GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENT SUBSTITUTION

BEST PRACTICES


Policies and procedures governing requests from students with disabilities for general education requirement substitutions should include the following:

1. The student must provide to the office responsible for disability support services documentation of the disability by a qualified specialist, including the effect of the disability on the course work or subject area in question.

2. The student must provide documentation that he/she:

a.) has made a good faith effort to pass the course or area requirements with all needed support services/accommodations, and;

b.) has accumulated a body of supporting evidence from tutors, instructors, and support services personnel or other relevant sources.

3. The institutional office responsible for disability support services must provide written support of the student’s substitution request.

4. The request and supporting documentation may/must be submitted for approval to the appropriate institutional academic body.

5. An appeal process will be available to any student who is denied a substitution request.

In addition:

6. Any course substitution must satisfy all criteria for general education courses set forth in the Maryland Higher Education Commission regulations, and should be selected from the institution’s outline of general education courses.

7. Any course substitution will be identified by the sending institution as satisfying a general education requirement on/with the student’s transcript, and will not be allowed to satisfy more than one general education requirement.

8. Any course substitution must maintain the integrity of the student’s program of study.

9. Any course substitution will be determined on an individual basis (through consultation with the student, the academic advisor responsible for the student’s program, the department of the course to be substituted, and/or the office responsible for disability support services). The substitution must be approved by the appropriate institutional academic body.

10. Any course substitution will not reduce the number of credits needed to complete the student’s program of study.

11. The student should be advised:

a.) to investigate the ramifications of the proposed substitution to his/her further study at that institution or any possible transfer institutions, and;

b.) that substitutions approved for purposes of general education will not automatically be extended to major, minor and/or supporting requirements.

12. The office responsible for disability support services will inform the student in writing of these procedures at the time it begins working with the student.