Academic Support

Martin Luther College complies with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to serve students who have disabilities as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. While all content in the online courses offered through Brightspace meets the minimum requirements for accessibility, some learners may need additional support. Learners with a documented disability may be assigned a specific Access Coach to support their navigation through the accommodation process at MLC and ensure that the accommodation is implemented in their course of study. All accommodations are processed individually and may change depending on the resources or assessments associated with a competency. For example, a learner may have an accommodation that warrants additional time on an objective assessment and the use of calculators. In a class that does not leverage or assess mathematics, the use of the calculator is not needed and would not be permitted as an accommodation. 

In general, the accommodation process leverages the following steps. 

Step 1. Learners submit an application for accommodation, which is assigned to an Access Coach at the college. 

Step 2. Within ten (10) days of filing the application for accommodation, the Access Coach contacts the learner to confirm receipt and identify any documentation needed to support the request, e.g., a medical diagnosis. The learner’s request is not processed until the Access Coach receives all requested information.

Step 3. Once all information is received, the Access Coach, Dean of Education, and the learner meet to review and develop a reasonable accommodation plan that considers both the responsibilities of the learner and specific resources the College needs to provide.  Accommodations are designed to meet the individual needs of the learner, but they do not compromise curricular goals, performance standards, or course content. 

Step 4. The Director of Nontraditional Education is responsible for assuring that any accommodations within D2L are implemented, e.g. extended time on tests, captioning of videos. The learner is asked to alert the Access Coach if any accommodations are not met, and the institution has 72 hours to identify a solution and present a reasonable implementation plan. 

Step 5. If the learner does not agree with the accommodation plan or finds that their accommodations are not being met within the APPLE - Elementary Education program, the learner may appeal to the Vice President for Academics.

Step 4. Within ten (10) days of receiving an appeal, the Vice President for Academics will inform students, deans, and instructors of the final decision.