Academic Accommodations
Pitzer Academic Support Services (PASS) is committed to meeting students’ needs. PASS strives for inclusion and access to all Pitzer classes, programs, and activities. We do so through reasonable accommodations or redesigning aspects of the campus experience.
Requesting Academic Accommodations
Reasonable accommodations are determined after an individualized assessment. Among the factors considered are:
- The nature of the student’s disability
- Accommodations that the student has accessed in the past
- Whether the requested accommodations allow the student to access and participate in the course or program
- Whether the requested accommodations alter essential requirements of the course or program
Steps to Register for Academic Accommodations
Step 1: Complete application and submit documentation
Fill out the application and upload your documentation in the PASS Portal using the following link: Academic Accommodations Application. To ensure timely support, accommodations must be in place at least 2 weeks prior to the date they are needed. We advise that admitted students start this process by June 1.
View the Disability Verification Form [PDF]
Supporting documentation should include:
- Student’s name, ID number, and date of birth
- Name, Title, Licensing State(s) and Number, Address, Area of Specialization, and Signature of qualifying, diagnosing clinician
- Medical/clinical diagnosis as listed in the DSM-5 or ICD-10
- Explanation and/or basis for diagnosis (tests, clinical interview, observations, history)
- Onset of condition, date clinician first treated student, most recent visit, expected duration of disability, and other relevant educational, developmental, and medical history
- Current functional limitations
- Statement of the extent to which limitations are mitigated by treatment and side effects of treatment if any.
- If making recommendations for specific accommodations: Justification for each recommended accommodation and the direct relationship to the functional limitations must be produced.
Please note that a diagnosis and documentation alone do not guarantee accommodations.
Find documentation guidelines here.
Step 2: Set up an appointment with PASS
Schedule your Academic Accommodation Consultation with PASS using the link provided in the confirmation email once your application as been submitted. We will review your accommodations, discuss the process, and answer questions. You are responsible for setting up this appointment to establish your accommodations.
Step 3: Request your accommodation letter in the portal each semester
Once registered with PASS, each semester students will need to log into their accommodation portal to request their accommodations for their new courses. Please request your accommodations at least one week before your examinations.
Step 4: Follow up on any accommodation logistics
If you have any concerns, questions, or difficulties, please contact PASS as soon as possible. This way, we can ensure that we render your accommodations in a timely manner. We will quickly do our best to facilitate the accommodation process and offer support. Failure to to notify us promptly may result in the College being unable to provide the requested assistance in a timely manner. Accommodations are not retroactive. Both our office and faculty must have sufficient time to implement the accommodations.
Extenuating circumstances are determined by our office. These circumstances can include:
- Sudden acute onset of a psychological condition
- Hospitalization
- Flare up of an existing disability
- Injury
- Recent onset of a disability or disability-related complications
- Undue delay in documentation
In such circumstances, Academic Support Services will assist with accommodations and support.
Student Disability Resource Center
The Student Disability Resource Center is for students with disabilities across the 7C campuses. The SDRC works with the disability coordinators on all the campuses. Together, they ensure that students receive academic support services and accommodations to empower them to achieve their academic goals. The SDRC also ensures equitable treatment and access to all programs and activities across all campuses. For more information, please visit the SDRC website.
Placement Exam Accommodations – Incoming First-Year Students
Please note that some but not all placement exams are untimed. If you are an incoming first-year student and need accommodations, please contact PASS.
Additional Information
In high school, services were implemented by a team of educators and parents to promote your success. When you enter college, the responsibility shifts. You must contact PASS to arrange access.
This is a fundamental change in the way that you relate to instructors and advisers. As a college student, you will now initiate all services and accommodations. Self-advocacy will play a bigger role. Students must be able to describe their disability, identify strengths and weaknesses, and identify any accommodations needed and how to be a competent self-advocate. For more information, visit the following links:
Differences between high school and college disability services [PDF]
Differences between high school and college for students with disabilities [PDF]
Academics
- Course schedules in college are different than high school. Classes can vary in length and days per week. You may have a Tuesday/Thursday class that is 90 minutes long and a Monday class that meets for three hours once per week.
- Students must keep track of important dates and manage their time. You’ll be responsible for scheduling your time to complete assignments, study, eat meals, and have fun.
- Professors won’t be checking in with you to make sure you’re working on assignments. Often they won’t remind you of due dates or exam dates. Most professors will provide all due dates in advance in the course syllabus that you’ll receive on the first day.
- Instructors often plan their courses so that students do a lot of their learning outside of class. This includes acquiring knowledge and facts from outside reading and library research.
- Most successful students expect to spend two to three hours of studying for each hour they are in class. Students with disabilities may need to plan on a few more hours.
- Be prepared for the first round of tests. They are often very different than students expect. Don’t wait to get help! Go to the professor’s office hours. Use tutoring, the writing center, and academic coaching.
- Professors in different courses usually schedule tests without regard to the demands of other courses or outside activities.
- Professors may not follow the textbook. Instead, to amplify the text, they may give illustrations, provide background information, or discuss research about the topic you are studying. Or they may expect you to relate the lectures/class discussions to the textbook readings.
- Professors expect you to get from classmates any notes from classes you missed.
- Professors are usually open and helpful. However, most expect you to initiate contact if you need assistance.
- Testing is usually infrequent and may be cumulative, covering large amounts of material. You need to organize the material to prepare for the test. A particular course may have only two or three tests in a semester.
Pitzer students have access to academic coaching and other resources. An academic coach focuses on helping you with learning strategies and life management skills. This empowers you to successfully manage academic demands.
Life Skills
- Students who begin college after high school may not only be adjusting to a new learning environment but also a new city and friends.
- It may be the first time they are living on their own. They may need to learn to budget their money, cook, maintain an apartment, do laundry, and learn how to live with a roommate.
- Students will need to learn how to manage/handle conflict, whether with a roommate, classmate, or group.
Pitzer students have access to many resources to support mental health and wellness. These resources help navigate difficult life situations that might come up while in college.