BETHUNE-COOKMAN UNIVERSITY

Assessment & Disability

Mission

The Office of Disability Services (ODS), advocates for students with apparent and non-apparent disabilities. Its mission is to promote self-advocacy, campus-wide awareness and accessible education for students with different disabilities but with common goals: successful matriculation and life-long achievement.

Services

Disability Services collaborates with Health Services, Career and Program Services, Judicial Affairs, Academic Affairs and other university departments to address varying issues and needs.  It provides Letters of Accommodations to professors to ensure classroom needs are met. The Bethune-Cookman University ODS coordinates with community organizations that serve as resources for advisement, referrals and provisions (i.e. books, transportation and equipment).

Americans with Disabilities Act/Required Documentation

It is the policy of Bethune-Cookman University to comply with all relevant and applicable provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”). The University is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for the documented disability of a student, so as to provide students with disabilities an equal opportunity to achieve academic success.
Students who believe themselves to be “disabled”, as that term is defined by the ADA or section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (as amended from time to time), and who request necessary reasonable accommodations for their disability in classes, housing, physical plant or otherwise, should provide documented proof of the disability designated in Section 504 to the Office of Disability Services.
Such requests and supporting documentation should be provided no later than the first week of classes. Because “reasonable accommodations” are determined on a case-by-case basis, the University may accommodate students with similar disabilities in different ways.

Classroom Accommodations

The following are classroom accommodations that can be offered through this program:

• A note taker
• Advanced Lecture Notes
• Alternate test locations
• Extended time for assignments
• Extended time on tests
• Dictated Test/Computer
• Permission to tape lectures
• Tutoring

Student Records

Each student’s folder contains the following information:

• IEP, Psycho-Educational Evaluation or SOP
• Application for Accommodations
• Consent Form
• A copy of the student Accommodations Form
• Copies of all correspondences pertaining to the student
• Contact log form (this is updated on a regular basis)
• Copy of their Vertical Curriculum
• Tutor or Service Referral Forms

Hours of Operation and Contact Information

Monday - Friday
8:00am – 5:00pm

Valencia Cooper, Assistant Vice-President for Assessment and Disability Services
1st floor Parlin Student Center, Room 104C
(386) 481-2170
cooperv@cookman.edu


The Office of Disability Services meets with students on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, based on need. Review of grades, progress reports, classroom concerns and/or additional assistance are discussed at those times.