Skip to main content
Penn State Altoona
Report a Concern Give Visit Apply
  • Academics
    • Majors
    • Academic Calendar
    • Research and Engagement
    • Eiche Library
    • Registrar
    • Academic Advising
    • Honors Program
    • Out-of-Class Learning
    • New Student Orientation
    • Commencement
  • Admissions & Financial Aid
    • Visit Us
    • Admissions Overview
    • Information for First-Year Students
    • How to Apply
    • Accepted Students
    • Find Your Admissions Counselor
    • Tuition and Financial Aid Resources
    • Financial Aid Basics
    • Tuition and Costs
  • Student Success
    • Student Success Center
    • The Help Tool
    • Tutoring
    • Student Affairs
    • Student and Civic Engagement
    • Health and Wellness
    • Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging
    • Safety at Penn State Altoona
    • Career Services
    • Eiche Library
  • Information For
    • Prospective Students
    • Transfer Students
    • Current Students
    • International Students
    • High School Dual Enrollment Program
    • Faculty & Staff
    • Alumni
    • Parents & Families
    • Professional Development
    • Visitors
Full site navigation menu

This dialog contains the full navigation menu for this site.

Penn State Altoona
Enter the terms you wish to search for.
Search type:
Report a Concern Give Visit Apply
  • This is Penn State Altoona
    • Welcome from the Chancellor
    • Penn State Altoona At a Glance
    • Mission, Vision, and Values
    • College Leadership
    • Our History
    • Campus Map
    • Current Weather Conditions
    • Livestream
  • Academics
    • Majors
    • Academic Calendar
    • Out-of-class Learning
    • Eiche Library
    • Registrar
    • Academic Advising
    • Honors Program
    • Campus Closures
  • Admissions
    • Visit Us
    • Information for First-Year Students
    • How to Apply
    • Accepted Students
    • Find Your Admissions Counselor
    • Experience Altoona
    • Virtual Tour
  • Tuition and Financial Aid
    • Scholarships and Awards
    • Grants
    • Loans
    • Work-study
    • Financial Aid Basics
    • Tuition and Costs
    • Financial Aid Information
  • Student Success
    • Student Success Center
    • The Help Tool
    • Tutoring
    • Student Affairs
    • Student Leadership and Involvement
    • Health and Wellness Center
    • Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging
    • Internships
    • Safety at Penn State Altoona
    • Study Abroad/Study Away
  • Research and Engagement
    • Undergraduate Research and Creative Inquiry
    • Faculty Research Resources
    • Internal Grants and Awards
  • Athletics
    • Schedule
    • Facilities
    • Recreation and Club Sports
    • Staff and Coaches Directory
    • Athletic Training and Sports Physicals
    • Athletics News
    • Camps and Clinics
    • Hall of Fame

Find Information For:

  • Prospective Students
  • Transfer Students
  • Current Students
  • International Students
  • High School Dual Enrollment Program
  • Faculty & Staff
  • Alumni
  • Parents & Families
  • Professional Development
  • Visitors

Helpful Links

  • Campus Map
  • Academic Calendar
  • Campus Calendar
  • Community Calendar
  • Student Success Center
  • The Help Tool
  • Faculty & Staff Directory
  • Offices and Divisions
  • Employment Opportunities

Connect With Us

  • facebook
  • instagram
  • youtube
  • linkedin
  • tiktok
  1. Home
  2. Student Success
  3. Student Success Center
  4. Student Disability Resources

Information for Faculty

Suggested Syllabus Statement

It is suggested that the following statement be included in each course syllabus.

If you have a documented disability, you are advised to notify both your instructor and the Student Disability Resources office to request specific classroom accommodations based on your disability. Classroom accommodations are only provided when a certifying accommodation form is presented by the student from the Student Disability Resources office. Student Disability Resources is in the Student Success Center, room 144 of the Eiche Library.

Teaching Suggestions for Faculty

Faculty play a critical role in helping students who may have learning disabilities by referring them to a trained specialist. Once identified, faculty can develop "academic adjustments" that will permit students with learning disabilities to fully access lecture and course materials.

