Section Eight - Course Substitutions and Academic Appeals

The University of North Georgia recognizes both the variation in the needs of students with disabilities and the variation in course contexts as an individual student progresses through his or her program of study.

Course Substitutions

A student is required by the University System of Georgia to meet the essential requirements of his or her respective program. Any request for course accommodations and substitutions will be decided on a case- by-case basis; however, the policies of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia preclude waiving any core course and allows for substitutions only in approved areas.

A course may be substituted when:

  • Disability documentation supports the need for a substitution
  • The course is determined not to be essential to the student's program of study
  • The course in question is not part of the core curriculum

Substitution Course for RHSC Foreign Language Deficiency

The Board of Regents policy states that students who are admitted to the Institution with Required High School Curriculum (RHSC) must complete all RHSC requirements before earning 30 semester hours of college-level credit. The Institution provides a list of courses chosen to satisfy RHSC deficiencies, which includes introductory foreign language courses that meet the RHSC deficiency in foreign language.

Any request for course accommodations and substitutions will be decided on a case-by-case basis; however, the policies of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia allow for substitutions only in approved areas.

A RHSC foreign language deficiency course may be substituted when a student provides appropriate disability documentation that meets the Board of Regents criteria and supports their eligibility to receive the accommodation of a course substitution for RHSC foreign language deficiency.

To receive BOR approval for this accommodation, a Regents Center for Learning Disorders (RCLD) must make a recommendation for an RHSC foreign language substitution following:

  • Student completion of the RCLD evaluation
  • or RCLD review of the student’s outside evaluation, submitted by Student Accessibility Services

Once the student has been granted this accommodation, a course substitution can be chosen from the list of courses in Area B of the Core Curriculum.

Academic Appeals

Basis of a Student Appeal

The appeal must be based on documentation that the respective disability limits full participation in the UNG programs or activities, and it must include a rationale for the requested alternatives or additions.

  • The access plan does not represent a reasonable accommodation of a student's disability.
  • Accommodations limit the student's full participation or accurate evaluation in a specific activity, service, program, or course of study.
  • A particular course or requirement is not essential to the integrity of the program of instruction being pursued.

Filing a Student Appeal (also see ADA Grievance Procedure)

A student and his or her professor should make every effort to work together to implement accommodations determined and approved to be reasonable and appropriate. If questions or concerns arise due to conflicts between a student's documented needs and course requirements, the assistant director or director of Student Accessibility Services should be contacted, and an attempt should be made to resolve the concerns in a timely manner.