<p>I would aim for giving the kid the benefit of the doubt. There is no way for you to know the reasons behind the request unless the student chooses to share that information. It could be a physical or psychological issue, and it could very well be something that comes and goes, or is worse at one time of day or in certain environments. If special documenation is required, that seems reasonable, but I would hope you would allow the student time to get that taken care of, perhaps saying you can go ahead and excuse absences for the time being, but he will need to provide that documentation by a certain date (you could even say those absences will become unexcused if the documentation isn’t provided for those beyond the limit). It could be something new, and as yet undiagnosed, or could be something that had improved and is flaring up and so was not expected to interrupt his schooling. Yes, there will be some who might take advantage, but, unless that has become a real issue, I would be as lenient as policy will allow.</p>
<p>Anograd, the reason I thought IBD was a possibility was that the student said he couldn’t sit but didn’t want to stand. I thought maybe what he was really saying was that he needed to leave class from time to time for bathroom needs.</p>
<p>Student Disability Service Offices are set up to handle this kind of thing. </p>
<p>The student shouldn’t have to reveal his health issues to all of his professors and TA’s, in fact, he has a right to have his health issues kept private from them. By going through the Disabilities office, he provides his documentation to one place that will keep his private information private. The Disabilities office will then determine what accommodations he needs and the college can provide, keeping the Americans With Disabilities Act and relevant state laws in mind. There might be some creative ways that they can help students with his particular health problem that the professor can’t – and can’t be expected to – think of. The Disabilities office will then provide the student with a letter that outlines the student’s accommodations for all his professors, and be there to talk with professors if they have questions about implementation. </p>
<p>There are all kinds of reasons that the professor/TA/dean shouldn’t be handling this solo, ranging from the legal ramifications of student privacy around medical issues, to lack of experience in handling accommodations, to lack of knowledge of the relevant laws related to accommodating disabilities that may be in play. </p>
<p>If I were the OP I would 1.) get the contact info for the Disabilities office and send the student there and 2.) whip out my phone and call the Disabilities office. </p>
<p>Professors aren’t supposed to have to sort this out for each and every student who comes forward with a special need; this is what the Disabilities office is for. Having the student deal with Disabilities and return to the professor with a plan is better for the student, better for the individual professor who then doesn’t have to agonize about what to do, and better for the university as a whole in terms of supporting students appropriately, compliance with laws relating both to medical confidentiality and to the accommodation of disabilities, and generally efficiency – not sinking bunches of professors’ time into resolving something that can be resolved best by one experienced person.</p>
<p>Agree with those who have recommended contacting the Disabilities Office. That’s the standard at my school; we are not supposed to extend any accommodations to students without a formal evaluation from that office, as others have pointed to, to ensure that everyone is treated fairly and with respect. Until I read Reddoor’s post, though, it never even occurred to me that a parent might sue a school…so there’s another less positive reason…</p>
<p>While I realize that some schools do not offer on-line courses (mine doesn’t), my point was simply that students and parent should think ahead to find the school that will fit their whole person the best, rather than enroll in a place where they will constantly trying to be fitting their square peg into a round hole. This assumes, of course, that the situation is chronic, not something that has suddenly come up.</p>
<p>I don’t really know if the college would allow this, but if class discussion is important, would it be possible to set up something like skype? If you and the student both have webcams, the student could join the class from a more comfortable location (like lying on a bed with the laptop), and will still be able to discuss with the class. In my opinion, standing, even if it does alleviate pain, might make it difficult to take notes.</p>
<p>but isn’t fantasie’s suggestion a lot of trouble and a lot of special accommodation for a student that hasn’t yet discussed his disability or documented it, to the disabilities office?</p>
<p>the teacher(prof) should give the kid the benefit of the doubt??
See sentence 1 of post 63 please.</p>