Center for Student Accommodations
The Center for Student Accommodations provides reasonable accommodations and support services to students with disabilities in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA), and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. As per these laws, the Center works to ensure that otherwise qualified students have equal access to the Manhattanville College experience.
The Center for Student Accommodations partners with students to empower them to take ownership of the college journey. By modeling problem-solving strategies, our staff helps to promote self-determination and self-advocacy skills in order to enhance students’ abilities to use their own strengths to address challenges. These are skills students will carry with them beyond their years at Manhattanville.
The Center also strives to increase the positive dialogue surrounding disabilities, promoting the “people first” approach and communicating the message that disability is an integral part of diversity. In this spirit, the Center for Student Accommodations actively seeks to create an environment that embraces all students.
- PL 101-336: Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
- PL 101-325: Americans with Disabilities Act, as Amended in 2008, effective January 1, 2009
- PL 93-112: Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
- These links are for informational purposes only and are in no way to be regarded as legal advice.
Initiating Accommodations
How do I initiate the accommodations process?
STEP 1: If a student chooses to disclose about a disability and is requesting accommodations,
that student should contact the Center for Student Accommodations to set up an
intake interview.
What should I bring to the intake?
STEP 2: Once a student has made contact with the Center for Student Accommodations and has set
up an intake interview, the student should bring any documentation related to that disability
that would support the need for the requested accommodations. This may include for
example, the student’s IEP and/or psychoeducational evaluation.
What happens after the intake?
STEP 3: Depending on the information gathered from the student’s intake interview and
documentation, the student will either receive a letter of “Approved Accommodations”
or may be asked to submit further documentation. The student will be granted “Provisional
Accommodations” for the duration of one semester in order to give the student time to
gather appropriate documentation. The provision of accommodations in high school does
not guarantee provision of the same accommodations in college.
What do I do now?
STEP 4: Once the student receives the letter of approved accommodations and signs a disclosure
form with the Center, the student will deliver copies of the letter to their respective faculty
members. It is always the student’s choice as to whether that student wants to disclose;
however, accommodations can only be provided by our Center if the student registers with
us. Accommodations are not retroactive.
*Students may enroll in VLSP and/or PAC after they have been accepted by the College and have registered with the Center for Student Accommodations. Please note that there is a separate application process to be considered for these programs.
Grievance Procedure
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and The Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. Any student who believes that reasonable accommodations have been denied should first contact the Director of the Center for Student Accommodations who will attempt to resolve the situation expeditiously. If a resolution cannot be reached, a written petition should be submitted to the Director, who will convene the ADA Committee to review the petition. The Committee’s decision may be appealed to the Vice President for Student Affairs. Provisional accommodations may, at the discretion of the Vice President, be provided in the meantime.
Service and Support Animal Policy
Manhattanville College understands the importance of Service and Support Animals to those individuals with disabilities and has therefore established policies and procedures to provide equal access to those individuals requiring this support and to ensure the safety of the campus. This policy ensures that people with disabilities, who require the use of Service or Support Animals as a reasonable accommodation, are granted this privilege so that they may receive the benefit of the work or tasks performed by such animals or the therapeutic support they provide. Please contact the Director of the Center for Student Accommodations to learn more about the policies and procedures of a Service or Support Animal.
Valiant Learning Support Program-VLSP
The Valiant Learning Support Program (VLSP) is a fee-based program that serves as a center of support for students with documented learning disabilities. It is designed to assist college-ready students to navigate the academic challenges of the college curriculum. This program offers students customized learning strategy sessions with highly trained, professional Learning Specialists. Learning Specialists provide each student enrolled in the program with 3 hours of 1:1 academic support on a weekly basis which may include working with students on writing skills, reading comprehension skills, executive functioning skills such as time management and prioritization, and study skills. Learning Specialists use the student’s own course work to support students in their efforts to take ownership of their own learning and partner with students to promote self-advocacy and self-determination.
The Pathways and Connections Program (PAC)
The Pathways and Connections Program is an innovative and comprehensive fee based program designed to assist college-ready students on the Autism Spectrum. The program focuses on executive functioning skills in the social realm and supports students with transitional skills and integration into the campus community.