Faculty Information

Student disability information must be kept confidential. At no time should the class be informed that a student has a disability, unless at the student's request. Any information that a student gives to the faculty member is to be used only for arranging accommodations for the course of study and may not be disclosed.

Faculty are responsible for referring students with disabilities to the SARC and are strongly encouraged to include the following statement on the course syllabus: "In compliance with University policy, students with disabilities who require academic and/or auxiliary accommodations for this course must contact the Student Accessibility Resource Center located in Downing Student Union, 1074. SARC can be reached by phone number at 270-745-5004 [270-745-3030 TTY] or via email at sarc.connect@wku.edu. Please do not request accommodations directly from the professor or instructor without a faculty notification letter (FNL) from The Student Accessibility Resource Center."

Faculty members are responsible for providing approved accommodations for eligible students. Students will present faculty with a Faculty Notification Letter that the faculty must sign and return to the student. In lieu of a signature, faculty members can email the SARC from their WKU emails stating that they have received the FNL and understand the contents of it.

The SARC staff is available for consultation about appropriate levels of accommodation and available support resources. For more information about the FNL, please visit the FNL information page.

Please, refer to the Testing Services page for more information. Contact Hayley at 270-745-5004 or sarc.testing@wku.edu with any questions.

Note Takers are a vital link in providing support services to students at WKU.  Student Accessibility Resource Center registered students who have a note taking accommodation listed on their accommodation letter may utilize recording devices, note taking applications, request lecture notes/power points from the Instructor, or ask a student in the class to voluntarily share their class notes. The SARC student must initiate such requests.

The student may ask for your assistance in securing a volunteer note taker in the class. If a student approaches you for assistance with identifying a class note taker, you can make an announcement using the SARC announcement flier or pair the student needing notes with a student you are confident will provide excellent course notes. We welcome your recommendations for a potiential class note taker volunteer. 

At the end of the semester, the SARC will provide note takers with a statement of volunteer hours earned along with a small gift as a token of our appreciation. For additional information, please email sarc.notetaking@wku.edu.

Potential student volunteer note takers can access the next steps by navigating to the SARC note taker webpage.

Assistive technology includes listening and recording devices, as well as computer programs. Many students benefit from the use of these products. The SARC can work with students seeking assistance with assistive technology.

For programs suggested to students, please refer to the SARC's assistive technology page. 

Faculty members traveling abroad are encouraged to have the following statement on their course syllabus: “Students registered with the SARC Office are accommodated with their Study Abroad class until departure from Bowling Green. Students and leaders of study abroad courses are advised that the American Disabilities Act applies to students within the United States. Accommodations and accessibility may be much different outside the United States and should be investigated by students and professors before enrolling in the course.”

• WKU's Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning - Accessibility
• Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology (DO-IT) CenterOpen in New Window
  • DO-IT's The Faculty RoomOpen in New Window is a place for postsecondary faculty and administrators to learn about how to create classroom environments and activities that maximize the learning of all students, including those with disabilities. Legal issues, universal design principles, and accommodation strategies are included in interactive, multimedia, and searchable resources.
  • DO-IT's "Universal Design of Instruction (UDI): Definition, Principles, Guidelines, and Examples"Open in New Window
  • DO-IT offers suggestions for overcoming accessibility concerns in academic activities, such as those involving: computer labsOpen in New Window, fieldworkOpen in New Window, group work/discussionsOpen in New Window, lecturesOpen in New Window, science labsOpen in New Window, technologyOpen in New Window, test takingOpen in New Window, writing assignmentsOpen in New Window, and more.
• Vanderbilt's Guide to Creating Accessible Learning EnvironmentsOpen in New Window
• Ohio State University's Composing AccessOpen in New Window is a collaborative site that includes resources for creating accessible events.
• Ohio State University's Disability Services OfficeOpen in New Window offers Quick Reference Guides for faculty/staff.
• United Spinal Association published "Disability Etiquette: Tips On Interacting With People With Disabilities"Open in New Window.
• "Understanding Asperger Syndrome: A Professor's Guide"Open in New Window is an education video from the Organization for Autism Research (OAR) which encourages professors to learn more about students on the autism spectrum.