Sample Inquiry Response
Subscriber Inquiry
My question relates to several issues of conflict that have developed concerning the provision of extended time for a student. The parents of the student insist that he should be provided extended time on his assignments as well as tests. They also argue that he has been provided unlimited time in the past and question whether double-time is an appropriate accommodation. We have never given a student unlimited time and have only provided extended time on assignments under unforeseen circumstances such as a death in the family or a serious illness or accident that prevents a student from finishing.
Inquiry Response
Issue One: Extended Time on Assignments
First it must be understood that documentation that supports a student’s need for extended time on tests and examinations is not sufficient to support a request for extended time on all assignments. Such documentation does not establish entitlement to extended time on all assignments regardless of the nature of the assignment and/or the timeframes involved. For example, if the assignment is given at the beginning of the semester and it is not due until the end of the semester it is doubtful that extended time is the appropriate accommodation. Further, frequently students who struggle with meeting timeframes with respect to all academic work are in need of assistance with time management and organizational skills. In fact, many institutions that receive such requests require the student to meet with academic skills or LD specialists for assessment of and assistance with their study, time management and organizational skills. Under such circumstances, extended time on assignments would only be approved if the student’s documentation and the assessment of the specialist establish that it is the appropriate academic adjustment for particular types of assignments and/or timeframes.
Your student should be required to provide documentation that independently supports his need for extended time on all assignments as an academic adjustment. That documentation should include: specific discussion of the manifestations of the impairment(s) that create the academic difficulties anticipated with meeting assignment deadlines; the type of assignments and/or timeframes that would be problematic; and why extended time would be necessary to address the noted academic difficulties. Even if the student is able to provide the specific documentation requested your office can still determine whether an alternative means of accommodating the student, such as working with a specialist, would be equally effective.
Issue Two: Unlimited Time as an Academic Adjustment
Provision of unlimited time as an academic adjustment does not respect the right of the institution to evaluate the performance of students using time as an assessment measure. A student provided such an accommodation can not be assessed or graded in the same manner as other students who have had to perform within a prescribed period of time. Further, agreeing to give a student unlimited time allows the student to take total control of the academic process which will not only have a negative impact on academic integrity but also the disposition of faculty members.
Issue Three: Blanket Rules Prohibiting Unlimited Time and/or Extended Time
It is unwise to adopt an absolute rule that under no circumstances will either unlimited time or extended time be provided as an academic adjustment. The institution’s obligation is to conduct “an individualized inquiry” with respect to requests for accommodation/academic adjustment. That obligation can not be met if blanket exclusions are used to deny requests for accommodation or academic adjustments. Therefore, your decision should always address the reasonableness of the request under the facts of the particular case.
