Mission: Ensuring Equal Access and Academic Integrity Standards

The mission of Disability and Accessibility Services at CSU Global is to ensure equal access for students with disabilities while maintaining the academic integrity standards of the university.

Disability and Accessibility Services at CSU Global collaborates with instructors, staff, and stakeholders to create effective, equitable, and inclusive learning environments so that students can achieve their educational goals.

About Disability and Accessibility Services

Disability and Accessibility Services at CSU Global is committed to individualized assistance that honors the uniqueness of each student. Communication with staff about your experiences will help Disability and Accessibility Services identify the types of accommodations that may be appropriate, and the information necessary to support approving those accommodations. 

CSU Global is consistent with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended. Our policies shall be consistent with current applicable federal and state laws concerning the nondiscrimination of students on the basis of disability.

Contact Disability and Accessibility Services

Email: ada [at] csuglobal.edu 

Phone: 720-279-0650

Fax: 720-943-2863 

Mailing Address:

CSU Global, Disability and Accessibility Services

          585 Salida Way

          Aurora, CO 80011

Students can request a phone appointment or email Disability and Accessibility Services to discuss the accommodations process, implementation of approved accommodations, course or faculty concerns, and any other applicable inquiries. Our office is open Monday through Friday and we strive to respond to all inquiries and outreach within 1 business day. At peak times, like term starts, our response time may be 2 business days.

 

How to Register with Disability and Accessibility Services and Request Academic Accommodations

We encourage students to self-identify and request disability-related academic accommodations prior to starting coursework at CSU Global. However, we will work through this process with students at any point in their enrollment. Once approved, accommodations are not retroactive in coursework. Please review the steps and information below:

  1. Self-identify as a student with a disability to Disability and Accessibility Services by emailing ada [at] csuglobal.edu or calling 720-279-0650. We will connect over phone or email to review the accommodations process, required paperwork, and answer any questions you have. You will also receive the Disability Services Handbook
  2. Students requesting academic accommodations with CSU Global must complete and submit all required paperwork to Disability and Accessibility Services through your Student Portal Document Center. Below are the three pieces of paperwork we need to receive from you:
    • Request for Academic Accommodations eForm
      • Disability and Accessibility Services will add this eForm to your Student Portal Document Center to complete and submit. On this form you will provide information about your diagnosis, the accommodations you are requesting, and information about any approved accommodations in previous academic settings.
    • Informed Consent for Information Release eForm
      • Disability and Accessibility Services will add this eForm to your Student Portal Document Center to complete and submit. This form authorizes the release of information regarding a student condition or disability to appropriate personnel strictly for the purposes of providing and/or coordinating academic services for reasonable accommodation requests.
    • Medical/Disability Documentation (from a third party provider)
      • Disability and Accessibility Services will add a placeholder to your Student Portal Document Center to upload this required paperwork. Our full Documentation Guidelines are in the Disability Services Handbook. The guidelines review the information documentation should include so our office can determine academic accommodations. The Documentation Guidelines are extensive, but to summarize on the most important points, the documentation should include the following information:
        • Diagnosis of disability by an appropriate professional (e.g., medical doctor, psychologist, psychiatrist, licensed counselor).
        • Information about what you experience in an academic setting in relation to the diagnosis and/or a recommendation for academic accommodations for coursework while attending CSU Global.
        • The name, professional credentials, address, and telephone of the provider/medical professional. If your provider is writing a letter with this information, it should be on an official letterhead.
  3. Disability and Accessibility Services will confirm receipt of all paperwork. Once all paperwork has been submitted, our office will complete a file review to determine academic accommodations within 5 business days. 
  4. If academic accommodations have been approved, you will receive a “Student Notification of Academic Accommodations” form over email, detailing the accommodations that have been approved. 
    • To accept the accommodations, please sign and return the Student Notification form to Disability and Accessibility Services over email at ada [at] csuglobal.edu or fax to 720-943-2863.
    • If you have questions or concerns about the approved accommodations, please communicate with Disability and Accessibility Services to determine options and next steps.
  5. If you have not been approved for academic accommodations, you will be provided an explanation or be asked to submit additional documentation/information.

Faculty Notification Letters and Using Accommodations Each Term

Faculty Notification Letters are the form you will use to notify faculty of approved academic accommodations. You must request a Faculty Notification Letter(s) for each term and course you would like to use your accommodations by emailing ada [at] csuglobal.edu or calling 720-279-0650. Disability and Accessibility Services will prepare the letter(s) and email them back to you within 1-2 business days. 

Once you have access to your course(s), you will send the letter(s) to your faculty to notify them of your accommodations. Once your faculty receives the Faculty Notification Letter, they are expected to honor and apply the accommodations - if you ever experience otherwise, please reach out to Disability and Accessibility Services immediately for assistance.

Accommodations are not retroactive, so we recommend sending your Faculty Notification Letter(s) to your faculty at the start of each term. However, you can request and send the Faculty Notification Letter at any point in time during the term.

Accommodations for texts in alternate formats, and accessible audio and video materials can take about 2-4 weeks to complete, sometimes longer. If you are approved for any of these accommodations, we recommend you reach out to Disability and Accessibility Services at least 4 weeks prior to the start of the term to notify our office of your course registration. This will help us ensure we have enough time to complete any accommodation requests prior to the start of the term.

