An Equal Opportunity to Learn

Buena Vista University is committed to providing all students with appropriate opportunities to get maximum benefits and enjoyment from its academic, cultural, and recreational activities. BVU strives to develop appropriate and reasonable accommodations which do not lower academic standards, alter degree requirements, or reduce the quality of the BVU experience. The University endeavors to offer students with special needs equal opportunity to demonstrate their academic abilities.

BVU policy, in accordance with state and federal guidelines, calls for reasonable accommodations to be made for qualified students with disabilities on an individual basis. The policy recognizes the importance of self-advocacy to actively seek available assistance at the University, to make needs known, to complete a Student Accommodation Application, and to provide current documentation of his/her disabilities. The Director of the Center for Academic Excellence is available to assist students in the Student Accommodations Process. The Associate Dean of Faculty serves as the 504 Coordinator for the University.

Important Facts to Know

BVU does not provide extensive medical and psychological testing needed to document a disability. Students may request names of agencies and people who perform the in-depth assessment required for documentation.

PLAN AHEAD: Arrangements for accommodations take time. For example, textbooks on tape can be obtained through the Iowa Commission for the Blind/Recordings for the Blind. Arrangements need to be made eight weeks prior to the start of class. Scanning is available through the Kurzweil Screen Reader/Scanner. Arrangements need to be made in advance of the semester.

Contact your local Vocational Rehabilitation Office for services such as sign-language interpreters, note takers/scribes, etc.

Arranging Accommodations

A student who has been accepted for admissions will submit a request for accommodations and documentation to Donna Musel, Director, Center for Academic Excellence, Buena Vista University, 610 W. Fourth Street, Storm Lake, IA 50588.

The Director for the Center of Academic Excellence and/or the 504 Coordinator may consult with the qualified student to determine the manner in which the specific physical or mental abilities and limitations relate to the course, program, activities or service. The Director may also consult with the individual to identify readily achievable accommodations and assess their effectiveness.

The Director for the Center for Academic Excellence and/or the 504 Coordinator will review documentation and recommend reasonable appropriate accommodations, considering BVU is a private university.

Once the accommodation decisions are made, the Director of the Center for Academic Excellence will notify the qualified student so he/she can pick up the letter(s) which contains information for his/her instructor(s). Qualified students may determine how many copies of the letter are necessary.

The qualified student is responsible for contacting each instructor to arrange accommodations agreed upon, obtaining instructors’ signatures on the Request for Accommodations form, and returning the form to the Center for Academic Excellence.

The qualified student will contact the CAE Director if an instructor fails to provide the designated accommodations or refuses to sign the form.

Qualified students who disagree with the readily achievable accommodations identified may appeal the decision to the Vice President of Academic Affairs. The appeal must be made in writing and must be signed.

* Faculty may request clarification from the CAE Director regarding the implementation of accommodations.

Who Qualifies for Services?

Services are available to qualified BVU students with a documented disability including but not limited to the following:

specific learning disabilities
psychiatric or emotional disabilities
chronic health problems
visual, speech, or hearing limitations

The Law & Its Impact

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 states that:

“No otherwise qualified person with a disability in the United States...shall, solely by reason of...disability, be denied the benefits of, be excluded from participation in, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.”

504 COORDINATOR

Dr. Mary Gill
Associate Dean of Faculty
Dixon-Eilers 107
712.749.2205
gill@bvu.edu

ACADEMIC SUPPORT

Center for Academic Excellence
Donna Musel, Director
Information Technology Center 103
712.749.1237
museld@bvu.edu

STUDENT SERVICES

Residence Halls
Nate Buseman and Deb McConahie
Harold Walter Siebens Forum
712.749.2123
busemann@bvu.edu or mcconahied@bvu.edu

COUNSELING

Elizabeth Balder
Harold Walter Siebens Forum
712.749.1226
baldere@bvu.edu

HEALTH SERVICES

Kim Carver and Tami Laursen
Siebens Fieldhouse B25
712.749.1238
carverk@bvu.edu or laursent@bvu.edu