ADA & Student Conduct – On-Demand Training

Complexities & Intersections Between the ADA, Accessibility & Student Conduct

Most, if not all, colleges and universities have a set of rules and expectations that govern student behavior, conduct, and performance. These are intended to foster a welcoming and supportive environment for students to learn and develop. One challenge of managing student conduct is helping students whose behavior does not align with these expectations. This may be in the form of a formal process and potential discipline.

There may be additional complexities if a student discloses that they have a disability as part of the conduct process. This is true whether the student is an individual raising concerns about another student’s behavior or it is the individual whose behavior is being addressed. There may additional questions when a student has not disclosed anything or has made a disclosure to a different office.

In these situations, it is important for institutions to meet legal responsibilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as well as other legal responsibilities regarding student conduct (such as Title IX). These legal responsibilities apply to all facets of the conduct process (from the code itself to any disciplinary outcomes). Therefore, it is critical that student conduct staff are familiar with these requirements and how they interplay with the overarching goals of the conduct process.

Our expert presenter will explore the complexities and the intersections between the ADA, accessibility and student conduct. Explore potential strategies to meet the legal framework guiding administrators in managing student conduct through specific examples that will help anchor the discussion and assist in applying suggested practices.

Topics Covered

Gain crucial, actionable takeaways that will help you:

• Gain the necessary knowledge to comply with each of the federal laws dealing with accessibility in the student conduct process so you can avoid a legal quagmire caused by confusion and lack of confidence about how to proceed.
• Evaluate student conduct codes and processes and identify if there are ways to proactively make them more accessible, clear, comprehensive and understandable.
• Provide training to the staff who facilitate the student conduct process on how to respond to a disclosed disability, resources that may support students, and whether/how a disability can be considered in the conduct process.
• Consider whether restorative justice practices can be incorporated into the student conduct process and how these approaches can consider a student’s disability.

Presenter

Christina Kline serves as the Executive Director for the Disability Management System (DMS) Office.
Click here for full bio.