76 Disability Services Procedure

1. Equal Access: Murray State College is committed to inclusion and equal access of individuals with disabilities. Individuals will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability or be denied equal access and appropriate accommodation to the educational opportunities available at MSC.  “No otherwise qualified person with a disability in the United States shall, solely on the basis of disability, be denied access to, or the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity in any institution receiving federal financial assistance.” – Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
2. Admissions: Admission decisions are made without regard to disabilities.  All prospective students are expected to apply to MSC presenting all necessary documents and testing scores required.  Prospective students with disabilities are not required to identify themselves to the Registrar Office upon admission or the Academic Advisement Office upon enrollment.  However, those interested in receiving academic accommodations are encouraged to meet with, or contact the MSC Testing Center as early as possible to allow for a review of documentation and the formulation of an accommodation plan.
3. MSC Disability Services Offered: Murray State College works to make programs and facilities available to all students.  The Director of Academic Advisement or a designated Academic Advisor is responsible for receiving a request for academic or physical accommodations.  These individuals will work with the student to obtain and review the required documentation and will assign reasonable accommodations based on documentation that supports the student’s request.  Academic accommodations include, but are not limited to:
   1. Alternative testing formats
   2. Allowance to tape lectures
   3. Volunteer student note takers
   4. Copy of lecture notes
   5. Adaptive technology
4. Facilities: Most facilities are fully accessible to students with physical disabilities by incorporating automatic doors, elevators, and wheelchair friendly restrooms.
5. Intellectual Disabilities: In addition to physical disabilities, MSC can provide reasonable services and accommodations for students with intellectual disabilities such as learning disorders, attention deficit disorder, and other medical disorders.
6. Requesting Accommodations and Services: First and foremost, the sooner you notify the Academic Advisement Office of your disability the better prepared we can be to meet your need. All faculty have incorporated into their course syllabi an ADA Statement giving information about what to do if you have a disability and are wanting to request accommodations.  The Director of Resident Life requests (90) days to complete the process of determining necessary housing arrangements for students with disability requests.  Students are required to provide appropriate documentation for their disabilities to the Academic Advisement Office.  The amount of required documentation will be based upon the nature of a disability and the nature and duration of the requested adjustments.  Documentation must be sufficient enough to support the requests.  Generally, documentation must be within two years of the first request to MSC.  Older documentation will be evaluated on an individual basis.  The purpose for current documentation is to determine current functional limitations.  It is understood that the original diagnosis may not have changed, but the effects that it had had on major life areas may have changed over time through treatment and adaptation.  Formal written documentation is required by a certified licensed professional.  Such documentation must be typed on letterhead of either the practitioner or agency hosting practice.  The documentation must be current, and the testing instruments must be appropriate for use with adults.  In general, the documentation of a disability should include the following:
   1. A diagnostic statement identifying the disability, date of the current diagnostic evaluation, and the date of the original diagnosis;
   2. A description of the diagnostic criteria used;
   3. A description of the current functional impact of the disability for use in establishing the need for and the design of accommodations;
   4. Treatments and medications, assistive devices currently prescribed or in use;
   5. A description of expected progression or stability of the impact of the disability over time;
   6. The credential of the diagnosing professional

Please keep in mind that high school IEP’s do not count has “official” documentation documenting a disability but they will be considered on an individual basis.

Any accommodations will be considered.  In order for an accommodation to be granted, it must be supported by the documentation provided and it must be deemed as reasonable.  Reasonable means that it meets the specific need of the student, does not present an undo financial burden to the college, and does not alter a core component of a class or academic curriculum of the college.

Contact Information

Academic Advisement

One Murray Campus, Tishomingo OK 73460

580-387-7201