Disability Rights & Policies

All students are evaluated for admission according to the same criteria and high standards, including those students with disabilities. Information shared with the Accessibility Resource Center (ARC) is private and will not be shared with the Office of Admission. Similarly, the Office of Admission generally does not share health services information with the ARC.

Smith’s philosophy and approach to supporting students with disabilities is one that emphasizes self-responsibility and self-advocacy. While the college has an important role in meeting the needs of students, it is expected that students will take an active role in the accommodation process.

Before admission, students with disabilities are advised to talk or meet with the disability services team to discuss any questions or concerns about disability accommodations or services.

Disability Is Not a Consideration in Admission

No inquiries will be made about disability, and your disability need not be disclosed before admission. If you have questions about disability and admission policies, please contact us or the Office of Admission.

Smith College strives to create a positive work environment that can accommodate employees with diverse needs. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, otherwise qualified faculty and staff may request job accommodations for a documented disability or serious medical condition. An employee must be able to perform the essential functions of a job, either with or without accommodations. All employee accommodations are managed by Human Resources. 

Prospective Employees

If you need accommodations during the job application process, please discuss with the Office of Human Resources. Accommodations are determined on a case-by-case basis, considering an individual’s challenges, the demands and responsibilities of the position, and the needs of the college.

State and federal civil rights laws require the college to be, within certain limits, responsible for ensuring that students are not denied the opportunity to participate in college programs on the basis of a disability. The college does not provide such support services in cases where this would create an undue burden for the college. Specifically, the college is not required to and does not:

• Make accommodations or provide support for services which fundamentally alter the academic requirements for the degree, course requirements, or basic pedagogy.

• Normally alter consistently applied academic policies which are based on academic standards.

• Guarantee success or bear responsibility for making students succeed in their courses.

• Provide professional tutoring, clinical evaluation, intervention services, professional services, tutoring aimed at remediation, personal coaching, academic coaching, or case management.

• Pay for or provide items or services of a personal nature, such as: personal care assistance; personal purchases; personal medical, adaptive, or computer equipment; private transportation; educational supplies used by all students such as pens, paper, and computer supplies. These are the responsibility of the student.

Exclusions

Although Smith College does not provide testing for learning disabilities or ADHD, Smith’s student health insurance offers coverage for some of these costs. Please consult the student health insurance provider. The college also does not provide specialized LD tutors, personal coaching, or case management. Individuals who need this type of support will be referred to appropriate resources in the community to the extent that they are available.

Smith College will provide support services to students for whom the college has current evaluations and documentation that support the accommodation or services requested. Students who find provision of documentation to be a barrier may contact or be referred to the Accessibility Resource Center (ARC) for consultation and advice. Requests for accommodation and services will be reviewed upon registration with the ARC, and determinations will be made in a timely manner. The college will consider the student's preferred accommodations but has the right to offer equally effective alternatives.

Registered students with disabilities who need academic accommodations are asked to make their needs known by filing a request form with the Accessibility Resource Center in a timely way. Once approved, it is the student’s responsibility to contact the ARC if their needs have changed and they require an update to accommodations. Like all Smith students, those with disabilities should take into account their own particular strengths and challenges when selecting courses. Retroactive accommodations cannot be made. Students are expected to responsibly use the accommodations that have been approved by the college. 

Academic Honor Code

All students are bound by Smith’s honor code, which includes conduct rules, academic integrity, destroying recordings created for the purpose of note-taking once the course has completed, etc. More information can be found here.

Foreign Language Requirements

Students with disabilities must complete language requirements for their major as appropriate. If they have a language-based learning disability and wish to be eligible for Latin honors, they may petition the administrative board for language course substitution with the support of the Accessibility Resource Center.

Credit Shortages

Please contact the ARC to discuss reduced courseload accommodations or credit shortages which are due to disability-related reasons.

If you disagree with an ARC team member other than the director, please schedule a meeting with the ARC director to discuss. If you disagree with the final decision of the director of accessibility, please contact the College’s 504 Coordinator, and follow the college’s procedures as outlined on their website. If the 504 Coordinator is not available, please reach out to the dean of students in the student affairs office. If you disagree with a faculty member, please reach out to your class dean or the ARC to discuss.