Carleton University students now have access to a new policy intended to simplify the accommodation request process and to monitor emerging mental health crises among students.
The new policy was voted in by the university senate on Oct. 20, 2023 and came into effect at the start of the winter semester.
According to the new Academic Consideration Policy for Students in Medical or Other Extenuating Circumstances, students may now seek academic accommodation for any situation beyond their control that “could not have been reasonably prevented” and impedes their ability to meet academic obligations. These academic accommodations include exam deferrals or alternative assignments.
The policy says “extenuating circumstances” include illness and mental health-related issues, but does not cover assessments missed because of factors like competing deadlines or inclement weather.
Medical forms will now be formally replaced with student-administered self-declaration forms when instructors require documentation to grant accommodations.
This change will make accommodation requests more accessible, according to Daniel Siddiqi, who introduced the policy as chair of the senate committee on curriculum, admission and studies policy.
Mackenzie Huckvale, the undergraduate science student senator, said if carried out, the registrar’s office follow-up may encourage students to get support they otherwise might not seek.
“I think that could be beneficial to students who are falling through the cracks,” Huckvale said.
“The requirement [of medical notes] put a burden both on the money […] and the time of students who already needed accommodation because they were sick,” Siddiqi said to the senate.
Demand for medical notes also overburdened Carleton’s Health and Counselling Services, he said, impacting its ability to address the actual medical needs of students.
Suzanne Blanchard, the university registrar, said the change will also help track students who consistently use self-declaration forms and show signs of potential mental health crises.
Upon seeing repeated use of the forms, the registrar’s office will reach out and redirect students to the university’s mental health services, Blanchard said.
“We don’t know if we’re going to catch every student,” Blanchard said in the senate meeting. “But if we can [help] two, three, four, five or 10 more than we usually do, it’s better.”
Yasmine Mohamed, a second-year psychology student, said she submitted a self-declaration form when her diabetes caused her blood sugar levels to drop significantly.
“The self-declaration form, especially for international students, is way easier to get than the medical form, because we don’t have that much access to health care,” Mohamed told the Charlatan.
“I get really anxious because my sugar level might drop, something might happen,” she added. “I feel like it does help with that because I know that this is an option for me.”
There is no limit to the number of self-declaration forms a student can submit. The policy assumes requests for accommodations are “grounded in the principle of good faith.”
However, the ease of access to academic accommodation has raised concerns among instructors who worry the new policy will result in more work on their behalf.
“It seems that there have been more requests for extension since the system of self-declaration started during the pandemic,” Dominique Marshall, Carleton University Academic Staff Association (CUASA) union president, wrote in an email.
According to Marshall, more requests create more work for instructors, who need to write new and different exams or assessments, and administer and grade them at later dates.
The extra work caused by accommodation requests is especially significant for instructors teaching with large class sizes, Marshall said in an interview with the Charlatan.
She added the university is not providing instructors with more resources to deal with the additional workload.
Steven Reid, Carleton’s media relations officer, did not provide a response to Marshall’s comment in time for publication.
Data gathered from the accommodation requests by the registrar’s office, Marshall wrote, will help CUASA secure additional resources for its members who are impacted by the extra work, giving instructors “the means they need to fully support all students who need additional time.”
“The spirit of [the policy] is fine,” Marshall said. “It’s how you implement it without creating hardship for other people.”
At the senate meeting, other senators raised concerns about students taking advantage of the self-declaration system to avoid completing assignments or exams, which would violate the university’s Academic Integrity Policy.
However, Blanchard told the senate that data surrounding the relationship between exam deferrals and academic integrity violations do not support this concern.
“We haven’t been seeing a lot of abuse,” she said to the senate. “Students really want to work. If they’re ready for their exams, they want to write their exams.”
Featured image courtesy of Mackenzie Huckvale.
