Limited Flexibility Accommodations Guide for Instructors

The Limited Flexibility Plan Module is part of the Instructor Portal in McBurney Connect. It asks instructors to proactively fill out a questionnaire for course(s) where a student(s) needs a limited flexibility accommodation.  This results in a clearly defined limited flexibility plan for eligible students in the course, rather than being specific to one student. Instructors can also save and reuse these plans for other courses.

Students can view completed limited flexibility plans through their Student Portal in McBurney Connect.

These accommodations include limited flexibility with attendance and assessment dates and limited flexibility with deadlines. They provide a small amount of course flexibility to address the impact of a brief, unpredictable disability-related flare that interferes with course activities on a standard timeline.

Some chronic health conditions (e.g. migraine or inflammatory bowel disease) and psychiatric conditions (e.g. panic disorder and bipolar disorder) have symptoms that are unpredictable or episodic in nature. Symptom flare-ups impact daily functioning and may occasionally and unpredictably cause a student to miss a class, be unable to complete an exam on a given day, or be unable to submit an assignment on the due date. Implementation of limited flexibility accommodations give students the opportunity to meet essential course objectives, while also managing the symptoms of the disability.

There has been an increase in number and complexity of accommodation requests over the last several years. Both instructors and students have asked for support with implementing limited flexibility accommodations, which can be complex. Additionally, the Office of Civil Rights (OCR), the federal agency responsible for enforcing several federal civil rights laws prohibiting discrimination has repeatedly advised schools that students should not be required to negotiate the terms of accommodations with instructors in positions of power.

In response, the McBurney Center has introduced the Limited Flexibility Plans Module. This tool helps instructors create clear and proactive plans for flexibility in their courses, outlining reasonable limits and ensuring that students do not have to negotiate these terms. This aligns with compliant implementation of flexibility accommodations and aims to simplify the process for both instructors and students.

Yes, when a student requests limited flexibility in a course, a questionnaire should be completed. Instructors should decide what is reasonable and document it in a limited flexibility plan. The Questionnaire is a helpful tool for creating this plan, guiding instructors in setting clear limits. Once completed, it is stored and available for any student requesting limited flexibility in the course. If an instructor is unable to use the questionnaire, they may outline the flexibility parameters separately and share them with the student and student’s McBurney Center Access Consultant.

This plan is how limited flexibility accommodations are implemented and helps students understand what’s expected in each course in advance of needing flexibility due to a disability-related flare-up.

As soon as possible. Once a student has requested a limited flexibility accommodation, Instructors will have access to the Limited Flexibility Plan Questionnaire. Because Instructors know their course best, they can identify reasonable parameters of flexibility in each course. They do not need to meet with the student making the request before developing the limited flexibility plan for the class. Students need to know how any requested accommodation will be implemented in a course early in a semester or soon after accommodations are requested.

(View step-by-step instructions with screenshots)

Step 1: Log in to the Instructor Portal within McBurney Connect.

Step 2: Review the “Access Policy” and select the “Continue to View Student Accommodations” button towards the bottom.

Step 3: Select “Limited Flexibility Plans” in the left-hand menu list.

Step 4: Check the box to select the course(s) of which you wish to complete the Limited Flexibility Plan Questionnaire. Note: if multiple courses have the same course expectations and the Limited Flexibility Plan will be the same, you may select multiple courses.

Step 5: Under “Step 2: Select available options,” you may select one of the following options:

1. Start a new plan
   • This option allows you to complete one (1) new Limited Flexibility Plan for all selected courses in the list.
   • Use this link to Word version of questions, defining clear and reasonable parameters for the course section.
   • Note: there is a 15-minute timeout
2. Copy responses from (course name and term). Note: this option is only available if you completed a Limited Flexibility Plan for another course within the previous two academic terms.
   •  This option allows you to copy a previously completed Limited Flexibility Plan from another course.
   • Selecting this option will immediately copy and apply the Limited Flexibility Plan to the selected course(s) in the list.

Please note that the session will time out after 15 minutes, and unsaved work will be lost. Instructors may extend the session, but must respond promptly to the notification. McBurney Center staff will review plans and either a) mark as completed (becomes available to the student(s) to view) or b) contact the instructor to edit or clarify before marking as complete.

