Frequently Asked Questions

Undergraduate disability records are kept for seven (7) years, and graduate disability records are kept for ten (10) years. These records are kept in a locked storage facility, with the SSD Office having the only access to this facility. Records are shredded at the end of the retention period.

An alumnus/alumna may request a copy of his/her disability documentation by writing or emailing Services for Students with Disabilities (disabilityservices@citadel.edu). The alumnus/alumna should provide his/her full name at the time of graduation, CWID number, and where to send the information. There is no charge for the copy.

According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA):

The term ‘disability’ means, with respect to the individual—

• A physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities of such individual;
• A record of such an impairment; or
• Being regarded as having such an impairment.

In general, major life activities include, but are not limited to: caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating and working.

A student with a disability registers with the SSD office by presenting documentation of a disability. Guidelines for documentation can be found on this website under the ‘Disability Services’ tab.

Once the student has provided the appropriate documentation, he/she meets with Services for Students with Disabilities to determine accommodations and services. The student is also informed of the process of obtaining accommodation letters, delivery of letters to faculty, and test taking procedures.

Accommodations are based on the student’s self-report, observation and interaction with the student, and third-party documentation of the disability(s). The Associate Director of the SSC – Services for Students with Disabilities and the student determine the appropriate accommodations. Accommodations should not alter the requirements for a course. Professors are not required to make and should not make accommodations for a student unless the student has provided an accommodation letter from the Student Success Center.

A student may bring an accommodation letter to a professor anytime during a semester, and accommodations start at that time. Accommodations are not retroactive. Students should be aware that letters need to be presented in a timely manner and not on the day of a test.

Please contact the Associate Director of the SSC to discuss your concern. The SSC will work with you and the student to find a reasonable accommodation to meet a particular situation. Please provide the recommended accommodation until a resolution is reached.

If, during the course of the semester, a student displays one or more of the following characteristics, you may suggest that he/she may want to discuss these difficulties with the Associate Director:

• Effort exceeds returns
• Poor written expression
• Severe math errors
• Poor reading/listening comprehension
• Severe test anxiety
• Good class participation, poor test performance, and vice versa

Disability information is confidential, and a faculty member should not reveal a student’s disability or the fact that a student uses accommodations to anyone at any time. If a student presents his/her disability documentation to you, please send the student to Services for Students with Disabilities with the documentation. Please do not keep a copy of the documentation.

Yes. Students should, if possible, visit all the schools they have an interest in attending. Take a tour. Meet with the admissions office. Meet with the director of the disability service office (part of the Student Success Center at The Citadel), and ask questions about services. Just like any other prospective student, students with disabilities need to plan ahead.

No. The student must provide his/her documentation to the Services for Students with Disabilities in the SSC. Students should not send this information with their application packet.

The Citadel has established documentation guidelines that are available under the Disability Services tab of the SSD website. Further information can be found at www.ets.org under disability documentation. Since the expense of providing new or updated documentation falls on the student and his/her family, please contact SSD to determine what the student will need. The Associate Director will review current documentation and inform the student if it meets The Citadel documentation guidelines and, if not, what additional information is needed.

Accommodations are based on documentation and are established to support the student with a disability in the academic setting. The Associate Director of the SSC – Services for Students with Disabilities and the student determine the appropriate accommodations. Accommodations should not alter the requirements for a course. Professors are not required to make and should not make accommodations for a student unless the student has provided an accommodation letter from the
Student Success Center. There are no fees charged for services through the SSC.

No. All student documentation, regardless of the disability, is confidential. It would not be released to a potential employer without signed student consent.

Services include, but are not limited to:

• Learning Assistance (study skills, time management, etc.)
• Test-taking accommodations
• Alternate textbook format
• Peer note-takers or other note-taking alternatives
• Priority registration
• Digital Audio Recorders

Parents are encouraged to contact the Associate Director of the Student Success Center anytime they feel their child may need assistance.

• Be your own self-advocate and identify yourself as a student with a disability to Services for Students with Disabilities.
• Provide appropriate documentation of your disability
• Meet with Services for Students with Disabilities to determine appropriate accommodations
• Deliver accommodation letters to professors
• Continue to meet with professors, the Services for Students with Disabilities, and academic coaches throughout the semester as needed.

No. All student documentation regarding a disability is confidential. It would not be released to a potential employer without signed student consent. Faculty members also may not inform a potential employer that a student has a disability or used accommodations while at The Citadel.

Accommodations are based on documentation and are established to support the student with a disability in the academic setting. Services for Students with Disabilities and the student determine the appropriate accommodations.

A student may bring an accommodation letter to a professor anytime during a semester, and accommodation starts at that time. Accommodations are not retroactive. Students should be aware that letters need to be presented in a timely manner and not on the day of a test. Students need to request accommodation letters each semester.

Files are kept in storage for seven (7) years after a student graduates or from the last date of enrollment from The Citadel. After 7 years, the files will be shredded.