Academic Accommodations

What are Academic Accommodations?

Typical academic accommodations include, but are not limited to, flexible deadlines, extended time in class, early assignments, electronic note taking, alternatively formatted materials, preferential seating, etc.  It is useful to think of accommodations as adjustments to how things are normally done.

Requesting Academic or Exam-Based Accommodations

To request academic or exam-based accommodations for a specific disability, register using the secure registration form for OARS and upload your supporting documentation.

If you have already registered with OARS, you will login to your OARS Portal account to request additional accommodations if needed, and upload any required documentation.

Students may request accommodations related to academics at any point in their academic career.

Academic accommodations relate primarily to:

• In-class accommodations related to how one receives, captures, and processes information or expresses ideas and conveys understanding.
• Exam-based accommodations, primarily applicable to Five College classes as Hampshire has few exams.
• Modifications applying to work outside of class
• Assistive Technology

How do I receive my academic accommodations once approved?

Once approved for academic and exam-based accommodations through the OARS registration process, there is a two part process for applying your accommodations to your classes at Hampshire - filing the Semester Request form on the OARS Portal, followed by participating in the Interactive Process with each professor and your academic advisor as needed.

Semester Request Form:

• Students are responsible for completing the Semester Request form on the OARS Portal each semester to apply approved academic accommodations to each of their classes.
• You have the choice about which accommodations you need in each class and which you’d like to share with your academic advisor.
• OARS strongly recommends submitting your Semester Request form as soon as your schedule is finalized, or by the end of the add/drop period.
• As you choose when to share and what to include, please remember that accommodations are not retroactive.

Interactive Process:

• Once you complete the Semester Request form, your professor will be able to review what you sent on their OARS portal account. 
• The next step is to schedule a meeting to communicate about your accommodations with each professor. Together, you will discuss a plan in more detail for how your accommodations will apply to their particular class.
• This is called the Interactive Process, and is key to meeting your access needs in college

Five College Classes

Hampshire students taking Five College Courses

Hampshire College students that are enrolled in a Five College course and would like to receive accommodations must fill out the Request for Five College Accommodations Form and upload this to your OARS Portal account. Once your form is received by OARS the director reaches out to staff from the Five College Access Offices. In turn the Five College Access Offices will send out their accommodation form to their faulty and/or departments. Secondly, you are now allotted the services of the Accessibility Office on the campus you are attending.

Five College Students taking Courses at Hampshire

Any Five College student with a disability enrolled in a Hampshire College course is expected to turn their Five College Accommodation Request Form to OARS via email at oars@hampshire.edu. You may need to meet briefly with a member of the OARS staff to process your accommodation forms and learn how accommodations are implemented at Hampshire. Please contact OARS at oars@hampshire.edu and provide your name, student ID, home campus and availability to meet remotely. OARS staff will discuss your accommodation and send accommodation forms to instructors and contact any other relevant departments.