Disabilities and Academic Accommodations
Rocky Vista University recognizes disability as an integral part of diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive and equitable educational environment for students with disabilities. Students are required to meet the technical standards set forth by the college/program in which they are enrolled, with or without reasonable accommodations. RVU complies with federal and state law prohibiting discrimination against any applicant or enrolled student on the basis of race, color, religion, sexual preference, age, disability, or other protected status. In accordance with its obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 5.04 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, RVU does not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities in admission or in access to programs and activities.
Students who may qualify for accommodations include those who have received accommodations previously or who have been diagnosed with a condition impacting one or more major life activities (such as caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, learning, walking, seeing, hearing, breathing, and working, etc.). Although students with temporary illness or injury are not considered disabled by law, every reasonable effort to accommodate their needs will be exercised. If you feel you meet these criteria or would like to discuss your eligibility for accommodations, you are encouraged to complete our registration form.
Requests for accommodations and services are evaluated on an individual, case-by-case basis and are dependent on a student’s functional limitations within a given environment. Through an interactive dialog facilitated by Disability Services, all relevant factors, including the impact of the disability on the student’s access to a course or a program, supporting clinical or diagnostic documentation, and the relevant learning outcomes of the given program, will be considered. Requests for accommodations that would result in an alteration of the fundamental nature or learning outcome of a course or a program are not reasonable and will not be approved.
Clinical documentation or other diagnostic information submitted to Disability Services is kept confidential and is released to a third party only with the student’s written permission or as required by law. General information about a student’s disability and accommodation request/s, however, may be shared with other RVU officials or, in limited circumstances, with third parties who have a legitimate educational need to know. The student’s disabilities file is maintained by the RVU Disability Officer and is held separately from the student’s official academic record.
Students requesting disability-related accommodations must follow the process outlined below.
Accommodations Request Process
Step 1: Complete the Initial Accommodation Request Form
It is the student’s responsibility to initiate the process with Disability Services as soon as possible after committing to attend RVU, or after diagnosis, to ensure timely approval and implementation of approved accommodations. While requests may be submitted at any point throughout the year, students should consider that the interactive process, including documentation review and eligibility notification, typically requires two (2) weeks. Incomplete documentation may delay the review process.
Step 2: Schedule an Appointment with Disability Services
After submitting the Initial Accommodation Request Form, students must schedule a Welcome Meeting with Disability Services.
Meetings can be held virtually for students on all three campuses or in-person for students on the Utah campus.
Disability Services' priority is initiating the interactive process with students; therefore, students should not delay submitting a request due to a lack of documentation concerns. The Disability Officer will discuss acceptable types of documentation during the Welcome Meeting, and can answer specific documentation-related questions at that time.
Step 3: Welcome Meeting
The Welcome Meeting is the beginning of an interactive process in which the Disability Officer will talk with students about disability-related barriers they may be experiencing, any history of accommodations they may have, as well as possible accommodations that may be reasonable and appropriate in the various RVU learning environments within the program. Students will also have the opportunity to ask questions, provide information and otherwise engage with the Disability Officer to understand how accommodations work within a medical education setting and what to expect relative to next steps in the process of establishing eligibility.
Step 4: Documentation Review and Notification of Eligibility Determination
Upon receipt of the Initial Contact Form-Request for Accommodations and other supporting documentation, the student’s eligibility for accommodations will be reviewed and the student will receive a Notification of Eligibility Determination. The eligibility notification will specify the accommodations for which the student has been approved, and copies will be sent to the Office of Testing and appropriate RVU officials. Once approved for accommodations, the Testing Center will send out instructions regarding the administration and location of exams with accommodations.
In some cases, a student may be asked to provide additional supporting documentation/information if the submitted documentation is outdated or does not include sufficient relevant information to determine the impact of the disability. Last-minute submission of documentation may result in unavoidable delays in consideration of requested services.
Please note that accommodations granted by the University are not applicable retroactively and will not affect past administrative or academic actions, or past performance evaluations and examinations.
Accommodation Renewal Process
Accommodations will generally remain effective for the duration of a student’s active enrollment in an RVU program. However, when transferring from one program to another (i.e. from MSBS to RVUCOM, or from MMS to MCOM) students must request to renew their accommodations prior to the start of the new academic program. Failure to request a renewal of accommodations may delay timely implementation. To verify their intent to continue using accommodations in a new RVU program, students should complete the Accommodation Renewal Request form prior to the first day of the new academic year.
Additionally, students are encouraged to meet with the Disability Officer prior to entering the clinical rotation portion of their program, if applicable, or at any time an adjustment to currently approved accommodations may be necessary.
National Board Accommodations
Students seeking accommodations for licensure exams must directly petition the organization administering the exam to seek test accommodations. Please schedule a meeting with the Disability Officer to discuss this process in more detail and learn about additional support RVU may be able to provide.
ADA Accommodation Review Requests and Appeals
Disability Services is committed to ensuring that Rocky Vista University is inclusive and accessible to all students. Several options are available to students who would like to address disability-related concerns, complaints, or issues.
If a student has concerns about the support provided by the Disability Officer, or if they believe that they have been denied reasonable accommodations as requested, we recommend initiating a conversation with the Disability Officer to discuss those concerns. If the matter remains unresolved or if the student disagrees with the determination reached by the Disability Officer, the student may appeal the decision to the Associate/Assistant Dean of Student Affairs by submitting an Accessibility Grievance Form. The student will be contacted within seven (7) days of submission and will be given an opportunity to share additional details regarding their specific situation and the reason for the appeal request.
If the student believes their complaint is a matter of discrimination, the student has the right to bypass the Associate/ Assistant Dean of Student Affairs by submitting an EthicsPoint Complaint online or by calling (844) 936-2729.
If a satisfactory solution is still not offered, the student may choose to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights.