While all instructors build flexibility into their courses, there are some students who might require additional flexibility in a course. Related to accommodations, this includes students with disabilities who have conditions that are unpredictable and chronic. For these students, it is important to understand the potential limits of flexibility and how to utilize that flexibility as early as possible so they can effectively engage in the course while managing the impacts of their condition.
Flexibility agreements are a way to ensure everyone is on the same page as early as possible. Flexibility agreements help to determine:
- The essential requirements of the course
- The available flexibility within a course
- How that flexibility can be accessed by the student
For more information and flexibility agreements, please visit the SAS Accommodation Guide.
SAS Accommodation Guide - Flexibility Agreements
SAS Support with Flexibility Agreements
SAS is here to support instructors through the flexibility process. This includes exploring the course more generally or helping to create the agreement itself. As needed, instructors or students can request support from SAS in creating the agreement. This can include, but is not limited to:
- Direct outreach
- Providing a flexibility survey to instructors to help create the agreement
- Direct support in creating the agreement
- Facilitation of a flexibility meeting
- Review of and discussion about the agreement
- Helping clarify disagreements and misunderstandings
For assistance in creating a flexibility agreement, please contact SAS directly. We can talk with you more about your course or can send a brief form 5-10 minutes to complete. If you complete the form, we will return a document to you that you can edit and share with the student.
Preparing to Talk with Students about Flexibility
Before meeting with a student about flexibility, it is important to think critically about the course and the possible flexibility based on the essential course requirements. This should include reflection about the following key areas:
All courses have requirements, but only some requirements are considered to be essential course requirements. Essential requirements are related to the expectations that all students must demonstrate without exception. Generally speaking, essential requirements:
- Have a clear and specific connection to the purpose and goals of the course.
- Relate to specific course objectives (knowledge, practices, or concepts).
- Are clearly articulated to all students, often through the syllabus and reinforced through other means of communication.
- Connect to best practices in the field, and, as appropriate, certification or licensing requirements.
- Are tied to an assessment component of the course and are consistently assessed across all students.
All students, with or without accommodations, are required to meet essential requirements of the course.
Questions to Consider
- What are the essential course requirements?
- What are the key things that students are expected to learn or do (skills, knowledge, principles, concepts, etc.)?
- How are these requirements related to departmental practices?
- How are these requirements related to best practices in your field?
- Are there any certification or similar kinds of requirements in your course?
- How have learning experiences (goals, methods, materials, assessments) been designed?
- How are essential course requirements assessed?
- Is attendance specifically assessed?
- Is in-class participation assessed?
- Are there multiple means of assessment?
- What are the key things that students are expected to learn or do (skills, knowledge, principles, concepts, etc.)?
- Would the requested flexibility change or alter an essential requirement? (please note, if you feel that flexibility could potentially alter an essential requirement, you should reach out to SAS as soon as possible.)
- Would it change the goal, methods, materials, or assessments?
- Why would this substantially change the learning or educational experience?
- Does the requested flexibility lower the learning standards for this course? If so, how?
- Does the requested flexibility give the student an unfair advantage? If so, how?
- What has already been communicated to the students?
- How are requirements communicated?
- Are requirements listed in the syllabus?
- Is attendance discussed in the syllabus?
All courses have support built into the course. This includes academic supports, a designated number of absences, course specific resources, university resources, and many other types of supports. Flexibility agreements are never intended to remove these other supports, but rather clarify additional supports available as part of the accommodation.
Questions to Consider
- What types of supports are already built into the learning environment?
- Are there already flexible ways to meet requirements?
- Are there multiple ways to participate?
- Are there multiple ways to engage with content?
- What type of flexibility is offered to other students?
- Emergency situations?
- Flexibility for athletes?
- Illnesses like COVID?
- Has flexibility been provided to students in the course in the past?
- Are there any exceptions allowed for any reason (COVID, emergencies, compelling non-academic circumstances, multiple challenges throughout a semester, etc.)
