Supporting Students in Distress

Supporting Students in Distress: Understanding OALA's Role

College students may experience a wide range of academic, personal, medical, emotional, financial, family, and other challenges. Faculty are often among the first people students approach when these circumstances begin affecting their academic work.

OALA's role in these situations is specific: OALA evaluates and coordinates reasonable accommodations when a disability-related functional limitation creates a barrier to equal access to a Baylor program, service, or activity.

OALA is not Baylor's general case management, counseling, student support, or academic-exception office for students with disabilities simply because they have a disability or are registered with OALA.

When a Concern Is Within OALA's Scope

A referral to or consultation with OALA may be appropriate when:

• a student identifies a disability or medical/mental-health condition and believes it is creating an access barrier
• an existing disability-related accommodation is not effectively addressing a barrier
• a student's disability-related functional limitations have changed
• an episodic or acute disability-related flare-up affects the student's ability to use an approved accommodation as originally anticipated
• a faculty member has questions about implementing an approved accommodation
• there is a question about whether additional disability-related flexibility is reasonable in light of an essential academic requirement.

The fact that a student is struggling, experiencing distress, or requesting flexibility does not by itself establish a need for a disability accommodation. Likewise, faculty should not be expected to determine whether a student's circumstances constitute a disability. When a student identifies a possible disability-related access need, OALA can engage with the student through the accommodation process.

When a Concern Is Not Primarily an OALA Matter

Students with disabilities experience the same kinds of life circumstances and challenges as other students. A student's registration with OALA does not convert every academic or personal difficulty into a disability accommodation issue.

For example, concerns arising solely from circumstances such as bereavement, family emergencies, relationship difficulties, financial concerns, work obligations, transportation problems, roommate conflicts, ordinary academic stress, or other personal circumstances should generally be addressed through the same faculty, academic, student life, or Baylor processes and resources available to other students.

If flexibility is provided for a circumstance that is unrelated to the student's disability, that flexibility should not be characterized as an OALA accommodation simply because the student is registered with OALA. When disability-related limitations and another life circumstance overlap, or when it is unclear whether a concern falls within the scope of an approved accommodation, faculty or students are encouraged to contact OALA for guidance.

OALA Is Not General Case Management for Students With Disabilities

A student may have a disability and also need assistance that falls outside the accommodation process.

For example, a student may need help navigating grief, family circumstances, financial hardship, interpersonal concerns, housing instability, academic difficulty, or multiple challenges occurring at the same time. Those concerns may warrant meaningful Baylor support even when they do not require a disability accommodation.

The Baylor Care Team provides holistic case-management support and connects students with resources for emotional and mental health concerns, academic challenges, social and personal circumstances, physical health concerns, and other difficulties. Baylor specifically encourages faculty and staff to refer students of concern to the Care Team.

A student may appropriately work with both OALA and the Care Team: OALA may address disability-related access barriers while the Care Team helps the student navigate the broader personal or institutional circumstances affecting them.

Mental Health, Distress, and Disability

Experiencing stress, sadness, anxiety, grief, or difficulty adjusting to college does not automatically mean that a student requires a disability accommodation. At the same time, mental health conditions can constitute disabilities under the ADA when they substantially limit a major life activity, and episodic conditions may qualify based on their impact when active.

Faculty do not need to make that determination. If a student indicates that a mental-health condition is creating a disability-related barrier and believes an accommodation may be needed, the student should be referred to OALA.

If the student primarily needs counseling, emotional support, assessment, or mental-health treatment, the Baylor University Counseling Center is the more appropriate resource. The Counseling Center provides short-term mental health services, crisis intervention, and consultation to faculty and staff regarding students experiencing emotional or mental health concerns.

Academic Flexibility Outside an Accommodation

There may be circumstances in which a faculty member chooses to provide flexibility to a student for reasons unrelated to disability. Such decisions remain up to the specific faculty member and are subject to applicable course, departmental, and Baylor expectations and should not be understood as OALA accommodations.

Similarly, an OALA accommodation does not create unlimited flexibility. If a student believes disability-related circumstances require flexibility beyond the parameters initially anticipated for an approved accommodation, the student or faculty member should contact OALA so the circumstances can be considered through the individualized accommodation process.

This is particularly important for accommodations involving Occasional Absences or Extensions on Assignments. A missed adjusted deadline or attendance parameter does not automatically create additional accommodation, but disability-related circumstances also should not be resolved through an automatic denial when the existing accommodation was active and the student's functional limitations have changed.

When a Student Needs More Support Than an Accommodation Can Provide

An accommodation addresses disability-related access. It cannot necessarily resolve every academic, medical, or personal circumstance affecting a student's ability to continue successfully in a course or semester.

When a student is experiencing significant or sustained difficulty, appropriate options may include consultation with:

• the Baylor Care Team
• the Counseling Center
• the student's academic advisor or academic program
• OALA when a disability-related access issue is involved
• other appropriate Baylor University resources.

Depending on the circumstances, a student may also need to consider academic options such as an incomplete, course withdrawal, or leave of absence.

Students in Crisis

OALA is not an emergency or crisis-response service. Faculty who believe a student may be experiencing a mental health crisis should follow Baylor's crisis and emergency procedures. Baylor's Counseling Center identifies suicidal statements, threats of harm, loss of contact with reality, and highly disruptive or dangerous behavior as examples requiring urgent response. Any imminent danger should be referred immediately to Baylor Police. 

For questions about whether a student's concern involves disability-related access or implementation of an approved accommodation, contact OALA@baylor.edu.