  • Encourage students to make appointments during office hours. Ask students with disabilities how you, as a faculty member, can assist in facilitating course material.
  • Provide students with a detailed course syllabus. Include the disability statement on the course syllabus.
  • Clearly spell out expectations before the course begins (e.g., grading, material to be covered, and due dates.)
  • Start each lecture with an outline of the material to be covered in that period. At the conclusion of the class, summarize key points.
  • Speak directly to students and use gestures and natural expressions to convey further meaning.
  • Present new or technical vocabulary on the blackboard or use a student handout. Terms should be used in context to convey greater meaning.
  • Give assignments both orally and in written form to avoid confusion.
  • Announce reading assignments well in advance.
  • If possible, select a textbook with an accompanying study guide for optional student use.
  • Provide adequate opportunities for questions and answers, including review sessions.
  • Allow students to record lectures to facilitate their note-taking. In some instances, this will be an essential accommodation.
  • Provide, in advance, study questions for exams that illustrate the format as well as the content of the test. Explain what constitutes a good answer and why.
  • If necessary, allow students with learning disabilities to demonstrate mastery of course material using alternative methods (e.g., extended time limits for testing and oral exams in a separate room).
  • Permit the use of simple calculators, scratch paper, pocket spellers, and dictionaries during exams (no programmable calculators!).

Frequently Asked Questions

Click the question below to view the corresponding answer.

Since the passage of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), individuals with disabilities are attending colleges and universities in increasing numbers. The Rehabilitation Act states that "No otherwise qualified handicapped individual ... shall, solely by means of handicap be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance."

With the passage of the ADA, this mandate was expanded to any public or private institution. Subpart E of the Rehabilitation Act requires an institution be prepared to make reasonable academic adjustments and accommodations to allow students with disabilities full participation in the same programs and activities available to students without disabilities.

If you have a question, or think you will have difficulty providing an accommodation requested, again, the first step is to call the staff person from the Office for Student Disability Resources (SDR) who wrote the Accommodation Letter you received from the student. The staff person will be able to clarify any information, as well as assist you with the resources you need to provide the accommodation. In some cases, clarification involves working with the student and the SDR staff person to adjust the recommendations for your particular academic situation.

Students attending the University have a variety of learning and physical disabilities. Extended test time is the accommodation most commonly provided for students to assist them with their classes. For example, a student with a learning disability cannot process information in the same manner as a typical student. Therefore, they need additional time to rephrase the questions in a way they can understand and answer. A student with a disability affecting motor control of their extremities may need additional time to write the answers.

The results of three studies done on the range of instructional accommodations considered at two- and four-year universities found the accommodation that is most widely accepted and easiest to provide is testing under modified conditions. Faculty and administrators agree that tests need to reflect students' course mastery, rather than their disability.

If an otherwise reasonable accommodation infringes on the course's fundamental goals, then the student may not be entitled to the accommodation in such a situation. A guideline would be to determine if it is speed or knowledge that is being tested.

Again, if you have a question, or think you will have difficulty providing an accommodation requested; the first step is to call the staff person from the Office for Student Disability Resources (SDR) who wrote the Accommodation Letter you received from the student. The staff person will be able to clarify any information, as well as assist you with the resources you need to provide the accommodation. In some cases, clarification involves working with the student and the SDR staff person to adjust the recommendations for your particular academic situation.

Ask the student if they are working with the Office for Student Disability Resources. If they are, suggest the student contact the staff person they have been working with to inform them they must have an Accommodation Letter outlining the accommodations needed. It is the student's responsibility to provide documentation of their disability to receive accommodations. If a student is asking for accommodations and is not working with SDR, suggest they call the office to arrange for an appointment. Accommodations should not be given if you have not received an official accommodation letter from SDR.

A student with a disability should be treated as you would any student who is disruptive in class. All students must adhere to the Student Code of Conduct. However, if you sense there is a medical reason for the student's action, the SDR staff person working with that student should be consulted to determine if there is a solution to the problem.

