Understanding Accommodations

Faculty Guide to Student Accommodations

What Are Reasonable Accommodations?

Reasonable accommodations that provide students with documented disabilities equal access to UTEP’s academic programs, services, and activities—without altering essential course requirements.

These accommodations are guided by federal laws, including:

• The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
• Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973

Under these laws, colleges and universities must provide reasonable accommodations to qualified students with disabilities. Accommodations are intended to remove barriers related to a student’s disability—not to modify academic standards, lower expectations, or give anyone an unfair advantage.

In higher education, accommodations support access while maintaining the academic integrity of a course. For example, providing extended time on exams helps a student demonstrate their knowledge under equitable conditions, but the exam content and expectations remain the same.

Accommodations are determined on an individualized basis through an interactive process between the student and a CASS coordinator, based on appropriate documentation and the functional impact of the disability.

Examples of Common Accommodations

• Extended time on assignments
• Extended time for exams and quizzes
• Reduced-distraction testing environments
• Note-taking assistance or access to recorded lectures
• Alternative formats for instructional materials (e.g., accessible PDFs, large print)
• Preferential seating or accessible classroom arrangements
• Use of assistive technology (e.g., screen readers, notetaking applications, magnification tools)

 Note: All reasonable accommodations are determined through an interactive process between the student and a CASS coordinator, supported by appropriate documentation.