Faculty and Staff

DRES staff members are available to assist and support faculty, staff and students while facilitating a successful learning experience. DRES is designated by the California State University Chancellor's Office as the administrative unit responsible for determining a student's eligibility for reasonable accommodations and services. Students with disabilities may not require accommodations in every class. DRES staff members determine accommodations on a case-by-case basis after considering the functional limitations resulting from the disability and the academic standards expected for the course.

From a legal standpoint, reasonable accommodations are those that allow equal access to the educational environment for students with disabilities and do not pose an undue burden on the institution. Faculty members are not required to provide students with special advantages to help them pass courses, and they should not assess students with disabilities differently than others. Rather, reasonable accommodations may be implemented without significant cost to allow otherwise qualified students to fulfill course requirements by limiting the effects of their disabilities on performance. DRES staff members are available to help faculty consider ways in which classes can be made accessible.

Students must take responsibility for their educational experience and register with DRES in order to be eligible for accommodations. If a student requests an accommodation and has not registered with DRES, faculty should simply direct the student to the DRES office in Bayramian Hall 110.

If a student doesn’t reveal that he or she has a disability and does not request accommodations, faculty members can’t be held responsible for failing to provide accommodations.

In order to receive accommodations, students with disabilities are responsible for the following.

• Registering with DRES and providing documentation from a medical professional that states the functional limitations and duration (temporary or permanent) of his or her disability
• Requesting accommodations for classes each semester
• Requesting alternate formats, such as Braille or electronic text, of textbooks or course materials through DRES as soon as the next semester schedule is set
• Arranging for in-class note takers
• Initiating contact with special programs at DRES
• Finding, training and employing personal care attendants if necessary

The university’s commitment to welcoming a diverse community requires that every individual has an equal opportunity to contribute in the classroom based on his or her knowledge and skills — without regard to disability. CSUN is known for the many fine programs and faculty serving students with disabilities.

Pursuant to federal law and state and university policies, CSUN strives to make reasonable accommodations for the functional limitations resulting from a student’s disability and provides equal access to all programs and facilities. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits state and local governments from discriminating against any qualified person with a disability. ADA states, "All government facilities, services and communications must be accessible consistent with the requirements of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973."

Section 504 prohibits discrimination on the basis of physical or mental disability and states, "No otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States...shall, solely by reason of her or his disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance".

In accordance with the ADA and Section 504, the California State University Executive Order No. 926 documents and makes explicit systemwide policies for disability support and accommodation programs.

For more information, read about the California State University policy on serving students with disabilities.