Wichita State’s Student Senate voted unanimously to call for the university to take a stronger stance on honoring students’s disability accommodations. 

“I think this is a beautiful thing. I think it’s incredibly necessary,” Victoria Owens, speaker of the senate, said. “I think, as a student with a disability myself, it’s incredibly difficult to get accommodations and also to seek and have that accountability for professors, because there is no structure after they say, ‘No.’”

The senate passed the resolution — a nonbinding piece of legislation asking that the university take action on an issue — at its Wednesday night meeting through unanimous consent.  

Unanimous consent means that the senate generally agrees on an item with no objections and passes it without holding a formal vote. 

What the senate requested:

• The Office of Student Accommodations and Testing “establish a system for reporting of failed academic accommodations by students, ensuring proper implementation and adjustment of accommodations.”
• Urges students to report any violations of their accommodations to OSAT
• The university “amend the current exceptions process to include a provision that allows students who have had repeated failures in receiving their accommodations withdraw or drop a class without receiving a “W”  60 on their academic record.”
• That WSU look into ways to implement “sanctions or accountability measures” for faculty failing to honor accommodations, such as mandatory training and involvement by Human Resources or the Office of Civil Rights, Title IX & ADA Compliance. 
  • A “three strike system”: “the first instance results in mandatory Ability Ally training to raise awareness and promote inclusivity, the second instance triggers HR involvement or further corrective action, and continued failure may necessitate Title IX intervention.”
• The creation of a committee to oversee this policy.
• Students “actively engage in the process of evaluating professors and their responsiveness to academic accommodations,” through tools including course evaluations. 
• Academic college deans work with OSAT and faculty to ensure accommodations are given.
• Integrate increased disability training for faculty. 
• Disseminate a survey to students regarding their experience with academic accommodations. 

Owens, who wrote the legislation, got input from OSAT. 

Isabel Medina Keiser, Director of OSAT for WSU, said that while parts of the resolution, such as the three strike policy would be, “more difficult” to implement, “training on disability for everyone would be a plus.” 

Mathew Muether, the president of WSU’s Faculty Senate, said in an email that he is aware of the resolution and has been in contact with SGA leadership about it.

“We have had discussion in faculty senate this academic year about student accommodations as well,” Muether wrote. “Faculty are committed to providing the best possible support to our students and we look forward to working with SGA and the office of student affair(s) to improve these services.

The legislation will go to Student Body President Kylee Hower for a signature. If signed, it will be sent to university leadership and OSAT.