Faculty Resources
Thank you for your interest and support of students with disabilities at Blinn College. Our goal is to assist you when working with this population of students by providing you with information that will help you be more effective in your classroom, as well as helping the university maintain compliance with federal disability guidelines.
Faculty Legal Insight on Disabilities
Faculty Tips for Disability Awareness
Instructor Test Proctor Form
Letter of Accommodation (LOA) Process
Working with Students on the Autism Spectrum
Fundamental Alteration
If an accommodation requested by a student appears to be a fundamental alteration to a course or program of study, the following will be of assistance in analyzing this request.
A fundamental alteration cannot include any change to curriculum or course of study that is so significant that it alters the required objectives or content of the curriculum in the approved course outline, thereby causing a fundamental alteration.
If a request by a student is considered by The Disability Services Office, to possibly be a fundamental alteration, a committee will be gathered to discuss the request.
The committee will consist of objective and knowledgeable persons to include :
- The professor of the class
- The Department Head, Assistant Dean or Dean of the division
- The Dean of Student Engagement or Designee
- An ODS staff member familiar with the student or the Director of Disability Services and Counseling
The committee will review the requested accommodation and document thoroughly as the burden of justification is on the institution when denying a requested accommodation as a fundamental alteration.
The committee will review questions such as, but not limited to:
- What are the essential methods of instruction and assessment which are fundamental to the nature of the course?
- What core outcomes/expectations are stated on the syllabus and required of all students?
- What skills or competencies will be needed within the field after graduation?
- What aspects/requirements constitute a significant component of the learning and assessment process?
If the committee has explored this issue in a well-reasoned manner, without discrimination, and believes the accommodation would fundamentally alter the essential elements of the course or program and no reasonable alternative accommodations exist, then the requested accommodation can be denied.
The student will be informed by email within five (5) business days of the decision of the Fundamental Alteration Committee. Therefore, the decision will be seen as a final decision by the college.