Faculty Information

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 (SARC), located in Downing Student Union, Room 1074. SARC can be reached at 270‑745‑5004 [TTY: 270‑745‑3030] or by email at sarc.connect@wku.edu.

The Faculty Notification Letter (FNL) is the official documentation from SARC confirming a student’s registration with our office outlining their approved accommodations and is meant to be a communication tool between the student and faculty member. Students should provide their FNL to instructors as early as possible and discuss the listed accommodations or services with them, as needed, to ensure understanding and timely implementation. Please do not request accommodations directly from the instructor without first registering with SARC and obtaining your FNL. A complete and signed copy of this FNL must be on file at the SARC. In lieu of a printed copy, the SARC office will also accept (and encourages) correspondence from a faculty member's WKU email. Simply add sarc.connect@wku.edu in email correspondence. If an accommodation is deemed not applicable, or is otherwise not provided to the student, the SARC should be notified in writing (sarc.connect@wku.edu). Reminder: Accommodations are not retroactive. Accommodations listed in the FNL become effective the date the student presents the FNL to the faculty member.

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 encouraged to refer students with disabilities to the SARC for support, resources, or starting the process for securing disability accommodations. Faculty may contact the SARC at anytime with questions related to disability services, compliance, or other related inquiries. 

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 potential 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) Center
• DO-IT's The Faculty Room
• DO-IT's "Universal Design of Instruction (UDI): Definition, Principles, Guidelines, and Examples"

• • • DO-IT offers suggestions for overcoming accessibility concerns in academic activities, such as those involving: computer labs

• • , fieldwork

• • , group work/discussions

• • , lectures

• • , science labs

• • , technology

• • , test taking

• • , writing assignments

• • , and more.

• Ohio State University's Composing Access

• • Ohio State University's Disability Services Office

• • "Disability Etiquette: Tips On Interacting With People With Disabilities"

• • "Understanding Asperger Syndrome: A Professor's Guide"

• Vanderbilt's Guide to Creating Accessible Learning Environments