Colleges, departments and faculties

Colleges, departments and faculties are responsible for identifying all anticipatory steps they can take to remove the need for individual adjustments and promote inclusive practice. Wherever individual adjustments are needed, these should be made in collaboration with the student, to ensure their individual needs are met in a way which enables self-agency and independence, and does not unnecessarily draw attention to the disability.

Adjustments are commonly made to the following: teaching and learning, examinations and assessments, accommodation, welfare, study support, and to collegiate social and sporting activities. Colleges and departments should promote a culture of awareness amongst staff and the student community that extends to all types of disability, including hidden disabilities such as mental illness or chronic pain. This could occur through staff away days, support sessions, training and information provided by DAS staff, and promotion of the University’s Disability Awareness Week. Inductions and handover processes for administrative and academic staff should include an explanation of their roles and responsibilities with regard to disabled students.

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Colleges will co-ordinate and monitor the provision for undergraduate students (non-matriculated students are covered elsewhere in the Handbook), maintaining a watching brief throughout the student’s studies. However, in respect of the services they provide, colleges will also be proactive in ensuring that appropriate provision is made for graduate students.

A collaborative partnership between colleges and departments is integral to ensuring that reasonable adjustments are implemented smoothly.

Departments will co-ordinate and monitor provision for graduate students, maintaining 'a watching brief' throughout the student’s studies. However, in respect of the services they provide, departments and faculties will also be proactive in ensuring that appropriate provision is made for undergraduate students.

A collaborative partnership between colleges and departments is integral to ensuring that reasonable adjustments are implemented smoothly.

All colleges and departments have a responsibility to all students to:

  • ensure that a student's Student Support Plan is communicated to the relevant staff in an appropriate way (for further details see The Student Support Plan and Sharing disability-related information pages.
  • implement the adjustments that are necessary within their own unit, in consultation with the lead department/college where necessary.
  • keep in touch with their counterparts in the other relevant units (this will be particularly important for Joint Honours Schools), calling for a case conference if they identify there are problems with a student’s provision.
  • providing information to the Disability Advisory Service about the nature and extent of teaching and learning activities in order that the Student Support Plan can reflect this context (e.g. timetables, placements, exam schedules).
  • work collaboratively with DAS to ensure that all the required adjustments are put in place ready for the student’s arrival to begin their course.

Additionally, the lead unit (colleges for undergraduates, departments/faculties for graduates) is responsible for:

  • liaising with their student to check that the day-to-day provision is appropriate.
  • maintaining broad oversight of the student’s provision throughout their course, and maintaining links with other relevant departments/colleges/units.
  • where a student requires complex or uncommon adjustments, call a case conference with all relevant parties and coordinate the follow-on work to ensure the adjustments are made and resolve any problems in implementation.

There is detailed information and guidance elsewhere on these webpages on identifying student needs and implementing adjustments:

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