There might be times when alternatives can be considered but this should always be done in collaboration with SAS. SAS can help explore what alternatives might be reasonable.
Questions to Consider
- Are there alternatives already built into the course?
- Have alternatives been offered to students in the past?
- Will the alternative result in an equitable experience?
- Can the student still meet all essential requirements?
- Do they still have access to key aspects of the course?
- Can the student participate with their peers?
- Can the student still build knowledge or skills relevant to their course of study?
- Would the alternative require any skills or knowledge not expected from other students?
Recommended Steps to Create a Flexibility Agreement
It should be noted that SAS is happy to assist with any part of the process. SAS can help you create a flexibility agreement through a form or through a conversation with our office. Students and instructors can reach out to SAS at any stage in the process.
Step 1: Student Activates Their Accommodation Letter
The first step of the process is for students to activate their accommodation letter through their “semester request” in Accommodate. SAS sends accommodation letters to instructors which can also be accessed within Accommodate. Ideally the student will reach out soon after the letters are shared, but instructors can also reach out to students for a flexibility meeting.
If the request is related to a disability specific need and there is not an accommodation letter or flexibility is not included in their letter, direct the student to connect with SAS.
Step 2: Student-Instructor Meeting
The student-instructor meeting can be an important step. It not only helps to create the agreement, but it also lays the foundation for the collaboration through the semester. It is recommended that students and instructors meet early in the semester to discuss flexibility.
An important place to start is by reviewing the course itself. This can include, but is not limited to:
- Reviewing the syllabus
- Current attendance requirements and built-in flexibility
- Current assignment deadlines and built-in flexibility
- Supports available to all students
- Any alternative pathways available within the course
It is also important to understand the flexibility the student is requesting. Please note, instructors cannot ask about a student’s disability or ask for proof of need. This information is shared with SAS when the accommodation is approved. The intention here is to talk about how this has been supportive and helpful when implemented in the past and what it they imagine it could look like in the future.
- Did you have any specific questions when you reviewed the syllabus?
- What type of flexibility do you feel you will require in my course (please keep in mind students are approved for attendance, assignment, or in some cases both)?
- What type of flexibility have you had in the past?
- What is the easiest way to communicate about flexibility?
Once information has been shared about the requirements and the flexibility being requested, it is important to talk about the details about the available flexibility. This should include information about what is available, but also how it will be implemented.
- What flexibility is available?
- What flexibility is not possible?
- Are there specific assignment deadlines that cannot be flexible?
- Are there course sessions a student must attend?
- Was there anything the student requested that could not be met?
- How can that flexibility be accessed?
- How should the need for flexibility be communicated?
- How will make-up work or similar things be shared with the student?
- What follow-up will be required from the student?
- What are the consequences if flexibility is exceeded?
- Are there any reasonable alternatives available?
Step 3: Create a Flexibility Agreement
There are many ways that you could choose to approach creating a flexibility agreement with a student. The most important thing is that the student and instructor are on the same page about:
- The requirements of the course
- The available flexibility
- How that flexibility can be accessed
SAS Flexibility Agreement Form
One easy way to ensure you have covered key topics related to flexibility in your course is to complete a flexibility agreement form through SAS. This form can help you communicate what flexibility is available based on the requirements of your course. The form takes about 5-10 minutes to complete. Once it is completed SAS will send back a word document that you can share directly with the student.
Contact SAS for a Link to the Flexibility Agreement Form
Step 4: Agreement is Finalized and Implemented
Once the agreement is finalized with the student, we recommend that you email a summary to the student and include SAS. This will help ensure that there is no confusion about the agreement and help both the instructor and student have a reference point should flexibility be needed in the future. If you choose to complete the SAS form, SAS can also share the agreement with the student.
If there are any concerns during implementation of the agreement, please contact SAS to discuss the situation.
