Disabilities Policy

United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities is committed to equality of educational opportunities for qualified students with disabilities. This commitment is consistent with legal requirements, including Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. Our goal is to provide appropriate and reasonable academic accommodation to those with a documented disability which materially limits one or more major life activities, has a record of such an impairment or is regarded as having such an impairment. For more information or to request reasonable accommodations, please contact the dean’s office at 651.255.6108.

Rights and Responsibilities

Responsibilities of the student

The student is responsible to notify the Dean of the Seminary of a disability requiring accommodation, to request reasonable accommodation, and provide needed documentation as soon as possible after admission to the school or after incurring the disability.

• The student is responsible to notify the Dean of the Seminary of any difficulties that rise with accommodations received.
• The student is responsible to notify the Dean of the Seminary of any changes in the disability  or accommodation required.

Rights of the student

• The student has a right to equal access to courses, programs, services, and activities essential to completion of the educational program for which the student has enrolled.
• The student has a right to receive reasonable accommodation as defined under the law.
• The student has the right to file a grievance/complaint under the seminary’s standard policies for handling student grievances and complaints.

Responsibilities of the seminary

• The seminary is responsible to provide information on available services.
• The  seminary  is  responsible  for  responding  in  a  timely  way  to  requests  for  reasonable accommodation.
• The  seminary  is  responsible  for  maintaining  confidentiality  of  all  information  pertaining  to requests for accommodation in accordance with applicable requirements.

Rights of the seminary

• The  seminary  has  the  right  to  request  and  receive  what  it  regards  as  adequate  and  current documentation of disability.
• The  seminary  has  the  right  to  explore  options  for  accommodation,  and  to  determine  what  it regards  as  reasonable  accommodation  in  response  to  student  requests. The Dean of the Seminary is responsible for determining reasonable accommodation for students in relation to the  academic  programs  of  the  seminary.  Receiving services or accommodations at another college, university, or testing agency does not necessarily mean that United will conclude that the student is disabled for purposes of the ADA and/or agree to provide the student with the same services or accommodations received at the other institution or testing agency.
• The  seminary  has  the  right  to  deny  a  request  for  accommodation  when  an  accommodation would  change  the  fundamental  nature  of  a  program  and/or  pose  an  undue  burden  on  the seminary.
• The seminary has the right to maintain confidentiality of all information pertaining to requests for accommodation in accordance with applicable requirements.

Obtaining Reasonable Accommodations

Making a request for accommodation because of a disability is a two-step process.

1. The  student  completes  a  Disability  Accommodation  Request  Form,  available on  United’s Moodle page,  and submits  the  form to  the Dean  of  the Seminary as soon as possible after admission or the onset of the disability. Receipt of the form is followed by a meeting of the Dean of the Seminary and the student to discuss specific needs.

2. The student submits current documentation (no older than three years) of a disability and its impact in an academic setting. The documentation must come from an appropriate licensed professional and be submitted with the Disability Accommodation Request Form.

United has the right to deny a request for accommodations, academic adjustments and/or services if the documentation demonstrates they are not warranted, or if the student fails to provide appropriate documentation.

If there is a change in the nature of the disability, the student must contact the Dean of the Seminary. The Dean of the Seminary may request clinical documentation of any changes.

Any  costs  incurred  for  testing  and  diagnosis  of  a  disability  are  the  responsibility  of  the  student.  The Seminary reserves the right to conduct its own independent evaluation at its own expense