Policies and Procedures

The Macalester College Classroom Recording (MCCR) policy sets forth community expectations regarding the recording (whether audio, video, or streaming) of class lectures, discussions, office hours, and other course-related activity. As an academic community, we value the free exchange of ideas and the privacy of community members. We are also committed to providing appropriate accommodations to students who require recorded lectures as an academic adjustment for documented disabilities. The MCCR policy balances the legitimate uses of classroom recording, the intellectual property of the faculty, and the privacy of individual students and faculty.

In compliance with Federal law, qualified students with disabilities may record classroom activities, as defined above, as a legitimate academic adjustment once verified by the Center for Disability Resources. Students with disabilities who wish to record classroom activity must obtain permission from the Center for Disability Resources, which will determine whether classroom recording is an appropriate and reasonable accommodation given the individual student’s documentation. The Center for Disability Resources Services will notify the Instructor, and prior to recording of any classroom activity, a recording agreement must be signed by the student and filed with the Center for Disability Resources.  The recording agreement stipulates that such recordings are for personal academic use only, where personal academic use is restricted to the personal study use of the individual. The student may not share, replicate, or publish the recording, in whole or in part, or use the recording for any other purpose, without the written approval of the instructor. The recording must be destroyed or stored by the Center for Disability Resources at the end of the semester.

In cases where a student without a documented disability would like to record classroom activity, the request should be made directly to the Instructor, who will have the sole discretion to determine whether or not to allow the recording. If the Instructor allows the recording, prior to recording of any classroom activity, a recording agreement must be signed by the student and Instructor and filed, either electronically or in hard copy, with the Office of Academic Programs and Advising. The recording agreement stipulates that such recordings are for personal academic use only, where personal academic use is restricted to the personal study use of the individual. The student may not share, replicate, or publish the recording, in whole or in part, or use the recording for any other purpose, without the written approval of the instructor. The recording must be destroyed or stored by the Instructor at the end of the semester.

When proper approvals are obtained, students enrolled in courses where classroom activities may be recorded will be notified via email prior to the first recorded class session. The identity of a student covered by an accommodation should not be disclosed. Instructors have the authority to, either spontaneously or in advance, prohibit recording of portions of a class session that could contain discussion of personal student information.

Any student classroom recording is to be used only for the personal academic use of the individual student, where personal academic use is restricted to the personal study use of the individual. Macalester College prohibits sharing, distributing, or publishing classroom recordings in any manner.

Instructors may record their own class sessions, but must notify students via email in advance. The instructor may publicly disseminate the recording, but if the recording includes the spoken word, image, or other identifying characteristic of any students, then the instructor must secure the written consent of those students prior to any dissemination. The Instructor is responsible for ensuring that any use or sharing of any recording that includes student information is consistent with the written consents and not used or shared for any other purpose. The Instructor will retain the written consents so long as the recording is retained.

Any alleged violation by a student of the classroom recording policy shall be referred to the Director of Academic Programs and Advising, who will investigate the situation and make a decision. Students found guilty of a violation are subject to sanctions up to and including suspension or dismissal. If suspended or dismissed, the suspension or dismissal may occur at any time during the semester and will result in the student being withdrawn from all classes and removed from the residence halls. The student remains responsible for all fees associated with the semester.

Students have the right to appeal the Director’s decision. Appeals will be considered on the basis of: procedural errors that unfairly and/or materially affected the outcome of the case; an arbitrary decision; or new information that was not available at the time of the original decision.

Appeals must be written and sent to the Director of Academic Programs and Advising within 30 days following the Director’s decision. After ensuring the appeal includes all of the relevant facts pertinent to the decision, and articulates an appropriate rationale for appealing, the Director will send the appeal to the Academic Standing Committee.

The Academic Standing Committee, minus the Director of Academic Programs and Advising, (the Committee) is the final body responsible for acting on the appeal. In most cases, the Committee will review the appeal based on the written record provided by the Director of Academic Programs and Advising. If the Committee finds no grounds for the appeal, the violation and sanction stand. The Committee’s decision will be final.

