Requesting Accommodations
The Goldman Center for Student Accessibility has a process in place for undergraduate, graduate, and professional students who wish to be considered for reasonable accommodations; these accommodations are designed to create equitable access for students with disabilities in the Tulane community. Students, including those registered in online programs, can request accommodations at any time. However, the process can sometimes take several weeks, so submit your request for accommodations as soon as you can.
For incoming fall semester students, we recommend beginning the process in the summer before your arrival on campus. Incoming spring semester students may begin this process in the summer or fall before arrival.
You may request accommodations at any point during the semester, but accommodations are not retroactive. Each semester, you will need to activate your accommodations and schedule your accommodated exams and quizzes through the Goldman Portal. Please note that Canvas exams that you are planning to take with The Goldman Center must be scheduled through the portal as well.
On the request for accommodations form (application), we will ask you to tell us about the disability(ies) you are seeking accommodations for, what (if any) your accommodation history has been, and how the requested accommodations would help to remove barriers you may be facing in the academic, housing, or dining environments on campus.
Overview
What should I know before applying for accommodations?
If you have encountered something/a barrier in the academic, housing, or dining environment that you believe impacts equitable access based on a diagnosed condition/disability, then the accommodation process is right for you.
You must submit an online request form via our "Request" tab and provide supporting documentation to supplement your accommodation request(s). Ideally, you should submit your application and documentation simultaneously. If you have questions or concerns about our documentation requirements, please see our Documentation Guidelines or the "Suggested Documentation Elements" section located farther down on this page.
The Goldman Center for Student Accessibility is processing an unprecedented number of requests for disability-based accommodations. As such, this process can take several weeks, depending on your request.
- We attempt to respond to new applications within 3-5 business days. If you have provided all relevant documentation for your request, you will be contacted with a request to schedule your Access Interview, either in-person or virtually, with a member of our team.
- If you do not have documentation submitted along with your accommodation request, you will be reminded to provide supporting medical documentation to supplement your request. You will receive up to three (3) reminders over email to provide documentation before we will archive your application. You may re-activate your request by contacting our office via phone or email.
- Once you have your Access Interview with a team member, please allow up to 10-15 business days to process your request for academic accommodation. IF YOU ARE REQUESTING A HOUSING ACCOMMODATION, please note the following:
- Housing accommodation requests are processed through the Goldman Center in conjunction with the Housing Accommodation Committee, an interdepartmental group consisting of relevant campus partners to support your request for accommodation support at Tulane. The Committee meets on the first Friday of every month. Please allow until at LEAST the second Friday of the month for a housing accommodation determination to be processed and rendered.
- Please visit our Housing Accommodation support page for additional support.
In sum, from the time of your application submission, your request may take anywhere from one to six weeks to process, depending on appointment availability and the volume of requests.
The Goldman Center is open Monday-Friday from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM Central Standard time. As such, please exclude weekends from this timeline. Any contact to our office over the weekend or University closures will be responded to as soon as possible once business operations have resumed.
A team member will reach out to you to schedule your Access Interview. This scheduling will be facilitated via Calendly with the member of our Goldman Center professional staff assigned to your application; if Calendly is not a convenient scheduling tool for you, you may also contact our office directly at (504)-862-8433 or goldman@tulane.edu to schedule this consultation. Once you have scheduled a meeting, you will be provided with a Zoom link/additional appointment information via the email associated with your application.
During the Access Interview, we will discuss your request for accommodation and request additional information, such as your firsthand narrative, about your disability and the barriers you have encountered in the academic, housing, and/or dining environments at Tulane.
Your Goldman Center initial consultation, or "Access Interview," is a critical component of your accommodation request. In this meeting, a Goldman team member will ask clarifying questions about your experiences in the academic, housing, and/or dining environments. You'll be able to share your firsthand experiences and navigate concerns with our knowledgeable and professional staff.
A timeline for determination, requests for follow-up information or additional documentation, and other individualized next steps will be communicated to you in this meeting.
Once you have your Access Interview with a member of our professional staff, an accommodation determination will be rendered. Accommodation determinations are made by considering your supporting documentation, first-hand narrative, program expectations, existing supports on campus, and reasonability of the request.
