final exams already must be scheduled five business days in advance.

When you are ready to request exam appointments, click the Online Services button below to sign in to our online services. You may also sign in from mySamford, under the “Student Affairs” tab.

Online Services

Once you have determined which textbooks you need to request as e-text or in alternate format, you will need to submit your requests using our online services. You may want to watch the tutorial below for a step-by-step guide on how to request alternate formats.

When you are ready to request alternate formats or e-text, click the Online Services button below to sign in to our online services. You may also sign in from mySamford, under the “Student Affairs” tab.

Online Services

Every student with a documented disability has the following rights:

1. Equal access to courses, programs, services, jobs, activities,and facilities available through the university.
2. Reasonable and appropriate accommodations, academic adjustments, and/or auxiliary aids determined on a case-by-case basis.
3. Appropriate confidentiality of all information pertaining to his/her disability with the choice of whom to disclose his/her disability to except as required by law.
4. Information reasonably available in accessible formats.

Every student with a disability has the responsibility to:

1. Meet the university’s qualifications and essential technical,academic, and institutional standards.
2. Identify themselves in a timely manner as an individual with a disability when seeking an accommodation.
3. Provide documentation from an appropriate professional source that verifies the nature of the disability, functional limitations,and the need for specific accommodations.
4. Follow specific procedures for obtaining reasonable and appropriate accommodations, academic adjustments, and/or auxiliary aids.

Institutional Rights and Responsibilities

Samford University, through its disability contact persons has the right to:

1. Maintain the university’s academic standards.
2. Request current documentation from a student completed by an appropriate professional source to verify the need for reasonable accommodations, academic adjustments, and/or auxiliary aids.
3. Discuss a student’s need for reasonable accommodations,academic adjustments, and/or auxiliary aids with the professional source of his/her documentation with the student's signed consent authorizing such discussion.
4. Select among equally effective and appropriate accommodations,adjustments, and/or auxiliary aids in consultation with students with disabilities.
5. Deny a request for accommodations, academic adjustments, and/or auxiliary aids if the documentation does not identify a specific disability, the documentation fails to verify the need for the requested services, or the documentation is not provided in a timely manner.
6. Refuse to provide an accommodation, adjustment, and/or auxiliary aids that is inappropriate or unreasonable including any that:
   • pose a direct threat to the health and safety of others;
   • constitute a substantial change or alteration to an essential element of a course or program; or
   • pose undue financial or administrative burden on the University.
    

Samford University through its contact persons has the responsibility to:

1. Ensure that university courses, programs, services, jobs,activities, and facilities, when viewed in their entirety, are offered in the most integrated and appropriate settings.
2. Provide information regarding policies and procedures to students with disabilities and assure its availability in accessible formats upon request.
3. Evaluate students on their abilities, not their disabilities.
4. Provide reasonable and appropriate accommodations, academic adjustments, and/or auxiliary aids for students with disabilities upon a timely request by a student.
5. Maintain appropriate confidentiality of records and communication concerning students with disabilities except where disclosure is required by law or authorized by the student.

More specifically, the university’s contact person has the responsibility to:

1. Assist students with disabilities who self-identify and meet university criteria for eligibility to receive reasonable and appropriate accommodations, academic adjustments, and/or auxiliary aids determined on a case-by-case basis.
2. Assure confidentiality of all information pertaining to a student's disability.
3. Inform students with disabilities of university policies and procedures for filing a formal grievance and/or through external agencies (e.g., Office of Civil Rights).

Learn More

This policy applies to students enrolled in the Juris Doctor program through the Cumberland School of Law who wish to request accommodations. The information provided outlines the collaborative procedures between Accessibility and Accommodations and the Director of Student Services and ADA Compliance for the Cumberland School of Law.

The office of Accessibility and Accommodations is responsible for verifying disability and determining eligible accommodations for all students enrolled in the University. Once a student has been deemed eligible to receive accommodations, accommodation support is provided to assist the student in following procedures for notifying faculty and making appropriate arrangements to receive accommodations each semester.

Learn More

Questions and concerns over accommodations should initially be directed in writing to the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations (OAA). If the director cannot resolve the disability rights issue, a meeting with the student, the faculty member (if applicable), representative from OAA, and the senior associate provost is the second step in resolving disagreements or challenging a denied appeal. If agreements cannot be rendered, the final step in the grievance procedure is to file a formal appeal to the Samford University provost’s office. Should you disagree with the outcome of this step, you may file a complaint with the Office of Civil Rights.

During the grievance process, the student is entitled to receive any accommodations recommended by Accessibility and Accommodations.

It is important that concerns are addressed promptly so that the student's participation in the course or activity is not affected. The appeal should clearly state the basis and rationale for the objection and should be transmitted as a confidential document to the Samford University provost.

Address

Samford University Office of the Provost
800 Lakeshore Dr
Birmingham, AL 35229

The university provost will consider the appeal and render a final decision, which will be communicated to all parties.

Steps in the Grievance Process

1. Consult with appropriate Accessibility and Accommodations staff member(s).
2. If the situation cannot be resolved in step one, you are encouraged to meet with Accessibility and Accommodations staff member(s), the course instructor (if applicable), and the senior associate provost to discuss your concerns.
3. If a result is not achieved in step two, it is recommended you submit a formal, written appeal to the university provost’s office.

Should you disagree with the outcome of the grievance process, you may file a formal complaint with the Office for Civil Rights:

Regional Office for Civil Rights
Office for Civil Rights, Region IV
U.S. Department of Education
Atlanta, GA 30301-3104