Internships and Practicum
POLICY & PROCEDURE
If a student will require accommodation, it is the student’s responsibility to request them in advance. Because the student may not fully realize the need for accommodation—they may not have a sense of what the internship setting will specifically demand—the student should initiate a meeting as early as possible prior to placement during which information about internship expectations might be shared and, once better informed, the student might then initiate a request for accommodative planning.
The student, the academic unit, and OARS need to begin early to plan for accommodations. Because it may be difficult to know what accommodations will be needed, early communication with the internship or practicum site involved is strongly encouraged. The nature of accommodations may vary across agencies and academic units may prefer early agency involvement in identifying needed accommodations.
The student, the academic unit, and ODS should identify the accommodations needed, including resources and adaptive/assistive equipment, in advance of negotiations with the placement agency.
The student and the academic unit should seek a placement agency that (1) will provide an appropriate educational experience, (2) will make reasonable accommodations for the student, and (3) will negotiate with the student and the university to provide the services needed.
The student, the academic unit, OARS, the university legal counsel, and the placement agency will develop a plan and negotiate accommodations satisfactory to all parties. Placement agencies are also subject to ADA requirements and may have a contact person who is familiar with the accommodations already being provided to agency employees. The agency ADA contact person (if one is assigned) may be able to provide assistance in making arrangements for student placements.
The student must be an active participant throughout the process of identifying a placement agency and identifying and negotiating accommodations.
