Disability Accommodations and Inclusive Teaching

Background

Over the past several years, the University of Minnesota has experienced a significant increase in students seeking disability accommodations. To address this increase, the Office of the Provost and Office for Equity and Diversity are enlisting your help in ensuring that all students have equitable access to learning. We have partnered to implement a required online course for all faculty and instructors on disability accommodations and inclusive course design, with a particular focus on designing courses to support student mental health and wellbeing.

Process

In Fall 2019, The Disabilities Issues Committee of the University Senate passed a resolution recommending the implementation of professional development on accommodated instruction, testing, and best practices for supporting students with disabilities for University faculty, instructors, and student services staff systemwide. The resolution was supported by the University and Faculty Senates in November 2019. In Fall 2020, Provost Rachel Croson convened a task force, which concluded its charge and delivered final recommendations to the Executive Vice President and Provost for further consideration in January 2022. The recommendations were subsequently endorsed by the Faculty Consultative Committee and the Faculty in March 2022.

The development and implementation of this course closely follows recommendations developed by the Task Force on Disability Accommodations in the Learning Environment and University governance. Course content is the result of extensive consultation from systemwide faculty and student stakeholders, including governance committees, student groups, representatives from system academic leadership, the Graduate School, Office of Undergraduate Education, Office of the General Counsel, Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action, and Center for Educational Innovation. Additionally, approximately 35 faculty, students, and subject matter experts from across the system provided slide-by-slide feedback.
Karen Jeannette