Academic Accommodations Interim Working Group

Terms of Reference

^{I. Background}

^{In response to the Review of Student Academic Accommodations and Considerations Policies and Procedures at Queen’s (the report), the Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic) initiated the formation of an advisory working group. This time-limited group is tasked with addressing several pressing accommodation issues, as outlined under recommendation 9 of the report.}

^{II. Mandate}

^{The primary objectives of this working group are to:}

• ^{Investigate and propose resolutions for the issues outlined under recommendation 9 in the report.}
• ^{Ensure these issues are resolved as quickly as possible, ensuring a fair and equitable academic environment for all students and faculty.}

^{The interim working group is advisory to the Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic).}

^{III. Scope of Work}

• ^{The working group will focus on the following key issues, as outlined in the report:}
• ^{7-day Extension Accommodation: Address the misunderstanding and dissatisfaction with the 7-day extension accommodation and its interaction with the Self-Declaration of a Brief Absence. The group will explore the concerns regarding the standardized nature of this extension and its applicability across different learning environments and forms of evaluation.}
• ^{Options to meet course requirements: Clarify who has the authority to determine the suitability of dropping, delaying, or reweighting assignments and/or finding alternatives to meet course essential requirements.}
• ^{Retroactive Accommodations: Clarify who should approve retroactive accommodations.}
• ^{Confidentiality and Intellectual Property: Explore possible/perceived violations of confidentiality and intellectual property through the use of technology such as GLEAN or NoteQ and approved alternatives.}
• ^{Responsibility Beyond Course Instructors: Define under what circumstances the implementation of accommodations extends beyond the sole responsibility of a course instructor, such as the provision of technology and support to provide virtual or hybrid classes, labs, or fieldwork, and the subsequent procedure to provide approved accommodation.}

^{IV. Deliverables}

^{The working group is expected to produce the following deliverables:}

• ^{A report detailing findings and proposed remedies for each of the key issues identified in the scope of work.}

^{V. Timeline}

• ^{Start Date: September 2024}
• ^{Final Report Submission: Spring 2025}

^{VI. Membership}

• Andrew Ashby, Manager, Accessibility and Inclusion Services
• Niki Boytchuk-Hale, Queen’s Rector
• Catherine Donnelly, Associate Professor, School of Rehabilitation Therapy, and Director, Health Services and Policy Research Institute
• Matthew Evans, Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic) and Chair
• Brian Frank, Professor, Smith Engineering, and Smith Engineering Faculty Senator
• Cynthia Gibney, Executive Director, Student Wellness Services
• Cathy Keates, Assistant Dean, Student Affairs
• Carlyn McQueen, Communication and Project Manager, Office of the Provost (Academic) and Committee Secretary
• Jacob Reesor, Student Representative, School of Religion
• Melissa Seal, Legal Counsel
• Stephanie Simpson, Vice-Principal (Culture, Equity, and Inclusion)
• Jenn Stephenson, Associate Dean (Academic), Faculty of Arts and Science
• Gavan Watson, Vice-Provost (Teaching and Learning)