Fact sheet concerning compensation for disadvantages for students with

Fact sheet concerning compensation for disadvantages for students with
disabilities and/or chronic illness
1
Introduction
Fact sheets provide general information about the organisation of degree courses and reflect present-day legal opinion. They express the
provisions issued by the University bodies in concrete terms and summarise the major points. The Dean of Studies has issued this fact
sheet pursuant to Art. 77(1) of the University Statutes (Consolidated Statute Book of the Canton of St.Gallen, No. 217.15; US).
1.1
Scope of application
This fact sheet is applicable to students in the Assessment Year and at the Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral Levels. It
specifies the procedure of compensation measures for students with disabilities or chronic illnesses and stipulates the formal criteria and deadlines in a legally binding form.
1.2
Definitions
Disability: the definition provided by Art. 2 of the Federal Act on the Elimination of Discrimination against
People with Disabilities is applicable in analogy.
Chronic illness: illnesses which are of long duration or have an episodic progression or are the result of a
degenerative change in psychological or somatic conditions or are the cause of such conditions.
Compensation for disadvantages: specific measures with the aim of compensating for disadvantages caused
by disabilities to ensure all students’ equality of opportunity.
2
Application for compensation measures
Students with a disability or a chronic illness can be granted the following types of compensation for disadvantages on request and with the relevant medical certificate:
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extension of the Assessment Year (cf. point 2.1),
adjustments of formal examination conditions (cf. point 2.2).
It is imperative that the request be submitted within the given deadlines before the relevant examination. After an examination has been taken, students are not entitled to claim measures for the compensation for disadvantages, a repetition is also impossible.
2.1
Extension of the Assessment Year
Students with disabilities or chronic illnesses have the possibility to extend the time they spend studying at
the Assessment Year level. You find important information in the special regulations concerning the extension
of the Assessment Year 1.
Students who have been granted such an extension must study in accordance with the curriculum specified in
the appendix to the implementation provisions. Students may be admitted to the Bachelor's Level on a provisional basis after the 2nd semester at their own risk.
2.1.1 Dates and timeframes
The request must be made for the Autumn Semester and submitted in time by no later than the Friday of calendar week 39 (2nd week of the Autumn Semester). In the case of provable unforeseen impairments, Examination Management will decide whether or not to grant your application.
2.1.2 Submitting an application
Applications must be submitted electronically in StudentWeb 2. The following documents must be uploaded:
• the filled in application form 3
• an evidence of the disability/chronic illness (medical certificate etc.)
1
http://studentweb.unisg.ch/de: Assessment → Legal basis & fact sheets: “Further regulations”
2
http://studentweb.unisg.ch/de: Assessment → Examinations → Disability → Application for an extension of the Assessment Year
3
http://studentweb.unisg.ch/de: Assessment → Examinations → Disability → Application for an extension of the Assessment Year: Downloads
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2.1.3 Decision
The decision is made on the basis of the evidence submitted and possibly of a personal meeting. In the third
semester week of the Autumn Semester (calendar week 40), you will be informed in writing as to whether
your request has been granted.
2.2
Adjustments of formal examination conditions
Depending on the type of impairment, and without prejudice to the examination results to be attained, students can submit applications to the Examination Management for the following types of compensation for
disadvantages (the list is not exhaustive):
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•
•
•
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Adequate extension of examination time
Examination to be sat in a separate room
Admission of necessary aids (e.g. laptop, refreshable braille display)
Adjustment of examination papers (e.g. large letters)
Permission to sit an individual examination instead of a group examination
Extension of the overall period of time in which certain coursework has to be done and in which certain
examinations have to be sat (examination period)
2.2.1 Dates and timeframes
Applications for examination adjustments must be resubmitted every semester. It is imperative to adhere to
the given timeframe for the submission of applications:
• decentral examinations: at least 4 weeks before the examination or the submission deadline for the paper;
• central examinations & accountancy examination: before the expiry of the registration period.
2.2.2 Submitting an application
Applications for examination adjustments must be submitted electronically in the StudentWeb 4.
Each (1) first request for compensation for disadvantages and each (2) request for a change in examination adapations require credible evidence of the need for them. Documents providing such evidence include medical
certificates and consultant opinions (not older than 6 months). In addition, the document “Assessment of the
need for measures for the compensation for disadvantages” 5 must be filled in by a qualified specialist and
uploaded in the StudentWeb.
2.2.3 Agreement of measures
An agreement of measures is reached in a personal meeting and is sent out as a notification by post and as a
copy to the student’s e-mail address. Provided that the reasons for the request continue to exist, the measures
stipulated in the last agreement will be taken over and confirmed by e-mail when another request is submitted
and the need for them in unchanged. Substantial changes require a new agreement.
3
Further information and contact
3.1
Further information
For further information, please consult the StudentWeb. Please also consult the following fact sheets and information 6:
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3.2
Implementation provisions extension of examination time
Procedures and administration for the extension
Contact
If you have any questions, please send an e-mail to [email protected] or call 071 224 22 23.
4
Effectiveness
The Dean of Studies declared this fact sheet effective as from 1 August 2014 7.
4
http://studentweb.unisg.ch/de: Level →Examinations/Achievements →Examinations →Disability → Application for Examination Adjustments
5
http://studentweb.unisg.ch/de: Level →Examinations/Achievements →Examinations →Disability →Application for Examination Adjustments: Downloads
6
http://studentweb.unisg.ch/de: Assessment → Legal basis & fact sheets: “Further regulations”
7
Pursuant to Art. 123 of the University Statutes [Consolidated Statute Book of the Canton St.Gallen, No. 217.15; US] only the German version of this fact sheet
will be legally binding if there are translation and interpretation problems.
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