Essential Functions of Programs

What are Essential Functions?

Essential Functions are things that must be performed, experienced, and/or learned by a student with or without accommodations.

Things that are essential for a job that a program is training a student for are NOT necessarily essential in the classroom.

What do we need to do?

It is each school's and program's responsibility to have essential functions information available to all students and to provide it to the students immediately at the beginning of the program or even before when they express interest in joining the program.  

The essential functions should be in program handbooks and linked to the program's page on the catalog.

It should be referenced in the syllabi for each of the classes.

Actually, all programs and classes do.  If your program has not determined what yours are, this must be done as quickly as possible. 

They also must be documented. 

"Colleges and universities do not have to provide accommodations that would “fundamentally alter” the educational program or academic requirements that are essential to a program of study or to fulfill licensing requirements. The determination of what is a fundamental alteration, however, is one which requires specific steps and a reasoned, determinative process on the part of the campus community, and necessitates that colleges and universities question their notions of what is truly fundamental and provide for alternate methods of achieving the results intended by the educational program."

https://www.apa.org/pi/disability/dart/legal/ada-basics 

The Essential Functions Handbook was created to provide information to Pierpont's schools, program directors/managers, and instructors in relation to how to determine, document, and communicate the essential information to all of the students.  

This information is crucial for students with disabilities.

It is also important for students without disabilities who have issues associated with having a full-time job, raising children, and more. 

The handbook was created by Pierpont's Support Services, Office of Disability Service working with it's Faculty Mentors' committee.  

The Handbook was approved by:

• Faculty Senate, and  

• the Office of Civil Rights (fall 2023).