One way to approach this is to assign a student in class to serve as an official note taker for the whole class. This procedure can be done by asking for a volunteer at the beginning of the semester. If there is a student that you know in the class, you may ask them to take notes for the class and be willing to have copies made of those notes. Photocopying or carbonless note taking paper is available through SDR for a student to take notes for a student to take notes for a student with a disability.

Many referrals to SDR are from faculty who has noticed a student having difficulty in their class. If you see a student struggling and suspect a disability, you are encouraged to talk privately with that student after class or during office hours about the difficulty they are having. Another approach would be, at the beginning of each semester, announce to the class that if a student has any special circumstances for which they need assistance, to speak with you after class or during office hours.

Student Disability Resources

  • Register with Student Disability Resources (SDR)
  • Penn State Privacy Policy
  • Confidentiality and Release of Information
  • Rights and Responsibilities
  • Accommodations
    • Typical Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
    • Accommodation Information for Students
    • Accommodation Information for Faculty
  • Modified/Proctored Testing
  • Course Substitutions
  • Grievances
  • Documentation Requirements and Verification Forms
  • ADA Accessible Campus Maps
  • Wheelchair Locations
  • Policies and Procedures
  • University Housing Information
  • Information for Faculty
  • Parents' Role in the Reasonable Accommodation Process

Quick Links

Emergency and After Hours Care
Red Folder Initiative: Assisting Students in Distress

See Also

  • Applying for Services from Student Disability Resources
  • AT Toolbelt
  • Student Disability Resources Scholarships
  • Faculty Handbook
  • Health Services
  • Counseling and Psychological Services
  • Health Education
Pennsylvania map showing Penn State's campuses with Penn State Altoona highlighted

Penn State Altoona

A full-service, four-year, residential campus located less than 45 miles from the research campus at University Park. Offering 21 four-year degrees and the first two years of over 275 Penn State majors.
  • facebook
  • instagram
  • youtube
  • linkedin
  • tiktok
Give Visit Apply
  • This is Penn State Altoona
    • Welcome from the Chancellor
    • Penn State Altoona At a Glance
    • Mission, Vision, and Values
    • College Leadership
    • Our History
    • Campus Map
    • Current Weather Conditions
    • Livestream
  • Academics
    • Majors
    • Academic Calendar
    • Out-of-Class Learning
    • Eiche Library
    • Registrar
    • Academic Advising
    • Honors Program
    • Campus Closures
  • Admissions
    • Visit Us
    • Information for First-Year Students
    • How to Apply
    • Accepted Students
    • Find Your Admissions Counselor
    • Experience Altoona
    • Virtual Tour
  • Tuition & Financial Aid
    • Scholarships and Awards
    • Grants
    • Loans
    • Work-study
    • Financial Aid Basics
    • Tuition and Costs
    • Financial Aid Information
  • Student Success
    • Student Success Center
    • The Help Tool
    • Tutoring
    • Student Affairs
    • Student and Civic Engagement
    • Health and Wellness Center
    • Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging
    • Safety at Penn State Altoona
    • Career Services
    • Eiche Library
  • Research & Engagement
    • Undergraduate Research and Creative Inquiry
    • Faculty Research Resources
    • Internships
    • Study Abroad/Study Away
    • Internal Grants and Awards
  • Athletics
    • Schedule
    • Facilities
    • Recreation and Club Sports
    • Staff and Coaches Directory
    • Athletic Training and Sports Physicals
    • Athletics News
    • Camps and Clinics
    • Hall of Fame
  • Stay Connected
    • Faculty and Staff Directory
    • Offices and Divisions
    • Campus Calendar
    • PSUAlert Text Messaging Service
    • Penn State Altoona Connect
    • Penn State Go App
    • Penn State Student Engagement Network
Penn State University
3000 Ivyside Park, Altoona, Pennsylvania 16601 814-949-5000

Footer Legal Menu

  • Privacy
  • Non-discrimination
  • Accessibility
  • Copyright
  • Directory
  • The Pennsylvania State University © 2025
  • We Are Penn State