The Limited Flexibility with Absences Accommodation (LFAA) is specifically designed to build in a slight amount of flexibility as it relates to attendance in order to address the impact of brief, periodic health or medical experiences or flair-ups that interferes with these course activities. This may include Chronic Health Conditions, on-going necessary medical treatments, or psychological conditionals. 

The LFAA accommodation is not intended to comprehensively address or support a substantial number of missed classes. It is not reasonable for faculty to fundamentally alter, waive or lower: essential course requirements, academic standards, or educational experiences/outcomes when attempting to accommodate absences. Students who are unable to participate in more than a week’s worth of classes in succession for medical or other reasons will need to discuss if it is possible to adequately address missed work and to maintain course pace. 

In some limited cases reasonable adjustments may not be possible and the student’s final grade may be impacted should the student choose to stay in the course.  

Important notes of consideration

• Some courses will have an absence limit that, once exceeded, makes it impossible to meet the learning objectives. In this instance, a student may wish to talk with their Disability Resources or their Academic Advisor about considering a withdrawal from the course.
• An accommodation for flexible absences is not an automatic extension for work that is due on the day a student is absent. Due dates and exams should be discussed by the student and instructor as part of the accommodation plan. 
• Like any accommodation, flexible attendance is not retroactive, meaning an agreement must be in place prior to any absences. Any consideration or provision of a retroactive accommodation would be an exception, at the discretion of the instructor.
• If an absence is required affecting a final assignment or assessment, a course deferral             might be required. Students should connect with Disability Resources for assistance. 

Process for setting up this accommodation: 

1. 1.  The student will schedule a meeting with the Center for Disability Resources to discuss requests and determine if Limited Flexibility with absences is a reasonable request. Determination is based on the interactive process that there is a disability and each request is considered on a case by case basis. 
   2.  Once accommodation is approved, either the student or Center for Disability Services will provide the Limited Flexibility with Absences form to the student’s instructor. 
   3.  The student will meet with faculty member and complete the Limited Absences Agreement form together. The Center for Disability Services is available to assist the faculty member and student in completing the form. The faculty and the student will use the form to follow agreed upon procedures.
      
      Determining if an Accommodation is Reasonable:
      If a student is approved for Limited Flexibility with Absences accommodation through the Center for Disability Service Resources,  the next step is to identify potential barriers in a particular course and determine what, if any, accommodations might be reasonable.In some cases, a course might be designed in a way that eliminates, or significantly reduces, barriers related to attendance and participation, and, therefore, the implementation of an accommodation might not be necessary.
      
      The following guidelines created by the Office of Civil Rights (Department of Education), can be used to by the faculty member and the Center for Disability Resources to determine whether attendance is an essential function of a course and what, if any, accommodation is reasonable:

1. How much interaction is there between instructor and students and among students in class?
2. Do student in-class contributions constitute a significant component of the learning process?
3. Does the fundamental nature of the course rely on in-person student participation as an essential method for learning?
4. To what degree does a student’s failure to attend constitute a significant loss to the educational experience of other students in the class?
5. What do the course description and syllabus say?
6. How is attendance calculated in the final grade?
7. What are the classroom policies and practices regarding attendance?
8. Is flexibility in the attendance policy available for other reasons, such as athletic travel?
9. Is there a reasonable modification to the attendance policy? If so, is there a limit to the number of classes that can be missed?
10. Is there an alternative way to meet the participation requirement?

Center for Disability Resources Responsibility 

• Meets with the student as part of the interactive process to better understand the functional impact of the disability and determine if a Limited Flexibility with Absences is a reasonable and appropriate accommodation.
• Consults and supports faculty in determining reasonableness of accommodation or how to start this accommodation, given essential class elements.
• Provides support to students and faculty when questions or difficulties arise related to the accommodation

Student Responsibility

• Log on to AIM and select the course you would like to apply your accommodations to for the semester.
• Meet with your course faculty to discuss your accommodations and complete the Limited Flexibility with Absences form. Disability Resources is available to meet with the student and the faculty member to assist.
• If the student meets the attendance limit and/or believes more flexibility is necessary due to a disability-related reason, the student must contact Disability Resources who will consider the request and will discuss with the student and instructor to determine the appropriateness given the specifics of the course. Different classes call for different agreements (e.g., lab classes may call for less flexibility than lecture classes). If granted, an agreement will be created.

