Information for Faculty & Staff

It is the responsibility of the faculty member to determine the essential elements and standards of the academic program or course of study. Faculty should communicate both orally and in writing classroom policies and practices concerning attendance, grading, examination formats, extensions, office hours, and helpful resources so that students can determine what accommodations they may need in a particular class. The faculty must also protect disabled students’ rights to privacy and confidentiality in all communications. Faculty members can also request confirmation of the appropriateness of accommodations by consulting with CARDS.

Though students with disabilities are capable and admitted to Barnard under the same criteria as other students, they may be hesitant to come forward and, facing the demands within a college environment, may be discovering new, different, or unanticipated effects of their disabilities. Faculty can facilitate communication with students on disability-related matters by including a statement in their syllabi, like the Center for Accessibility Resources & Disability Services Syllabus Statement below. 

Center for Accessibility Resources & Disability Services Syllabus Statement

If you believe you may encounter barriers to the academic environment due to a documented disability or emerging health challenges, please feel free to contact me and/or the Center for Accessibility Resources & Disability Services (CARDS). Any student with approved academic accommodations is encouraged to contact me during office hours or via email. If you have questions regarding registering a disability or receiving accommodations for the semester, please contact CARDS at (212) 854-4634, cards@barnard.edu, or learn more at barnard.edu/disabilityservices. CARDS is located in 101 Altschul Hall.

Consultation with Individual Faculty Members and Departments

The Center for Accessibility Resources & Disability Services is available to consult with individual faculty members and departments. Topics we can present to departments include an overview of the Center and our processes; developing universally designed courses; managing complex student needs; or any specifically requested presentation related to disability services in higher education.

Exam Proctoring for Students Registered with CARDS

Please see below for the options that CARDS is offering for testing accommodations for in person, remote and take home exams. Please contact CARDS (cards@barnard.edu) if you have questions about a student’s specific accommodation plan or testing accommodations and how to implement them. 

In Person Testing Accommodations 

CARDS will proctor in person exams for students with testing accommodations.

Remote Testing Accommodations

Please note that CARDS requires that eligible students are offered accommodations for any timed testing online. When setting up any online exams through Canvas or Courseworks, please note that you can adjust specific students’ accommodations so that they are able to receive their extended time. We recommend that you cross-reference the information in the AIM Faculty Portal as you’re setting this up.

You can learn how to adjust student accommodation times for Exams/ Quizzes in Canvas here:  https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-16842-41521110302

Take Home Exams

Students who are ill or have a disability may need additional time to complete take home exams. Please plan for extension requests. If you’ve set a time limit on Canvas for turning in an assignment, be sure to communicate with students who have extension accommodations regarding how they can turn in the assignment with any extended deadlines. 

CARDS is available to consult with staff regarding accommodations. Please reach out to cards@barnard.edu with any questions you may have.