This determination may take at least 10-15 business days (roughly two to three weeks) from the time of your meeting. However, all housing requests must be processed through the Housing Committee, which meets once a month (on the first Friday). Therefore, housing requests take longer to process.
- If you want an update on your application status, contact goldman@tulane.edu or the member of our team who conducted your Access Interview.
- If you are asked for additional documentation to support your request, you can submit that documentation via email to goldman@tulane.edu or to the member of your team who conducted your Welcome Meeting. Our office fax number is (504)-862-8433.
- If you are concerned with the outcome of your accommodation request, follow the guidance provided about the Interactive Process, Accommodation Determination Appeals, and Disability Discrimination Grievances.
Standard Registration
Students must complete the following to request accommodations:
Complete the request for accommodations form. Please be sure to upload or email documentation to goldman@tulane.edu when you complete this form. See our suggested documentation elements for guidance on appropriate documentation for your disability or medical condition; see also our Fillable Provider Form for your ease in securing this documentation.
Schedule an Access Interview with a member of our team to discuss your request for accommodations. Once we receive your request form, we will invite you to self-schedule your Access Interview via Calendly link; Access Interviews may be via Zoom or in-person.
Attend your Access Interview. During the meeting, a member of our team will ask you questions to better understand your individual experience and discuss information found in your supporting documentation. The team member will communicate information about the next steps (i.e., timeline) unique to your request.
Check your Tulane email for a status update regarding your request; your eligibility information and/or alternative supporting resources will be communicated via email.
Activate approved accommodations and coordinate your approved accommodations, following the steps detailed in our New Student Tutorial videos sent to the email you provided us with. Please note that we do not guarantee that exams happening within 4 business days of your approval can be accommodated by the Goldman Center.
Housing Accommodations: Important Deadlines
The priority deadline for submitting a request for housing accommodations are listed below by semester and the associated date. Any requests received after the priority deadline will be considered on a rolling basis.
- Current/Returning Students - Spring Semester, October 1 | Fall Semester, January 17th
- Spring Scholars new to campus should request housing accommodations by February 14
- New/Incoming Students - Spring Semester, October 1 | Fall Semester, May 1
Providing Supporting Documentation
In general, documentation should be written by a medical professional. Documentation must include comprehensive information on the diagnosis (including the DSM 5 or ICD-10 code), associated severity of the diagnosis, and the specific impact and resulting functional limitations of the diagnosis in the academic, housing, or dining environment. Common sources of documentation are health care providers, psychologists, and diagnosticians.
Suggested Documentation Elements:
1. Typed on letterhead, dated, and signed by the qualified evaluator providing the documentation.
2. Contains information on the diagnosed condition(s), including the DSM 5/ICD 10 codes
3. Details the severity of the diagnosis, relevant symptoms, and associated impact in the academic and/or living environment
4. If appropriate, discusses treatment, expected progression, and medication side-effects.
5. Discusses current or past accommodations. It may discuss recommended accommodations.
*The Goldman Center requires that students complete their request for accommodations AND provide current documentation before scheduling a meeting with the student. However, we are aware of potential barriers that exist in seeking current documentation necessary to move forward with your request, and we work with each student on a one-on-one level to navigate this process and discuss potential solutions and resources. If you have concerns about the documentation requirement, please feel free to contact the Goldman Center for further information and assistance.
Frequently Asked Questions About Documentation
We take an individualized approach to each student request and associated documentation. There is no one answer for many questions, but these questions may provide some further guidance as you navigate the documentation requirement for the Goldman Center.
In short, thorough and current medical documentation helps us determine the most appropriate and reasonable support for you at Tulane University. Medical documentation from a provider specialized in your care can provide critical context about functional information necessary to make disability-related determinations. Through our interactive process, we place value on both your personal narrative and care provider's perspective.
The answer really depends. High school accommodation plans are governed by laws guaranteeing success rather than access, so these plans don't have a good 1:1 translation in the higher education environment.
The better documentation to provide is any psychoeducational/neuropsychological evaluation that went into your high school plan and/or pertinent current documentation from your treating professionals.
The Goldman Center Provider Form is there for your convenience, but providers can use our Documentation Guidelines to know what information we need to have in order to support requests for accommodations. At minimum, your provider should be sure to include information about diagnosis, impairment, and accommodation recommendations in the environment.
