Code of Commitment | Personal Counselling and Accessible Learning Services | Seneca Students

Accessible Learning Code of Commitments

An Appendix to the Accessible Learning Policy

Purpose

This Code of Commitments is developed to assist Seneca and Seneca students to ensure the success of the accommodation planning and delivery process[i].

Commitment

All parties involved in the process of preparing an Accommodation Plan and/or providing or receiving accommodations pursuant to that an Accommodation Plan will adhere to this Code of Commitments.

Accessible Learning Services

Accessible Learning Services Employees will be meet the following commitments when performing their respective roles:

• Work respectfully with Seneca students including:
  • Responding in a timely way to student communications (within 24 hours)
  • Attending meetings at the time scheduled or providing at least 24 hours of advance notice if attendance isn’t possible
  • Treating students and other employees with respect and engaging constructively in dialogue to solve challenges arising during the accommodation process
  • Ensuring the privacy and confidentiality of student information and sharing only as much as is needed with those involved in the Accommodation Plan

In developing an Accommodation Plan Accessible Learning Services will:

• Minimize the requirement for students to interact with multiple employees at Seneca by taking responsibility for the accommodation process, ensuring that the process is timely and that all participants in the process have the information they need to support and engage in the process
• Provide resources to students and parents so that they are aware of the available accommodations and support services and the process for accessing them
• Accept student requests for accommodation (including interim and retroactive requests) in good faith and work to ensure that students who need accommodation receive it even where their requests are not communicated well or sufficient information provided by the student
• Consult experts only as needed
• Actively investigate different options for accommodations
• Consult with students about appropriate accommodation
• Communicate regularly and effectively with the student
• Consider both in-class and extra-curricular activities when developing an Accommodation Plan
• Ensure that information requested from students is needed
• Conduct the accommodation planning process and implement the Accommodation Plan in a timely way
• Be responsible for the cost of the accommodation
• Work collaboratively with other Seneca employees to address questions, concerns, or challenges with accommodations in a timely and respectful way.

Instructors

Instructors will meet the following commitments when performing their respective roles:

• Work respectfully with Seneca students including:
  • Responding in a timely way to student communications
  • Treating students and other employees with respect and engaging constructively in dialogue to solve challenges arising during the accommodation process
  • Respecting the privacy and confidentiality of student information ensuring sensitivity in the classroom and understanding that you will receive limited information to allow you to fulfil your role in providing a student accommodation under their Accommodation Plan
• Fulfil your role in providing or supporting the Academic Accommodations in a student’s Accommodation Plan
• Work collaboratively with Accessible Learning Services to address questions, concerns or challenges with accommodations in a timely and respectful way.

Students and Parents/Guardians

Students (either personally or through their parents/guardians) will:

• Work respectfully with Seneca employees including:
  • Responding in a timely way to employee communications
  • Attending meetings or providing at least 24 hours of advance notice if attendance isn’t possible
  • Attending meetings at the time scheduled (noting that the meeting will be cancelled, and support provided to other students if a student is more than ten minutes late) and notifying employees if you are unavoidably detained
  • Treating employees with respect and engaging in dialogue to solve challenges
• Make your accommodation needs known using the forms and documents required by Seneca
• Answer questions and provide information about their restrictions and/or functional limitations
• Understand that coming to an accommodation is a collaborative process and engage openly and actively in discussing accommodation solutions
• Cooperate with experts as needed to support the process
• Once accommodated, fulfil the necessary academic requirements for admission, graduation, or to enter or complete a course or program
• While being accommodated, support the success of the accommodation process
• While being accommodated, communicate with Seneca about challenges or difficulties with the Accommodation Plan or with accessing the accommodations