Instructor Guide

Accommodations help students meet the same learning criteria as their peers by allowing them to use additional tools or time to complete a task. Students may also need accommodations for learning materials in alternative format (e.g., close captioning for video).

Accommodation does not relieve the student of the responsibility to develop the essential skills and competencies expected of all students.

Students may register with SAS at any point in their degree. Students provide verifying documentation and have an appointment with an Access Advisor to determine reasonable and appropriate academic accommodations. These accommodations are shared with instructor in the form of the letter

1. Respect student privacy

Do not ask for details about a student’s disability or disclose that a student has a disability to others
Keep discussions about the student’s accommodations between you and the student (i.e., do not discuss the student’s disability with other instructors or staff without written permission)
Ensure any information about the student’s disability is not visible to others (e.g., in plain sight)
Avoid use of the student’s name in public when generally discussing disability

2. Work with SAS to provide the necessary accommodations

Instructors will receive notification via email to check the Instructor Clockwork Portal for accommodation letters. If questions or concerns regarding accommodations arise, instructors should reach out to the Access Advisor listed on the student’s accommodation letter within 3 days of the notification, as outlined in the Student Accommodation Policy
Instructors must provide assessment materials and pertinent details in the Instructor Clockwork Portal per the deadlines outlined in the Accommodated Exams section below.
Be responsive to emails and calls from Student Accessibility Services

Arranging academic accommodations takes time as it requires a student to gather documentation, register with SAS, and meet with an SAS Access Advisor. If a student discloses a persistent or permanent disability, advise them to contact Student Accessibility Services. Temporary accommodations are also available for students who have emerging conditions, such as a concussion or an injury.

Short-term illness (e.g., cold or flu) or unexpected circumstances not related to disability (e.g., financial or housing issue, family events) can be addressed at the discretion of the instructor. Students should be advised what to do when unexpected circumstances interrupt their studies.

If a student requests accommodations based on protected grounds other than disability, please follow your Faculty’s process. Instructors can determine the appropriate support for requests outside protected grounds, considering academic calendar guidelines (See Sections G and M). We encourage instructors to be flexible and to support accessible and equitable learning (e.g., Universal Design for Learning).

Accommodations

SAS provides reasonable and appropriate accommodations to students with documented disabilities. The accommodation process supports the University of Calgary's legal and ethical responsibility to ensure that eligible students are provided equal access to services offered by the University, including academic courses.

Accommodations does not:

Require that post-secondary institutions lower academic or non-academic standards to accommodate students with disabilities
Relieve the student of the responsibility to develop essential skills and competencies expected of all students

If instructors have questions or concerns regarding an accommodation, they should contact the Access Advisor listed at the bottom of the student’s accommodation letter.

Audio Recording

Students with documented disabilities, conditions, or injuries which impact note taking may be eligible for an accommodation to audio record lectures. Students with this accommodation must comply with the terms set out in the Audio Recording Agreement. Instructors are encouraged to consult the Student Accommodation Policy, Appendix A, question 22 for answers to common concerns regarding audio recording.

SAS Exam Centre

The SAS Exam Centre provides a centralized location to support approved exam accommodations for UCalgary students.

Students are responsible for booking in-term each exam, test or quiz at least 7 days in advance based on the information in their course outline.

Click the button below to learn more about timelines, exam centre policies and more.

For additional information and help with instructions, please use the resources below.