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Instructor Rights and Responsibilities

Instructors play a crucial role in fostering an inclusive and accessible learning environment for all students, including those with disabilities. The accommodation process is a collaborative effort between the student, Student Disability Services, and the instructor.  Rights and responsibilities concerning the provision of accommodations are aimed at ensuring equitable educational opportunities for students with disabilities.

Rights

As an instructor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, you have the right to:

  • maintain academic standards for courses, including the essential elements and fundamental nature of the course content.
  • request official notification of a student’s accommodations from SDS and consult with the office about accommodations reflected in a student’s course access letter.
  • receive support and guidance from SDS regarding the provision of accommodations, accessibility tools, or any other aspect related to supporting students with disabilities.
  • engage with SDS if concerned that an approved accommodation might fundamentally alter an essential element of their course in some way.

Responsibilities

As an instructor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, you have the responsibility to:

  • implement approved accommodations as outlined in the student’s course access letter. This may involve collaborating with SDS to arrange auxiliary aids and services and provide the necessary information in a timely manner to assist with the provision of accommodations. Please do not independently modify or deny accommodations for any reason.
  • include the current disability statement in their syllabus and refer students to SDS, in addition to other campus resources when necessary.
  • maintain confidentiality by treating any information related to a student’s disability and accommodations as private.
  • communicate with SDS with questions or concerns related to accommodations or to seek general guidance regarding disability and accessibility.
  • adhere to legal requirements such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and other relevant disability rights legislation, and institutional policies to ensure equal access for and non-discrimination of students with disabilities.
  • contact SDS if it is believed that an accommodation compromises the content of a course or represents a fundamental alteration to an essential element of the course.

Instructors may not:

  • Deny an approved accommodation for a documented disability.
  • Engage a student to identify or challenge the legitimacy of their disability or the approved accommodation.
  • Request disability documentation for an approved accommodation.