Provide clear and defined answers to each question. Instructors may select from the pre-defined options or select “other” and customize their response to the unique expectation of the class. It is important to detail specific limits and parameters for course expectations. Instructors should complete the Limited Flexibility Plan Questionnaire generally for the course section, not for any one individual student. Avoid using student names or identifying information, as this is a course plan, not a student plan.

Consider reasonable limits for the class: How many classes might a student miss and still learn and engage with the course work? How can a student have alternative opportunities to get course material, participate, demonstrate knowledge and submit work if occasionally/infrequently unable to attend? How many days is reasonable for a student to reschedule a missed exam, quiz or assignment deadline without compromising the learning, grading or experiences of others?

Please fill out the Limited Flexibility Plan Questionnaire so that disabled students clearly understand what actions to take during a disability-related flare-up. Avoid leaving questions open-ended and asking students to reach out to figure out a plan while they are experiencing a flare. It is reasonable to expect students to notify instructors if a flare occurs, but it is not appropriate to ask them to negotiate flexibility terms while they are managing their symptoms. Providing a detailed plan in advance will give students clarity on how they can participate in the course during and after the flare-up.

The limited flexibility plan that results when completing the questionnaire is used only in the case of a student experiencing a disability-related flare. They may not need it, but if they do, then there is already an established plan.

Absolutely. Meeting with students to discuss how accommodations are implemented continues to be supported and encouraged. Students are trained to contact instructors to discuss the implementation of all accommodations. Instructors may reach out directly to a student to invite them for a conversation about accommodations as well. During a meeting with the student, instructors can share the limited flexibility plan for the course with the student and discuss any other accommodation needs the student has.

You may apply the same Limited Flexibility Plan to multiple course sections by following these steps:

• Step 1: Log in to the Instructor Portal on the McBurney Connect page.
• Step 2: Review the Access Policy and select the button to “Continue to view student accommodations.”
• Step 3: Select “Limited Flexibility Plans” in the left-hand menu list.
• Step 4: Check the boxes of the course(s) of which you wish to complete the Limited Flexibility Plan Questionnaire.
• Step 5: Under “Step 2: Select available options,” you may select one of the following options:

1. 1. Start a new plan
      • This option allows you to complete one (1) new Limited Flexibility Plan for all selected courses in the list.
   2. Copy responses from (course name and term). NOTE: this option is only available if you completed a Limited Flexibility Plan for another course within the previous two academic terms.
      • This option allows you to copy a previously completed Limited Flexibility Plan from another course.
      • Selecting this option will immediately copy and apply the Limited Flexibility Plan to the selected course(s) in the list

Students select accommodations for each course component section (e.g. lecture, discussion and lab) separately within McBurney Connect. The instructor on record for the course section will have access to the Limited Flexibility Plan Questionnaire and should respond to the Limited Flexibility Plan Questionnaire with the parameters of flexibility for that course section. For example, the lecture section instructor should respond to the Limited Flexibility Plan Questionnaire for the lecture section. The TA instructing a discussion section will fill out the Limited Flexibility Plan Questionnaire with parameters of reasonable flexibility for discussion section. For consistency between discussion or lab sections instructed by different TA’s, it may be helpful to define limited flexibility plans in advance as an instructional team and then copy them into the Limited Flexibility Plan Questionnaire.

Yes. Instructors may review the Limited Flexibility Plan Questionnaire questions and response options to prepare responses in advance or share responses with others on an instructional team to ensure consistency across all sections of a course.

Instructors only need to complete the Limited Flexibility Plan Questionnaire once per course section, no matter how many students in that course section are requesting limited flexibility accommodations. Each time a student requests or changes their accommodations, you’ll receive a Student Accommodation Letter (SAL) detailing the accommodations. This letter will also include instructions for the Limited Flexibility Plan Questionnaire. If instructors receive multiple SALs for the same section, they do not need to fill out the questionnaire again if already completed. However, if they receive a SAL for a different section (even for the same course), then it is necessary to complete the Limited Flexibility Plan Questionnaire or copy it from another section.

Instructors may email the Flexibility Coordinator and state the course (name/number) they wish to edit. They may share the specific edit and the Flexibility Coordinator can edit on their behalf, or they may request to edit themself.