Information for Prospective & Incoming students

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For high school students or those considering Berry

If you would like to schedule an informational meeting with a representative from our office, please contact us at testing@berry.edu or 706.233.4080. We are available to connect via phone, email, virtual zoom meetings, or in-person during your scheduled campus visit.

Important Dates to consider for Incoming Students

While there is no time period within which a person must self-identify as having a disability, the college is permitted a reasonable amount of time to make accommodations.  For that reason, important dates to consider are outlined below: 

Housing accommodations

Requests for housing accommodations must be initiated by May 1 to ensure availability of an approved housing accommodation. Requests initiated after May 1st will be considered, but may not be accommodated for the Fall semester. 

Dining accommodations

Requests for meal plan exemptions or alterations must be initiated by August 1 to guarantee the student's bill is adjusted correctly for the fall semester. No changes can be made to student billing accounts after the first Thursday of the semester.

Academic accommodations

Students are welcome to initiate their request for academic accommodations at any point in their academic career. We encourage incoming students to initiate their request via the process outlined below as soon as they have been accepted to the college to ensure accommodations are in place on the first day of classes.

Forms

Please visit our Policies & Forms page for a copy of the Accommodation Verification Form your care provider must complete in regards to your request for a housing or dining accommodation. Please note: if requesting an academic accommodation, a psychoeducational evaluation or neuropsych evaluation would be preferred; however, an Academic Accommodation Verification form is available if needed. Documentation requirements are outlined for your reference below. 

Requesting accommodations

The first step in seeking accommodations is disclosing your disability. The process for doing this is outlined below and includes submitting documentation and meeting with an Office of Accessibility Resources staff member to engage in a meaningful conversation about accommodations and accessibility resources available at Berry College. If at any point you have questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the Associate Director for Accessibility Resources, Katrina Meehan, at kmeehan@berry.edu or at 706.233.4080.

To receive accommodations for a documented difference or disability, the student must complete the following steps: 

1. Complete intake forms

This will include basic information about the student and a brief description of the student’s difference or disability and requested academic accommodations.

2. Submit supporting documentation

If requesting a housing or dining (meal plan) accommodation, please visit our Policies & Forms page for a copy of documentation your care provider must complete to accompany your request. Letters from care providers will be reviewed, but generally are not sufficient; therefore, we ask your care provider complete this form prior to consideration. If requesting an academic accommodation, a psychoeducational evaluation or neuropsych evaluation would be preferred; however, an Academic Accommodation Verification form is available if needed.

Documentation must:

  • Clearly state the nature of the diagnosed disability or learning difference;
  • Be written and signed by a qualified professional, such as a health care provider, school psychologist, or the educational system;
  • Be recent enough to speak to the student’s current needs;
  • Provide a list of recommended accommodations.

3. Meet with a member of our staff

The student-client’s self-report is a vital source of information in best understanding how we can support him or her. For that reason, accommodations will not be activated until the student-client has met with a member of our staff, specifically the Associate Director for Accessibility Resources. If you will be attending SOAR, Viking Venture, or another event and would like to schedule a meeting during one of those events, please contact our office at testing@berry.edu. A representative from our office will also be reaching out to students who complete step 1 of this process to schedule a time to connect during one of the student’s on-campus visits.

If the initial documentation is incomplete or inadequate to determine the extent of the disability and reasonable accommodations, the Accessibility Resources staff has the discretion to require submission of additional documentation. All documentation and evaluations obtained by the student will be at their own expense.

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