Accommodations
Ohio State is committed to ensuring that all individuals can learn and work as safely as possible.
Student accommodations
The protocol for students reporting COVID-19 has changed as of Autumn 2023.
SLDS is no longer sending out short-term academic flexibility letters for those testing positive for COVID-19.
Instead, instructors are advised to provide 5 days of flexibility upon your reporting this status directly to them. This change was approved by the Office of Student Life, Office of Institutional Equity, and the Provost's Office.
Students who have tested positive for COVID-19 should immediately follow the instructions and links on this website on how to:
1) report your status to Columbus Public Health to receive an isolation notice, if required and
2) Inform and keep a record of all correspondence with your instructors requesting supported participation and academic flexibility for your isolation period.
You or your instructors are welcome to contact us with questions. If your instructors are not providing you with flexibility or if you need to request additional accommodations beyond when you are cleared from isolation, please contact our office as soon as you are able at slds@osu.edu.
Guidance for Instructors
Our goal is to provide the highest quality education for students while taking steps to protect the health and well-being of our campus community.
All instructors should have a plan if adjustments are needed for circumstances such as:
- If students need to miss class because they are sick, in isolation or quarantine.
- If you or your graduate teaching associates are unable to teach or cannot teach in person because of isolation or quarantine.
Instructors cannot change the overall delivery mode of the course without the formal approval of the college’s academic leadership and the Office of Academic Affairs. Instructors should contact their chair, director or dean if issues emerge with the course delivery mode.
If unable to be in class for a session, instructors may do one of the following as a temporary measure:
- Teach online (returning to the listed mode of instruction as soon as possible)
- Assign students asynchronous work to make up for the missed session
- Identify a substitute
Instructors should advise graduate teaching associates or graduate students to keep the department course coordinator informed of their plan and let their advisor know to help arrange for course coverage outside of the normal 1–2 class sessions missed for a temporary absence.
Departments and schools must have a teaching plan in place in the event a teaching assistant is absent. This plan should not be the TA’s responsibility. In all cases, if faculty or TAs are unwell, they should stay home. TAs will be funded through the semester regardless.
Faculty and staff accommodations
The Office of Human Resources works with employees to ensure those with qualifying disabilities have seamless access to employment. Through the Workplace Accommodation Request, individuals are asked to:
- Outline how their disability requires an adjustment or modification to their job.
- Provide documentation from their medical provider defining how their disability impacts their job duties.
- Suggest modifications that may help them perform their job duties while managing their medical condition.
Workplace Accommodations are specifically for individuals requesting a modification for the employee's own disability. The university also supports maximum flexibility to help our faculty, staff and student employees balance the demands of work and home life. Read the full statement about flexibility at work on the Office of Human Resources website.
Visitor accommodations
The university is committed to ensuring that all individuals who are vulnerable to COVID-19 or who face particular challenges because of the pandemic can participate in university life as safely as possible. Visitors who would like to request an accommodation related to COVID-19 should contact the Americans With Disabilities Act Coordinator's Office at ADA-OSU@osu.edu or 614-292-6207.