We ask evaluators and providers for suggestions about accommodations, but ultimately, the Goldman Center makes determinations about accommodation reasonability in the Tulane University environment. Recommendations from your providers are informative for our process and consultation, but not a guarantee. This is because there may be alternative means of support (campus resources or a different accommodation) specific to Tulane that is more appropriate for your request for accommodation.
We know it can be challenging to acquire current medical documentation and encourage you to provide whatever you do have in order for us to consider your request for accommodations. Through a Welcome Meeting or Consultation with a member of our team, we can discuss what information we specifically need that is missing in your request; we may be able to discuss a provisional approval for accommodation to support you as you acquire the necessary documentation.
As a Tulane student, you also have access to campus resources who can provide the missing/relevant documentation about your health condition impacting you:
In the event a campus resource is not right for you, such the need for a psychoeducational or neuropsychological evaluation, we also have Referrals for Local Evaluators or help for finding an off-campus provider.
If you need immediate support, the Office of Case Management & Victim Support Services is always available as a resource.
Students with Approved Accommodations
Learn more about activating and coordinating your approved accommodations at Tulane.
Each semester, remember to request to have your accommodations activated. This process lets the Goldman Center know that you are enrolled this semester and intend use your accommodations. Remember, you don't have to use your accommodations in every class.
Once you have submitted your activation requests, the Goldman Center will send emails to each of the professors in the classes where you have elected to use your accommodations.
Watch the videos below to learn more about your accommodations.
- Learn how to activate accommodations.
- Learn how to schedule accommodated exams at the Goldman Testing Center.
- Learn about Goldman Testing Center, including pertinent policies and procedures.
If you have testing accommodations, remember to check with your professors to determine how they would like to manage those accommodations.
Students who want to request adjustments to their accommodations and/or request additional accommodations may do so through their Goldman Center Portal. Submit an "Additional Accommodation Request" in order to create a new application and have the opportunity to provide additional/updated documentation supporting the additional documentation. Depending on the request, students will be contacted with an approval or a request for a meeting to discuss the updated accommodation.
Requesting Short-Term Accommodations and Immediate Support
The Office of Case Management and Victim Services helps students navigate immediate needs and short-term support through informal accommodations and direct advocacy.
For accommodations needed on a temporary basis due to a medical event, crisis, or other extenuating circumstance, please contact Case Management. Short-term accommodations as support for illness or injury are coordinated on a case-by-case basis between the student, Case Manager, and faculty member. Time sensitive/immediate concerns, short-term issues, and special circumstances requiring accommodations will be facilitated through your Case Manager. You can schedule an appointment with Case Management by calling (504) 314-2160 or via email at srss@tulane.edu.
Case Management can help with the following:
- Complete medical withdrawal and return to school
- Academic concerns related to a crisis
- Hospitalization and post-hospitalization support for emotional or physical conditions
- Accidents resulting in injury
- Serious illness (mononucleosis, meningitis, chronic illness, etc.)
- Death of a family member or close friend
- Acute emotional distress and behavioral health concerns
*Goldman Center students may still be referred to Case Management for appropriate support.
Medical leaves of absence from the University are facilitated through your Academic Advisor or the Assistant Dean of Students. Learn more about that process here. Students returning from medical leave are still eligible for their approved accommodations through the Goldman Center.
Requesting Accommodation Verification
Applying for accommodations for study abroad, a standardized exam, INFO 1010, or more?
Email goldman@tulane.edu and request your letter of accommodation verification from one of our Access Coordinators. If you are taking an exam with a specific form (such as a state bar exam), please also send us that form to complete.
Taking INFO 1010 and have approved accommodations? You'll need to submit a verification letter to Certiport. The Goldman Center has no control over Certiport's extended time process aside from providing the accommodation verification letter to you, which you will submit directly to Certiport. Pay careful attention to the details in your INFO 1010 syllabus for support in requesting extended time for your exams in this class.
Report a Concern
Grievance Policy
If believe you have been discriminated against based on a disability, your complaint will be handled by Tulane's Office of Institutional Equity in a manner consistent with Tulane's Equal Opportunity/Anti-Discrimination Policies. For more information about the Office of Institutional Equity, please visit their website.
Disagree with your accommodation determination? Learn more about our Appeal Process in order to informally or formally appeal your accommodation determination rendered by the Goldman Center.