Faculty Responsibility

• Meet with your student to discuss the accommodations and work with the student to complete the Limited Flexibility with Attendance form.
• The Center for Disability Resources is available for consultation if you have questions regarding how the accommodation interacts with essential elements of the class and determining if or what changes are reasonable.
• If you believe the accommodation is unreasonable in light of your class goals or pedagogical methods, contact the student’s Disability Resources staff right away as instructors should never unilaterally deny an accommodation. Instructors are expected to clearly articulate why flexibility is unreasonable.
• When a student needs to use this accommodation, they are responsible for telling their instructor promptly. ”Timely” is defined as “as soon as possible.” There may be conditions and/or circumstances in which a student cannot contact their instructor before the class.  Please note: never are students required to present documentation to instructors to justify a disability-related absence.
• Once the student has followed up with faculty, provide any materials utilized  in class (i.e. powerpoints, note sheets, videos etc.)

Macalester College is committed to ensuring equal access and providing reasonable accommodations for students. 

The Limited Flexibility with Assignment Deadlines (LFAD) is specifically designed to build in a slight amount of flexibility as it relates to assignment deadlines in order to address the impact of brief, periodic health or medical experiences or flair-ups that interferes with these course activities. This may include Chronic Health Conditions, on-going necessary medical treatments, or psychological conditionals. 

The LFAD accommodation is not intended to comprehensively address or support a substantial number of missed or late assignments. It is not reasonable for faculty to fundamentally alter, waive or lower: essential course requirements, academic standards, or educational experiences/outcomes when attempting to accommodate assignment deadlines. Students who fall significantly behind for medical or other reasons will need to discuss if it is possible to adequately address missed work and to maintain course pace. 

In some limited cases reasonable adjustments may not be possible and the student’s final grade may be impacted should the student choose to stay in the course.  

Important notes of consideration: 

• Some courses will have limitations on the lateness of assignments that, once exceeded, makes it impossible to meet the learning objectives. In this instance, a student may wish to talk with Disability Resources or their Academic Advisor about considering a withdrawal from the course.
• An accommodation for flexibility with assignment deadlines is not an automatic extension and will need to be considered on an assignment by assignment basis. Due dates should be discussed by the student and instructor as part of the accommodation plan.
• This policy does not extend to assignments involving other peers such as group work. 
• Like any accommodation, assignment deadline flexibility is not retroactive, meaning an agreement must be in place prior to any late assignments. Any consideration or provision of a retroactive accommodation would be an exception, at the discretion of the instructor.
• If a late assignment  is required affecting a final assignment or assessment, a course deferral might be required. Students should connect with Disability Resources for assistance. 

Process for setting up this accommodation: 

1. 1. The student will schedule a meeting with the Center for Disability Resources to discuss requests and determine if Limited Flexibility with assignment deadlines is a reasonable request. Determination is based on the interactive process that there is a disability and each request is considered on a case by case basis. 
   2.  Once accommodation is approved, either the student or Center for Disability Services will provide the Limited Flexibility with Assignment Deadlines form to the student’s instructor. 
   3.  The student will meet with faculty member and complete the Limited Flexability with Assignment Deadlines form together. The Center for Disability Services is available to assist the faculty member and student in completing the form. The Faculty and the student will use the form to follow agreed upon procedures.
      
      Determining if an Accommodation is Reasonable:
      If a student is approved for Limited Flexibility with Assignment Deadlines accommodation through the Center for Disability Service Resources,  the next step is to identify potential barriers in a particular course and determine what, if any, accommodations might be reasonable.  In some cases, a course might be designed in a way that eliminates, or significantly reduces, barriers related to assignments and participation, and, therefore, the implementation of an accommodation might not be necessary. 

Center for Disability Resources Responsibility 

• Meets with the student as part of the interactive process to better understand the functional impact of the disability and determine if a Limited Flexibility with Assignment Deadlines is a reasonable and appropriate accommodation.
• Consults and supports faculty in determining reasonableness of accommodation or how to start this accommodation, given essential class elements.
• Provides support to students and faculty when questions or difficulties arise related to the accommodation

Student Responsibility

• Log on to AIM and select the course you would like to apply your accommodations to for the semester.
• Meet with your course faculty to discuss your accommodations and complete the Limited Flexibility with Assignment Deadlines form. Disability Resources is available to meet with the student and the faculty member to assist.
• If the student meets the attendance limit and/or believes more flexibility is necessary due to a disability-related reason, the student must contact Disability Resources who will consider the request and will discuss with the student and instructor to determine the appropriateness given the specifics of the course. Different classes call for different agreements (e.g., lab classes may call for less flexibility than lecture classes). If granted, an agreement will be created.

