The question and answer section that follows is intended for high school students and their parents as well as current students.
If questions remain, we suggest that you write them down. Once you have done this, please call or email the Academic Advising Center. The phone number is (508) 793-7468 and the email address is advising@clarku.edu.
Yes, you do. Clark's University Advisory Board has established a minimum guideline that all students must complete. The minimum requirements include: 32 complete units (one unit is the equivalent of four semester credits per course), the fulfillment of both Critical Thinking requirements (Verbal Expression and Formal Analysis) and all of the Perspectives (Aesthetic, Global, Historical, Language and Culture, Scientific, and Values), and the completion of major requirements. Click on this (link to catalog http://www.clarku.edu/academiccatalog/introduction/academicprogram/liberalarts.cfm) to learn more about Clark's Perspective system.
To fulfill the Formal Analysis requirement, a student is required to demonstrate basic competency in mathematics and quantitative thinking. Some students demonstrate this through achieving a satisfactory score on a standardized test or a Clark placement test. Others are required to successfully complete IDND 017, Foundations of Quantitative Thinking prior to enrolling in a formal-analysis course.
We recognize that learning disabilities might make a math course, a foreign language, etc. difficult for some to learn. For this reason, students are allowed to take a course Pass/Fail. To receive a passing grade, a student must earn a C- or better when taking a course Pass/Fail. It is not recommended that a student take more than two courses Pass/Fail while at Clark, but this option is good if a student feels a course might be too challenging or hurt their grade point average (GPA).
The two requirements that many students with disabilities are concerned about are the Formal Analysis and Language and Culture requirements. For students who are still weary of taking a foreign language or a math course at the college level, there are other course offerings that fulfill these requirements.
Of course Calculus and Statistics fulfill the formal analysis requirement, but there are other options. Courses in Geography, Economics, Sociology, and Psychology fulfill the Formal Analysis requirement as well. In many cases, a student has to take a Research Methods course as a part of their major, and most of these courses fulfill the Formal Analysis requirement. These research skills courses are still math-based, but may not be as intimidating as a Calculus or Statistics course.
To fulfill the Language and Culture requirement, a student normally takes a foreign language. However, there are courses taught in English that fulfill the Language and Culture Perspective. A student might opt to take one of these courses instead of learning a foreign language.
Academic accommodations are determined on a case-by-case basis by the coordinator of disability services. The coordinator reads the submitted documentation provided by your qualified practitioner and meets with you in order to make this determination.
Some examples of accommodations for students with disabilities includes:
Clark University requires that all students who are requesting accommodations submit recent (in most instances recent is considered to be within the past three years) documentation. This documentation is used to determine eligibility for accommodations and services and must clearly state the diagnosed disability, the functional limitations resulting from the disability, and how these limitations impact academic performance.
An individual qualified to diagnose the particular disability must write documentation on professional letterhead. See documentation link on our Web Site.
Individualized Education Plans and 504 Plans are not considered sufficient documentation, but may be included with the necessary documentation.
The coordinator of disability services or her graduate assistants are available to meet with students who have self-identified and provided disability documentation. These meetings are at the request of the student and can take place as often as once a week, but most students find that they prefer to meet a few times per semester. These meetings can focus on various aspects of student support including:
Students are encouraged to self-identify as early as possible. It is suggested that students self-identify as soon as they make their enrollment decision. A summer meeting or telephone conference to review documentation and discuss accommodations with the coordinator of disability services is strongly advised. Once this has been completed, we can begin the process.
As a student with a disability, you are entitled to certain rights. The University must respect your rights, which include:
Your first responsibility is to self-identify. If you don't identify as a student with a disability, there is nothing Disability Services can do to assist you.
After you have self-identified, you should provide the coordinator with the appropriate documentation. This documentation should be from an appropriate professional source that verifies the nature of the disability, its functional limitations, and the need for special accommodations.
Before every semester, it is the responsibility of the student to contact the coordinator and request reasonable accommodations. In most cases, we making this request within the first two weeks of school will provide sufficient time to implement accommodations. However, some accommodations require significant advanced notice (text in alternative format, accessibility requests, class notes.....)
You should inform the professor about your disability and arrange a meeting with him/her. They will know about your disability if you have given the coordinator permission to release that information. But, a meeting with the professor is still highly encouraged. You could tell the professor about how your disability might affect your performance and also about the necessary accommodations you will need. It's also a good idea to get to know your professors. Clark is a small school, and you'll come to know many professors (especially ones in your major) quite well.
You must request accommodations in a timely manner. For more information please read the accessing accommodations link.
All applicants must meet standard admissions requirements. The Admissions Office reviews all applications including those of students who have chosen to self-identify specific disabilities.
You do not have to self-identify during the admissions process, but the option is there to do so. If you wish to self-identify to Admissions, please send your application to:
Attn: Disabilities Liaison
Clark University
Office of Admissions
950 Main Street
Worcester, MA 01610-1477
--This page was created by Chris Babits, Undergraduate Student working in the Disability Services office.