 

Academic Accommodations

Academic accommodations at CSU Global focus on providing equal access to students with disabilities in an online education environment. Reasonable accommodations may consist of changes in policies, practices, services, and the use of auxiliary aids. These may include but are not limited to:

  • Modifying the deadline for assignments
  • Modifying the format of course materials
  • Modifying the way course information is presented
  • Modifying how a student submits assignments

Reasonable accommodations do not require a substantial change in the curriculum or result in an alteration of any essential element, outcome, or function of a course, program, service, or activity. CSU Global understands that reasonable accommodations must be made unless it can be demonstrated that the accommodations would impose an undue hardship on the operation of the program or university.

Academic Requirements

Students with disabilities are expected to complete all academic requirements for their program at CSU Global. All undergraduate students must complete General Education core courses as established through the Colorado Revised Statute 23-1-125(3). These courses include Communication, Mathematics, Arts & Humanities, History, Social Sciences, and Natural & Physical Sciences, including a lab. In addition, CSU Global participates in the Guaranteed Transfer (GT) Pathways General Education Curriculum. All schools participating in GT Pathways must hold all students to this general curriculum.

CSU Global is accredited through the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). The HLC accreditation standards are outlined in the Criteria for Accreditation and Assumed Practices

Waiving or substantially altering academic requirements for program completion is generally not considered a reasonable accommodation. This includes General Education requirements as well as requirements considered essential to a student’s major and/or specialization. However, you are always encouraged to contact Disability and Accessibility Services to discuss your options. Your Student Success Counselor can also offer guidance for completing coursework, including taking a course through alternative credits, and accessing resources like Smarthinking online tutoring and CSU Global’s Writing Center.

 

Temporary Accommodations and Services

Disability and Accessibility Services at CSU Global offers a variety of accommodations to qualified students with disabilities. Disability and Accessibility Services also recognizes that some students may experience temporary medical conditions due to injury, surgery, or short-term acute illness during their tenure at CSU Global. Temporary disabilities may include, but are not limited to: broken limbs, hand injuries, concussions, or short-term medical complications.

Students who experience a temporary medical condition that affects their academic work during a trimester should contact their instructor as soon as possible. CSU Global has late, incomplete, and leave of absence policies that may provide the student with the additional time necessary to complete their coursework. Student Success Counselors can also assist students with policies and options.

The Americans with Disabilities Act does not consider temporary illnesses or conditions as disabilities. However, some students experiencing temporary medical conditions may need access to accommodations similar to students with disabilities. Disability and Accessibility Services may be able to offer limited services to students with temporary medical conditions.

To request temporary accommodations, a student must contact Disability and Accessibility Services, submit medical documentation, and complete two eForms (the Request for Academic Accommodations and the Informed Consent for Information Release). The medical documentation should address how the student is being impacted in the academic setting as a result of the illness or injury and provide a recommendation for accommodations. Documentation must include a specific condition, expected duration, as well as the name, professional credentials, address, and telephone of the professional. After reviewing the forms and documentation, Disability and Accessibility Services will determine appropriate temporary academic accommodations.

Students should contact Disability and Accessibility Services as soon as possible to discuss if temporary accommodations are a good option based on their circumstances. Accommodations are not retroactive in coursework.

Grievance Procedure for Disability and Accessibility Services

This grievance procedure is intended to find efficient resolution of disability-related student issues and provide the opportunity to resolve issues at each level of the reporting structure. It is not intended to be adversarial or punitive.

If the grievance is with a faculty member, the student is encouraged to resolve their concerns directly with the faculty. If concerns are not resolved, the student should contact Disability and Accessibility Services who will work with the student, the faculty member, and other relevant CSU Global staff to resolve the situation.

If the grievance is with the accommodation process or with Disability and Accessibility Services, the student is encouraged to resolve the concerns directly with Disability and Accessibility Services within ten business days of the initial complaint. If the initial complaint is made after ten days, the complaint/grievance will be deemed untimely.

If an informal resolution cannot be reached, students have the option of filing a formal grievance with the Grievance Committee. This must be received, in writing, within ten days of the date the informal grievance process ends. To pursue a formal investigation, students should be prepared to provide the name of the staff member, a detailed summary of the issue or concern, an account of previous communication that was attempted to resolve the concern, and a brief statement describing the desired outcome. Students can request a Grievance Form from their Student Success Counselor, which must be submitted with supporting documentation to substantiate the claim.

The grievance is reviewed by the Grievance Committee which is a subcommittee of the Student Affairs committee. The Grievance Committee will review the grievance and communicate the decision that is made to all parties involved within five days.

Any decision of the Grievance Committee may be appealed by the student if there is evidence that a significant impropriety in the review process occurred. The appeal must be in writing, specify in detail the alleged procedural impropriety, and must be filed in the Office of the Provost within ten business days of the date of receipt of the Grievance Committee's decision. The Provost shall review the appeal and the Grievance Committee records and issue a decision within ten days. The decision of the Provost is final.

Students may also contact the Office for Civil Rights to file a complaint.