Disability Services

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We provide special accommodations to students with documented disabilities.

Mission Statement 

The mission of the Concordia College Disability Services office, in partnership with the college community, is to create an accessible, inclusive campus where students with disabilities have an equal opportunity to fully participate in and benefit from all aspects of the educational environment. 

Services

Disability Services assists both students with disabilities, and faculty and staff working with students with disabilities. The Disability Services office can: 

  • Provide individual consultation regarding the possible presence of a disability, making referrals when appropriate. 
  • Determine eligibility for accommodations and services, explain how to access services, and provide assistance when arranging accommodations. 
  • Consult with students, faculty and staff and partner with Concordia College personnel to implement appropriate accommodations. 

Disabilities are often identified as one of the following: 

  • Learning 
  • Psychological 
  • Physical/mobility 
  • Qualifying health impairments 
  • Other cognitive impairments 

Students are encouraged to speak with instructors and Disability Services staff about accommodations well before or as soon as the term begins to allow enough time to make necessary arrangements. Although instructors may need to be flexible with accommodations, they will hold students with disabilities to the same academic standard as other students. 

Disability documentation is maintained in the Disability Services office as confidential information and is not available to faculty or staff outside this office without written authorization from the student. 

For Current Students and Staff

Find more information about available services and how to access them on CobberNet.

For New and Prospective Students

Transitioning to Higher Education

Different rules govern disability services in college than in K-12 programs; therefore, accommodations at Concordia may vary from those previously received in high school. In college it is the student's right and responsibility to request accommodations, as privacy laws restrict the sharing of certain types of information with others (including parents/guardians) without the student's expressed, written consent. The staff of the Disability Services office is available to assist students during their transition to college and throughout their Concordia experience.

Additional information for students and parents can be found in our Disability Services Student & Parent Guide, and this article from the Office for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Education: Students with Disabilities Preparing for Postsecondary Education.

Academic Accommodations

If it is determined that a prospective or current student is eligible to receive services, appropriate classroom accommodations will be determined by the Disability Services Coordinator in consultation with instructors and appropriate campus personnel, as needed. Possible accommodations include, but are not limited to:

  • Priority registration for those students whose accommodations necessitate these course arrangements.
  • Determining appropriate scheduling and location of courses.
  • Alternative format texts.
  • Access to class notes.
  • Testing Accommodations: which may include (but is not limited to) extended time on tests, distraction-reduced rooms, a reader, a scribe, large print, special lighting, use of a computer. 
  • Reduced course load option.
  • Technology adaptations.
  • Assistive Technology lab access.

To receive services from the Disability Services office, you must be a registered student at Concordia College and have a disability recognized under the Americans With Disabilities Act.  Verification of a disability must be provided prior to receiving services (please refer to our Policies & Documentation Guidelines page for information on verification guidelines).  The student is responsible for initiating a request for accommodations by making an appointment with the Disability Services Coordinator, and scheduling this consultation a few weeks prior to the start of the semester for which s/he is enrolled is advisable.  To receive accommodations that require time to prepare, such as alternative texts (audio access to textbooks), requests need to be made early enough to allow ample time to fulfill the request, preferably two weeks before the semester begins.

Procedure

  1. Provide acceptable documentation of the disability per our Documentation Guidelines. Submit your documentation by FAX: 218.299.4557, or send an email to Matthew Rutten at: mrutten@cord.edu, or mail to him at the college's address.
  2. Stop by our office in Old Main 109A or call 218.299.3514 to schedule an appointment for an intake interview with Matthew Rutten, Disability Services Coordinator.
  3. Register for services online through Accommodate @ Concordia: https://concordiacollege-accommodate.symplicity.com/public_accommodation/. You must complete this registration if you wish to receive accommodations.

The Disability Services Office is open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday during the academic year and during select holidays and school recesses, including the fall and spring interims. Messages are checked periodically during the summer months (mid-May through mid-August). 

  • To request accommodations using the listed procedures and to do so in a timely fashion.
  • To arrange specific details of requested accommodations with faculty and staff members.
  • To maintain the same academic standards required of all Concordia College students, including timely completion of academic work.
  • To abide by the Concordia Student Rules and Regulations on matters such as academic honesty and behavior. 

ACADEMIC POLICIES ⟩

Policies and Documentation Guidelines

To receive reasonable and appropriate services/accommodations, students must present documentation of their disability and current functional limitations. This means there must be a diagnosis by a licensed professional who is qualified to evaluate the specific health condition.

Concordia's Policy for the Accommodation of Students with Disabilities

Test anxiety is not considered a disability under federal law. If you are applying for academic accommodations related to anxiety, your assessor must diagnose you with an anxiety disorder that is more general (such as Generalized Anxiety Disorder) and must include examples of areas of your life where anxiety creates a disability beyond the testing situation.

Campus Accessibility and Equipment Lease

Concordia has two Global Electric Motorcars in its fleet of on-campus vehicles. These two cars operate on battery-electric power and can be used for a variety of tasks. When the GEM Cars are not being used elsewhere on campus, the Physical Plant employees use them for their projects on campus.

Procedures for GEM Car Use Due to Temporary Disability

  1. Students who would like to request the use of a GEM Car due to a temporary disability should complete the MVR on Concordia's Risk Management web page in order to become certified to drive a campus vehicle.  This is required for all vehicles with a license plate, including GEM Cars.  After completing the form, students will receive an email from AlertDriving.com to take the on-line Alert Driver's Course.  The certification usually takes about 48 hours so please plan ahead. Go to Concordia's Risk Management webpage. Under 'Helpful Links' click on 'Request MVR' and follow the directions. Students should complete this step as soon as possible.
  2. Schedule an appointment with the Disability Services Coordinator, Matthew Rutten, who will approve GEM Car use with appropriate medical documentation.

*Be sure to bring your medical documentation with you to your meeting with Matthew. The documentation should support the need for use of a GEM Car.

Knee scooters and wheelchairs are available through Disability Services for Concordia students to lease, free of charge.  The equipment may be leased only by students with temporary physical disabilities.  To request this equipment, please contact the Disability Services office.

The Disability Services office DOES NOT provide personal assistance to students with temporary disabilities such as building-to-building transportation or the transport of books or other personal items.

Please refer to the Concordia College Campus Map for accessible parking spaces (denoted with an asterisk *).  The following buildings have elevators:

  • Park Region Hall
  • Mugaas Plant Operations Center & Parking Services
  • Bishop Whipple Hall
  • Grose Hall
  • Academy Hall
  • Knutson Campus Center
  • Old Main
  • Carl B. Ylvisaker Library
  • Lorentzsen Hall
  • Center for Student Success (The Normandy) & Cobber Bookstore
  • Frances Frazier Comstock Theatre
  • Olin Art & Communications Center
  • Integrated Science Center
  • Offutt Concourse
  • Olson Forum
  • Welcome Center
  • Grant Center
  • Olson Skyway

CAMPUS MAP ⟩

FM Ridesource

FM Ridesource provides the metro area of Fargo and West Fargo, North Dakota, and Moorhead and Dilworth, Minnesota, with transportation options for people with disabilities.

FM RIDESOURCE ⟩