CLASS Program - Rights and Responsibilities
Augsburg College, CLASS, and the Access Center are committed to facilitating equal access to education for all.
While in high school, the student's home school district was legally responsible for initiating, developing and providing all academic supports required for the student's full access to and involvement in the educational process. At the Post-secondary level, this responsibility changes. CLASS does not have the same legal obligation. CLASS does not seek students out to determine if there are services they need; rather, it is the student's responsibility to initiate contact with CLASS. CLASS does not track or seek out those students who have disclosed to us, but have chosen not to access services.
Therefore, it is the student's responsibility to:
- meet qualifications and maintain essential institutional standards for courses, programs, services, jobs, activities, and facilities
- self identify in a timely manner to CLASS as an individual with a disability who needs an accommodation, and seek information, counsel, and assistance as necessary
- provide appropriate documentation, satisfying the CLASS Policy on Documentation of a Disability, from a qualified professional as to how the disability limits their participation in courses, programs, services, jobs, activities, and facilities. This may involve updating assessments and/or verifying the functional limitations of the disability each semester
- advocate, on an ongoing basis, regarding the meeting of their needs
- follow CLASS procedures for obtaining reasonable accommodations, academic adjustments, auxiliary aids and services, and the removal of the functional limitations or barriers resulting from the disability
Privacy and Release of Student Information
The Center for Learning and Adaptive Student Services (CLASS) recognizes the sensitive nature of the information it receives about students; therefore, CLASS views all material pertaining to a student's disability as private. This policy is based on government mandates regarding the treatment of disability-related information.
- Any written material obtained by CLASS is used to verify the disability and plan for appropriate services and accommodations
- Disability-related information we receive is housed in the CLASS offices. Each student has a separate file which is stored in a secure filing cabinet. Only staff persons working in CLASS have access to these files
- Files located in the CLASS offices are maintained for a period of seven years after a student is no longer registered for classes or upon graduation from the college. After a period of seven years, the file is destroyed
- The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), also known as the Buckley Amendment, and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), limits faculty access to student files and disability-related information
Some level of disclosure to Faculty is necessary for a student to receive accommodations through CLASS.
Your Specialist can discuss more fully with you how we share information with others such as professors, other campus services, your parents and family members, your doctors, and other clinicians.
- Information may also be shared with other professionals of the college on a need-to-know basis when there is a legitimate educational interest. What may be shared is the impact of the disability on a student's functioning within the institutional community.
- For people outside the Augsburg community, including parents, we will need your written permission to communicate with them.
- Any Institutional data collected from CLASS will be reported in a manner that protects the anonymity/privacy of the individual.
- A student may request to review the contents of his/her own file when a Specialist is present. All information in the file is the property of CLASS.
- CLASS cannot forward documentation that originated with another institution or professional. Other disability related information may be released to an outside source only after the student has signed a Release of Information form giving permission.
- CLASS will comply with Augsburg's policy on Mandatory Reporting with regard to "harm to self or others"
Concerns within CLASS
If you have issues or concerns with CLASS procedure or policy, we encourage you to speak with any Specialist regarding these concerns. If you have issues about a particular staff member of CLASS, please make an appointment to speak with the Director of CLASS Karena Jones at 612-330-1053. If you feel your concerns cannot be addressed by the Director of CLASS, please contact Barbara Edwards Farley, the Vice President for Academic Affairs, at 612-330-1024.
Discrimination Complaints
For grievances related to Section 504 or the ADA: (for matters based on physical or mental disabilities), please contact the office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs, Memorial Hall, 612-330-1024.
