What is an Academic Adjustment?
An academic adjustment is an adjustment to the way a student receives, retains or demonstrates knowledge to allow him or her equal access to an education. Academic adjustments are prescribed based on the educational limitations or barriers that are directly caused by the disability, diagnosis or medical condition. Academic adjustments cannot fundamentally change academic requirements for degrees, certificates, programs, courses or assignments.
Academic adjustments and other services vary term to term depending on the educational requirements of the class(es) and must be requested each and every term. Academic adjustments must be approved by a DSPS Counselor, Learning Disability Specialist Specialist, or DSPS Director. Early requests for academic adjustments are encouraged. Late requests may result in delays due to availability.
Academic adjustments approved at Rio Hondo College are considered reasonable for specific classes or educational settings at this college and may not apply to other institutions. If an agreement between the faculty member, DSPS professional, and the student cannot be reached, the student or faculty member may file an appeal through the procedures set forth in Administrative Procedure—Individuals with Disabilities.
Any professionally documented diagnosis and/or medical condition which substantially interferes with a person’s ability to succeed in an academic setting may be eligible for academic adjustments and/or services.
Current DSPS students should contact our office to request academic adjustments. Beginning Fall Semester 2020, DSPS will begin using an online system: Accessibility Information Management (AIM) for requesting their academic adjustments online.
