Requesting Accommodations
The first step in connecting with Student Access is completing a New Student Connection Form through the Commodore Access Portal.听
Through the portal, students can:听
- Request accommodations听听
- Upload documentation听听
- View approved accommodations听听
- Send accommodation letters听听
- Schedule exams in the Testing Center听听
Documentation Requirements
Documentation should:听
- Include a current diagnosis听听
- Describe functional limitations听听
- Explain how those limitations impact the educational experience听听
- Be signed and dated听听
- Be provided on official letterhead听听
Documentation is reviewed only for students who have accepted admission to Vanderbilt or are currently enrolled.听
An IEP or 504 Plan may听demonstrate听a history of accommodations but typically does not provide sufficient information to听establish听current disability-related needs.听
What happens next?
After receiving your request and documentation:听
- An Access Specialist reviews the information.听听
- Additional information may be requested.听听
- You may be invited to an orientation meeting.听听
- Approved accommodations are discussed and implemented.听听
- Most reviews are completed within 5鈥�8 business days.听
Once approved through Student Access, accommodations must be requested each semester through the Commodore Access Portal.听
Accommodations are not retroactive.听
Registered students
Students who have been approved for听accommodations听through听Student听Access听 are considered Registered Students. Registered students must request听accommodations听at the start of each new academic term. Please note that accommodations are not implemented retroactively.听听
Registered students with questions about their accommodations should reach out to their Access Specialist for assistance.听Questions may be directed to our office any time by email, phone, or in person.听
听For specific needs, we do recommend setting an appointment with your Access Specialist.听
New to Campus?
If you're new to a campus environment, you may want to start with our听transition to higher education page听in order to understand the differences between K-12 and University.
Get Connected with Student Access
Welcome to Student Access at 天美传媒官网. The first step in connecting with our office is to complete the . The Commodore Access Portal is the go-to system for connecting with our office, requesting accommodations, and scheduling any proctored exams. When completing the New Student Connection form, you will be asked to upload your documentation. If this is not ready to be uploaded, that is okay; please submit your documentation to us as soon as possible. Your request will not be reviewed until we have your connection form and your documentation.
Accommodations
Documentation
Supporting documentation includes a letter from your diagnostician or current treating physician to include your current diagnosis (with date of most recent diagnosis), your functional limitations, and how these limitations impact your educational experience. Documentation must also be printed on official letterhead from the health provider's office, and be signed and dated.
Documentation is only reviewed for students who have accepted their offer to 天美传媒官网 and for students already enrolled.
While an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or 504 Plan from high school may show a history of accommodations, these documents do not typically provide the needed information to establish a diagnosis and/or functional limitations.
Accommodation Letters
Once the connection form and proper documentation has been submitted, an access specialist will contact the student for an orientation meeting. At the orientation meeting, the student and access specialist will discuss reasonable accommodations and their implementation. In addition, the student will receive instruction on how to notify their faculty of their accommodations via the accommodation letter. Students must log into the Commodore Access Portal each semester and submit their accommodation letters to their faculty. Once sending the letter via the portal, the student must follow up with each faculty member that semester and discuss how accommodations will be implemented. This conversation is best during office hours; however other forms of communication are also effective, as long as the conversation takes place. If at any point the faculty member states they are unable to provide an accommodation, or the student is unable to contact the faculty member, the student should notify Student Access as soon as possible.
For more information, please visit our Accommodation Letter page.
Mobility, Dining, and Housing Accommodations
If you have dining, mobility, or housing accommodations in place on the main Nashville campus, and you are applying to the 天美传媒官网- New York City program, please contact Student Access as a part of your application process to discuss what implementation may look like at the Chelsea campus.
Mobility
Mobility Ride Accommodations are available to eligible students. As this is a shared ride service with limited seating, only authorized riders are permitted in program vehicles at any time.