Faculty Responsibility

• Meet with your student to discuss the accommodations and work with the student to complete the Limited Flexibility with Assignment Deadlines form.
• The Center for Disability Resources is available for consultation if you have questions regarding how the accommodation interacts with essential elements of the class and determining if or what changes are reasonable.
• If you believe the accommodation is unreasonable in light of your class goals or pedagogical methods, contact the student’s Disability Resources staff right away as instructors should never unilaterally deny an accommodation. Instructors are expected to clearly articulate why flexibility is unreasonable.
• When a student needs to use this accommodation, they are responsible for telling their instructor promptly. ”Timely” is defined as “as soon as possible.” There may be conditions and/or circumstances in which a student cannot contact their instructor before the class.  Please note: never are students required to present documentation to instructors to justify a disability-related absence.
• Once the student has followed up with faculty, provide any materials utilized  in class (i.e. powerpoints, note sheets, videos etc.)

The Center for Disability Resources engages in an interactive process with each student to review requests for accommodations on an individualized, case-by-case basis to determine reasonable accommodations and ensure equal access. Depending on the nature and functional limitations of a student’s documented disability, students with certain disability-related needs may be eligible to receive priority registration.

Priority registration allows a student to register for classes one hour prior to students who do not have priority registration on the first day of registration each semester.  Priority registration opens at 8:00am for students based on classification. Non-priority registration will open at a time pre-determined by the Registrar’s office. This provides the opportunity to arrange a schedule, to the greatest extent possible, that is conducive based on their disability-related needs.

Students who may qualify for priority registration include:

• Individuals with a mobility disorder which prevents them from getting from class to class in a timely fashion.
•   Students with a chronic health condition who need to carefully schedule classes around medication schedules. 
•  Students undergoing periodic medical treatments (ex: chemotherapy, dialysis) which preclude class attendance at certain times or certain days. 
•  Class scheduling for students who receive testing accommodations. 
•  Early identification of classes for students who utilize alternative text, sign language interpreters, and/or real time remote captioning (C-Print.) 

Priority registration does not override any College or departmental policies such as the need to meet with an academic advisor, removal of any holds (e.g., Student Financial Services), etc. In addition, priority registration does not guarantee the provision of classes at specific times.

Procedure

1. The Center for Disability Resources meets with the student to determine if there is a disability and Priority Registration is a reasonable accommodation. 
2. If approved, Disability Resources staff will notify students.
3. Disability Resources will provide the list of students approved for Priority Registration to the Registrar. 
4. The Registrar will email approved students with instructions prior to the opening of around a week prior to the opening of  their individual registration period. 

Before graduating from Macalester, a student must demonstrate proficiency in a second language equivalent to four semesters of college level study in a single language. 

Students with certain documented disabilities that interfere with their ability to to learn a second language can meet with the Center for Disability Resources to request a second-language course subsitution. These may include a language-based learning disability and/or extreme difficulty with information processing, decoding, memory programs (auditory, short-term, and working memory), a hearing impairment/deafness, or speech impairment.

Students requesting course substitution who are approved for a course substitution will need to take two courses that explore the history, politics, geography, society or culture of a single non-English speaking culture or region. Students will need to meet with the Center for Disability Resources, who will review the request and make a determination. If approved students will need to meet with the Assistant Dean of Academic Advising. 

Course Substitution Request Process

1. Meet with Disability Resources to review requests. 
2. Provide Documentation of a language-based learning disability and/or extreme difficulty with information processing, decoding, memory programs (auditory, short-term, and working memory), a hearing impairment/deafness, or speech impairment.
3. Once approved, meet with the Assistant Dean of Advising to select approved courses for course substitution. 

Additional Information

Macalester College Second-Language Requirements