Faculty Resources

A student may refer to an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or 504 Plan from high school. If a student mentions either of these documents, refer the student to the Disability Resource Center. Faculty are not required to ask about a student’s affiliation with the DRC and should instead encourage the student to contact the office directly for more information.

Sample Response:

"Hi Student,

I’m glad you mentioned your IEP or 504 Plan to me. You’ll need to register with the Disability Resource Center (DRC) to establish accommodations at Montclair. The DRC provides a variety of accommodations and support for registered students. Please visit the DRC website to begin the application process. They are located in Cole Hall, Room 331 if you’d like to speak with one of the staff directly. Once you complete your registration with the DRC, they will provide you with an accommodation plan for your courses."

Although it may seem simpler to work with students directly, that approach can create risk for both faculty and students. The DRC exists to ensure an accessible and inclusive environment at Montclair State University. Staff are trained to review documentation, understand a wide range of diagnoses and access needs, and apply disability law consistently and appropriately.

If faculty provide accommodations without proper documentation, other students may view that treatment as preferential. In some cases, providing an unsubstantiated accommodation may also create legal complications. When students raise disability-related concerns, the DRC should be the point of referral.

If you have questions about a student’s accommodations, contact the DRC for support. Section 504 and the ADA include strict confidentiality requirements. Students voluntarily affiliate with the DRC, and disability-related information may only be shared on a need-to-know basis.

Faculty may be informed of the existence of a disability and the accommodations needed, but not the nature of the disability itself. Asking intrusive questions, discussing a student’s disability with others or requesting documentation directly from the student is not appropriate.

Students must self-identify to begin the registration process. The DRC uses AIM (Accessible Information Management) to administer accommodations. Students complete an online application and submit supporting documentation. After documentation is reviewed, a DRC staff member is assigned as their Counselor. The student is contacted via email to schedule an intake appointment.

During that meeting, the DRC Counselor develops the accommodation plan and reviews how to request and use accommodations. Accommodations are not active until the student requests the Accommodation Notice in AIM.

Faculty are not responsible for reviewing or receiving documentation. Instead, refer students to the DRC in a private and confidential setting.

Sample Email:

"Dear Student,

Thank you for your email regarding accommodations in this course. The Disability Resource Center (DRC) provides a variety of accommodations and support for registered students. Given the concerns in your email, I recommend registering with the DRC for further assistance. Please visit the DRC website to begin the application process.

Feel free to contact the DRC with any questions."

The DRC provides a variety of academic and student life-related accommodations based on documentation and an interactive meeting. Accommodations must be reasonable, appropriate, and timely. They are intended to reduce barriers to access, not lower academic standards.

Examples may include:

• Additional testing time
• Note-taking assistance
• Deadline extensions
• Use of a calculator
• Alternate format textbooks
• ASL interpreters or captioning providers

Students must request the Accommodation Notice each semester in AIM. Even if a student is registered with the DRC, accommodations are not active until that request is made.

Once approved, the Accommodation Notice is sent by email to both the student and the faculty member.

Faculty can also view Accommodation Notices in AIM by logging in with their NetID and selecting the option to view student accommodations.

Yes. After a student requests the Accommodation Notice and selects testing accommodations in AIM, the student must request the specific quiz or exam using the Alternative Testing feature.

Faculty then complete the Alternative Testing Agreement to provide testing conditions. Faculty may complete this before the student submits their request, but the student must still request the exam in AIM.

The DRC is available to support both students and faculty. The office can answer questions, mediate misunderstandings, proctor exams, speak to classes about accessibility, and provide consultation on accommodations.

Montclair State University is committed to assisting students with disabilities or access needs in receiving accommodations necessary to equalize access. Students who may need accommodations based on a documented condition must self-disclose and initiate the request to the Disability Resource Center (DRC).

The student is responsible for providing documentation that meets DRC guidelines. An intake meeting will take place with a DRC Counselor to determine reasonable accommodations. Accommodations require time to implement and are not in place until that meeting occurs.

For more information, contact the Disability Resource Center at drc@montclair.edu or 973-655-5431.

Although the DRC supports in-person testing, some exams may take place online. Faculty may need to adjust timers to reflect approved accommodations.

Platforms may include:

• Canvas
• Cengage
• Pearson

The DRC partners with Instructional Technology and Design Services to support accessible course materials and digital content.

Resources include:

• Adding captioning or interpreting in Canvas
• Adding captions in Zoom
• Creating accessible documents
• Digital Accessibility Initiative
• ACCESSCollege: The Faculty Room

The DRC offers training opportunities to help faculty and staff create accessible and inclusive practices. Sessions may include topics such as testing accommodations, note-taking, alternate formats, disability law, and best practices for inclusion.