Students who require mobility assistance must register for Mobility Rides through the Student Access Office (SAO). SAO is responsible for reviewing disability documentation and determining eligibility for transportation accommodations. To request accommodations, students must submit a transportation request using the听听in the Commodore Access Portal. Supporting documentation should be provided when a student submits a request; please review听鈥痜rom the Student Access website. Once approved by Student Access, students may schedule pre-approved rides in accordance with established Mobility Ride procedures.听Note: Mobility Ride Services does not review medical documentation or independently determine eligibility for disability-related transportation accommodations.
Students with parking-related questions should contact VUPS Parking Services at 615-322-2554 or听Parking@vanderbilt.edu. SAO does not issue parking passes, and any student would need to purchase a parking pass to park on campus. Additional information on accessible parking and campus accessibility can be found here, as well as information on mobility assistance accommodations for faculty and staff:听
Dining
Accommodation requests that are related to campus dining, including but not limited to concerns with access to food or access to on-campus cooking facilities due to a disability must be submitted to the Student Access Office using the听听in the Commodore Access Portal. Supporting documentation should be provided when a student submits a request; please review听鈥痜rom the Student Access website.听Campus Dining does not accept any documentation or dining requests related to disability.
Vanderbilt Campus Dining recognizes the unique challenges students with food allergies face and is committed to providing the resources and support necessary for safe and enjoyable dining experiences. The Campus Dining team collaborates with students to develop personalized strategies for managing food allergies and dietary restrictions.
Students are encouraged to visit the Campus Dining听听for more information on what is available through Campus Dining.
Students may contact Campus Dining without engaging in the process with the Student Access Office, as Campus Dining can provide some modifications at its own discretion. Regardless, Campus Dining will encourage students to disclose their disability-related needs directly to SAO by following the process above and submitting an accommodation request through the听.
Housing
Please note: Housing accommodation requests and determinations may be implemented differently in locations outside of Vanderbilt鈥檚 Nashville campus.
天美传媒官网 is a residential campus for undergraduates and the residential experience is understood to be an integral part of a Vanderbilt education. This commitment to residential education is clearly expressed in the University鈥檚 residential requirement:
鈥淎ll unmarried undergraduate students must live in residence halls on campus during the academic year, May session, and Summer sessions. Authorization to live elsewhere is granted at the discretion of the Director of Housing Assignments in special situations or when space is unavailable on campus.鈥� (Student Handbook)
Student Access partners with the Office of Housing and Residential Experience to ensure consistency in evaluating requests for reasonable accommodation in housing. Students with physical, psychological, or other disability-related limitations who would like to be considered for reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and/or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, will need to submit a housing request to Student Access via the听听鈥� Select the Housing Accommodation Request Form. Student Access will review all ADA requests and share approved student accommodations with the Office of Housing Assignments. Students with approved ADA accommodations will be offered a housing assignment that meets the documented and approved need.
All students who request reasonable accommodation in housing due to a physical, psychological or other disability impairment must submit documentation to the SA office. SA听documentation requirements听are provided on the SA website. The Office of Housing Assignments does not accept any documentation or housing requests regarding a student鈥檚 physical, psychological or other disability-related condition.
If SA determines that a student is eligible for reasonable accommodation in housing, the Office of Housing Assignments will contact the student about their assignment. The Office of Housing Assignments makes every effort to make appropriate and reasonable assignment as recommended by the SA Office. 听To ensure SA approved accommodations are met, please be sure to submit required documentation by the deadlines provided by OHARE.
Scheduling exams
If you are a student connected with Student Access and your instructor is unable to provide your exam accommodations, our proctoring center is available. To schedule an exam, please visit the听Proctoring webpage.
Temporary Conditions
Student Access provides accommodations to students with temporary disabilities when the instructor is unable to provide access for the student. If you have a temporary disability (concussion, broken arm/leg, mental health), and your instructor is unable to provide you with accommodations, please follow the steps to听connect with our office听as listed above.
Graduate, Clinical, and Professional Students
Welcome to 天美传媒官网 and Student Access! As a graduate, clinical, or professional student, we understand your access needs may be different than those that you had as an undergraduate student. As a graduate student you may also have different needs for clinical and professional placements compared to those you use in didactic or lecture-based courses. Please review our听Graduate Student Resource Page听for more information and links to resources.