"For purposes of the Oregon AAOT degree, no student with a disability shall be denied the degree or the benefits flowing therefrom with respect to admission and matriculation at a state university because the student has been granted an academic adjustment or program modification in any course required for the AAOT degree. This provision includes course substitutions when granted as a disability accommodation in the manner prescribed by the student's community college. This provision may not necessarily apply to major specific course requirements or prerequisites." (Joint Boards Articulation Committee - Oregon)

The following procedure has been developed by the Center for Accessible Resources (CAR) for Course Substitution requests from students with disabilities who are attempting to complete an Associate of Arts Oregon Transfer (AAOT) Degree.

Lane Community College's Center for Accessible Resources (CAR) will consider a course substitution request on a case-by-case basis, based on the student's disability, as determined by documentation, as long as there is no substantial change to the course learning outcomes. A review will be conducted to determine eligibility and to reasonably accommodate qualified students with alternative course work that will fulfill the appropriate degree/certificate requirement.

Since a course substitution may have the effect of fundamentally altering the nature of the degree, a course that is deemed essential to the degree may not be appropriate for substitution. Please note that this procedure pertains to course substitutions only; course waivers are not considered.

Basic Process to Request a Course Substitution

1. The student must request a disability-related course substitution through the Center for Accessibility Resources (CAR) and provide appropriate documentation.
2. CAR will analyze the student's disability documentation in terms of type, severity and relevance to the requested substitution. Note: A course substitution will not automatically be made simply because the student has documentation of a disability impacting a particular area of academics.
3. CAR will review the avenues that have been pursued in an attempt to successfully complete the course/s for which a substitution is sought.
4. CAR will contact the appropriate Division Dean to determine whether the substitution course would result in a substantial change in the course learning outcomes.
5. Courses proposed as a substitution must be relevant and consistent for the purpose of the degree requirements and must be approved by appropriate administrators.
6. If the substitution would result in a substantial change in the course learning outcomes, the substitution will be denied.
7. If the substitution does not result in a substantial change in the course learning outcomes, it will be approved.

When a student seeking an AAOT degree requests a Course Substitution, CAR will perform the following steps:

STEP 1: Review and Analysis

• CAR will review the types of accessible technology, tutoring, and other reasonable accommodations that have been utilized in an effort to enable the student to succeed in standard course work.
  
  
• CAR will clarify whether the student has worked closely with the academic division. If not, CAR will refer the student to the appropriate Division Dean.
  
  
• CAR will review the student's transcript to determine whether the student has attempted and not passed the course/s in question, despite having used appropriate accommodations and other college resources. (This is not a requirement for approving a course substitution, but may be a factor.)
  
  

• CAR will confirm that the student is "otherwise qualified" according to the ADA to participate in the degree program, as specified in the AAOT program requirements.

STEP 2: Explore Options

• If pertinent, CAR will explore alternatives to a program substitution with the student (such as other degrees or other courses), without violating the student's right to obtain the preferred degree.
  
  
• CAR will notify the student that s/he needs to work with the planned transfer university to make sure the requested course substitution will not impact the university's degree requirements.

STEP 3: Consultation

• CAR will consult with the Executive Dean for Academic Transfer in order to consider the appropriateness of a course substitution.

STEP 4: Determination of Appropriate Course to Substitute

• If a course substitution is a viable option, CAR will consult with the program Division Dean, and the Executive Dean for Academic Transfer to determine potential courses that could be approved as course substitutions, taking into consideration courses the student has already completed.
  
  
• CAR Staff will notify the student of the determination regarding a course substitution.

STEP 5: Finalizing Course Substitution

• The CAR Associate Dean will send a memo to the Dean of Enrollment Management Systems that provides a specific recommendation related to the course substitution request, as well as the legal risks if the College chooses not to approve the request.
  
  
• The memo will include the course substitution recommendations from STEP 4.
  
  
• The memo will request confirmation about the final decision for that student's request.

For questions about this process, contact Center for Accessible Resources: Voice: (541) 463-5150, TTY: 711, FAX: (541) 463-4739, or AccessibleResources@lanecc.edu

Please see also Disabilities: Course Substitutions for Students with Disabilities Seeking a Terminal Degree at Lane and Course Substitution.