Learning Difficulties

AUP provides support for students with learning or physical disabilities ranging from needing extra time for exams to requiring tutoring or mental health support.

These services are developed to allow all students the opportunity to study and be evaluated as fairly as possible. The Student Guidance Counselor along with faculty and the Office of Academic Affairs work together in assisting students with these needs. We’re dedicated to helping all students find academic success.

On this page, you can access more information about our disability support services and access the exam accommodation request form if you have been registered for academic accommodations.

Academic accommodations procedure

Criteria for Eligibility

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), students may request academic accommodations while enrolled at The American University of Paris. 

To be eligible for accommodations, students submit official medical documentation, which must meet the following criteria:

• Must be current: less than 3 years old.
• Must be issued by a licensed disability specialist.
• Originals must be presented, so a copy can be made and kept on file.
• Must specify clear and reasonable accommodations. AUP staff members are not qualified to make recommendations to faculty based on testing results alone.

If the documentation doesn’t meet all of the above criteria, the student will be asked to be retested in order to be eligible to receive accommodations at AUP. Please cvernieraup.edu (contact the Student Guidance Counselor) for a referral to a specialist.

Ensuring Accommodations

• Valid documents must be cvernieraup.edu (submitted to the Student Guidance Counselor) at the latest on the first week of classes when starting AUP; the disability will then be officially registered.
• There is no need to present the documentation again at the beginning of each semester, as long as it remains valid.
• The Student Guidance Counselor notifies all relevant faculty and staff members of the student’s eligibility for academic accommodations at the beginning of every semester.
• Students should make an appointment with their professors, preferably during their office hours, to discuss their accommodation needs, including whether or not the professor can provide the requested accommodations.
• If a professor cannot personally administer accommodations for an exam (such as extra time), the student must submit these needs to anugentaup.edu (the Academic Resource Center) via the exam accommodation form no later than two weeks before the exam date.

Types of Accommodations

There are two categories of accommodations at AUP, Exam Accommodations and Additional Accommodations:

Exam Accommodations, which are provided by AUP, include:

• Extended time to complete exams
• Special space for exams to avoid noise and distractions
• Use of a laptop for exams

Eligible students are free to decide whether they require these accommodations for a given exam or not. If they would like exam accommodations, it is their responsibility to inform their professors in advance about the accommodations they wish to request. If a professor cannot personally administer the accommodation, the students must submit their needs via the online exam accommodation request form no later than 2 weeks before the exam date. The anugentaup.edu (Academic Resource Center) (ARC) will then manage the submitted forms and organize the requested exam accommodations.

A student’s medical documentation may include recommendations for additional accommodations. Additional Accommodations include other types of accommodations, such as:

• Use of a laptop in class
• Use of an audio recorder in class
• Receiving materials in advance of the class session (e.g., in-class readings, lecture notes, PowerPoint slides)

These additional accommodations are not always available at AUP. Students may choose to discuss these with their professors, but they need to be aware that although professors will provide guidance and advice, they are not required to provide these additional accommodations. If professors have questions or concerns about these additional accommodations, they are invited to contact the rrastaup.edu (Teaching and Learning Center) (TLC) to discuss ways to help support students with learning disabilities.

RESOURCES

The cvernieraup.edu (Student Guidance Counselor) is the initial contact for disability support services:

• Collects and validates official documentation
• Registers and communicates eligibility to relevant faculty and staff members
• Refers students to specialists for cognitive evaluations

The anugentaup.edu (Academic Resource Center) in collaboration with the Student Guidance Counselor and the Academic Affairs Office:

• Manages the Online Exam Accommodation Form
• Reviews and approves accommodation requests for upcoming exams
• Serves as a liaison with professors regarding accommodation arrangements
• Drops-off and picks-up laptops at exam locations, and delivers completed exams to professors.

Frequently asked questions

I think I may have a learning disability. Where do I go?

If you want to be tested, or if you want to know about how to register for academic accommodations during your studies at AUP, you should cvernieraup.edu (make an appointment with the student guidance counselor) in the Office of Student Development at the start of the semester—and ideally at the beginning of your studies. We work with off-campus specialists who are qualified to conduct widely accepted testing in American higher educational environments.

What if I’m not sure if I need accommodations this semester?

It’s better to be registered, and for your professor to be aware of your eligibility from the beginning of the semester, even if you decide not to request exam accommodations.

How do I go about discussing my learning disability with my professor?

Your professor will already have received a notification from the Student Guidance Counselor regarding your eligibility for accommodations, so this discussion will be welcome. Most likely, professors have had other students with similar requests in their classes before you. We highly recommend you discuss your disability during your professor’s office hours because this will allow for adequate time to go over the entire semester’s logistics regarding your specific accommodations: the dates of exams, the use of a laptop for class notes or exams, and/or applying the extra time on exams.

In addition, you can talk about your general academic strengths and weaknesses to determine if there is additional support your professor can provide.

My professor cannot personally administer my accommodations for an exam, what can i do?

An exam accommodation form must be filled out by the student to request the anugentaup.edu (Academic Resource Center) support for exams (a proctor, a clean laptop, a room reservation, etc). If according to your registered documentation, you are eligible for extra time, a laptop, or a separate location as part of your accommodations for exams, you should complete the above mentioned web form no later than two weeks before the anticipated exam date. Last minute requests for exam accommodations cannot be honored. Please, plan ahead!

ONCE I’VE SUBMITTED MY COMPLETED EXAM ACCOMMODATION REQUEST FORM, WHEN WILL I KNOW THE CONFIRMED ARRANGEMENTS FOR MY EXAM?

Someone from theanugentaup.edu ( Academic Resource Center) will send an email to you and your professors after they have processed your request. Contact the ARC if you haven’t been contacted at least 48 hours before the exam.

I FEEL AWKWARD APPROACHING MY PROFESSOR REGARDING MY PAPERWORK—WHAT SHOULD I DO?

Remember that AUP professors are happy to work with you, and they see exam accommodation forms as a tool to best measure the knowledge you acquire in a course rather than your disability. Since your needed accommodations are based on personalized testing, they will be considered seriously by professors at AUP. Give your professors a chance to provide guidance and advice early in the semester. Don’t put off these conversations.