Pharmacy Students
PharmD, PharmTox, and Graduate Student Resources

Requesting Accommodations

Accommodation Request & Implementation Process

Applying for Accommodations

  • Register for services through the McBurney Disability Resource Center website by selecting How to Become a McBurney Client, and then completing the McBurney Connect Student Application. In order to be directed to the appropriate contact, please identify yourself as a pharmacy student on the McBurney Connect Student Application.
  • The McBurney Center will contact you to schedule an intake appointment. The McBurney Center intake appointment will:
    • Determine disability status
    • Identify reasonable disability-related accommodations and services
    • Identify services that may require additional referrals to specific McBurney staff (e.g. sign language interpretation, document conversion, media or real time captioning)
  • SOP Student and Academic Affairs at 608-262-6234 to schedule a meeting with the SOP Technical Standards Coordinator for a confidential discussion if you have questions about how accommodations are implemented at the SOP.

The SOP Technical Standards Access to Accommodations Committee (TSAAC) and Student Confidentiality

  • TSAAC meets throughout the year to review accommodations recommended by the McBurney Center and discuss how a student’s accommodations can be implemented in classroom, clinical, and testing environments within the context of SOP Technical Standards.
    • Student names, diagnoses, and pharmacy school documentation are not provided to TSAAC; it is TSAAC’s primary role to determine how accommodations will be implemented within various pharmacy school settings in order to provide students with equal access to a pharmacy education and the evaluative process.
  • Students requesting accommodations between scheduled TSAAC meetings will be reviewed by the Technical Standards Coordinator and the Associate Dean for Student Affairs. Temporary accommodations may be issued and will be fully reviewed by all committee members during the next scheduled TSAAC meeting. These accommodations may be subject to revision after the full review.

Student Responsibilities

  • In order to receive accommodations, it is the student’s responsibility to follow the SOP’s published procedures for submitting and requesting accommodations. These responsibilities are:
    • Register with McBurney Disability Resource Center and complete the intake and eligibility process.
    • Meet with the SOP Technical Standards  Coordinator to answer questions or discuss an individual situation.
    • Students are expected to provide faculty with their Faculty Notification Letter by the end of the third week of the semester, or as soon as possible after accommodations have been received.
    • Prior to the start of a course or clinical rotation, discuss implementation of accommodations with the appropriate Course Coordinator or the person overseeing IPPE or APPE activities. Students are encouraged to contact the Assistant Dean for Experiential Education prior to APPE Registration (which happens early in the DPH-3 Fall semester) to discuss anticipated APPE accommodation requests. Failure to provide advanced notice could result in an inability to provide accommodations or a delay in the student’s graduation date.
    • Participate in an interactive process with appropriate staff and faculty. The effectiveness of accommodations requires an independent effort from the student to plan, manage, monitor, and communicate accommodation needs.

Additional Information About Accommodations:

  • Accommodations are not retroactive.
  • Accommodations will not alter or waive an essential part of any course, program, or degree.
  • Receiving reasonable accommodations is not a guarantee of academic success. Accommodations are in place for the purpose of providing equal access and opportunity to meet the SOP Technical Standards.

Licensure Exams

  • Accommodations for licensure exams are approved and administered by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP), not by the SOP. Students are expected to review NABP accommodation requirements and begin this process in a timely manner. In general, students seeking accommodations on PCOA and NAPLEX licensure exams should submit accommodation requests at the start of the Fall Semester of the DPH3 year.

Temporary Disabilities

  • Students needing accommodations for a short-term disability due to injury or surgery can provide a note from a health care professional to the SOP Technical Standards Coordinator verifying the injury or surgery and indicating an anticipated end date. If the anticipated recovery date is postponed, an updated note from the student’s healthcare provider may be required.

Title IX Rights and Disability Laws

  • Events such as pregnancy or a need for access to lactation rooms, etc. are not considered disabilities under the ADA. While complications arising from pregnancy may become eligible for disability services, Title IX provides protection against discrimination on the basis of sex in any educational program or activity. If your situation is protected by Title IX, you should contact the Technical Standards Coordinator. Accommodation requests will be provided to appropriate staff and/or faculty on a need-to-know basis.

PharmD Handbook Sections