CLAS syllabus statement for Student Disability Services will specifically mention mental health

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

The CLAS Undergraduate Educational Policy and Curriculum Committee has updated the required CLAS syllabus statement about Student Disability Services. The new version of the syllabus statement explicitly mentions mental health, and is approved for use on syllabi this fall:

"The University of Iowa is committed to providing an educational experience that is accessible to all students. A student may request academic accommodations for a disability (which includes but is not limited to mental health, attention, learning, vision, and physical or health-related conditions). A student seeking academic accommodations should first register with Student Disability Services (SDS) and then meet with the course instructor privately in the instructor's office to make particular arrangements. Reasonable accommodations are established through an interactive process among the student, instructor, and SDS.

In the above new version, the statement includes “mental health” as a condition for which students may receive academic accommodations. This is NOT a change in existing policy—Student Disabilities Services has always assisted students with academic accommodations for mental health concerns. Rather, this is a way to better communicate an existing policy to students and to begin to normalize mental health concerns.

Mental health concerns can negatively impact student performance in the classroom, but it is our hope that we can work together to equip students with the resources they need to succeed.  In conjunction with the small change in the syllabus statement, UI faculty should review the additional resources available so that students’ mental health needs can be supported.

  • If a student is experiencing mental health concerns that affect the classroom experience, the student may contact Student Disability Services to seek classroom accommodations. We encourage faculty to work with SDS to ensure students can continue to be successful in the classroom and have full access to their educational experience (http://sds.studentlife.uiowa.edu).
  • Students can always seek help and support for their mental health needs from the University Counseling Service. Faculty are encouraged to use this resource as well for questions or as a place to refer students. Contact UCS at (319) 335-7294 or find more information here: https://counseling.uiowa.edu
  • Faculty members are often first-responders when students experience mental health crises. The University provides a number of training opportunities for faculty to be more equipped and comfortable supporting students in their mental health concerns. Training for faculty and staff include the QPR Gatekeeper Training for Suicide Prevention; Mental Health First Aid; and Kognito At-Risk Online Training.  More information about these training programs can be found at the University Counseling Service website.
  • The Women’s Resource and Action Center also provides free, confidential counseling services for UI students. Learn more about WRAC’s services here: https://wrac.uiowa.edu/services
  • The Psychology Clinic in the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences at the University of Iowa runs a clinic at Stuit Hall, located at 375 Jefferson Street, with a range of psychological services for individuals in the community. Learn more here: http://psychology.uiowa.edu/resources/seashore-clinic

The University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts and Sciences offers about 70 majors across the humanities; fine, performing and literary arts; natural and mathematical sciences; social and behavioral sciences; and communication disciplines. About 15,000 undergraduate and nearly 2,000 graduate students study each year in the college’s 37 departments, led by faculty at the forefront of teaching and research in their disciplines. The college teaches all Iowa undergraduates through the college's general education program, CLAS CORE. About 80 percent of all Iowa undergraduates begin their academic journey in CLAS. The college confers about 60 percent of the university's bachelor's degrees each academic year.