I Just Received a Faculty Notification Letter (FNL)

Introduction

What is a Faculty Notification Letter (FNL)?

A Faculty Notification Letter (FNL) is a document from Disability Resources for Students (DRS) that describes the approved accommodations for a student in your course or program. The FNL outlines your responsibilities in providing these accommodations.

You can access and download a copy of the FNL through the myDRS instructor portal. You may need to refer to it when implementing accommodations or communicating with DRS.

Tip

To view all your students’ accommodations in a single document, you can generate an excel spreadsheet from your myDRS portal.

 

Legal obligations

Accommodations ensure University compliance with Federal and state laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. These laws mandate that universities provide reasonable accommodations to qualified students with disabilities.

University of Washington Policy

Instructors must implement accommodations as outlined in the Faculty Notification Letter (FNL). This ensures that UW is complying with federal and state laws related to disability rights.

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Key information listed the FNL

• Accommodation information. Each approved accommodation is listed separately in a dedicated section of the FNL. Read each accommodation thoroughly to ensure you understand what is required for the accommodations, including any next steps on your part.
  
  

  Tip

  We have implementation instructions and considerations for complex accommodations on our Implementing Accommodations page.

• Instructor response timelines. Accommodations must be implemented within 10 business days unless otherwise indicated. Some accommodations have multiple timelines for implementation. Note these timelines to ensure timely accommodation.
• Access Coordinator contact. The Access Coordinator is your point of contact for any questions about your students’ accommodations. The name and contact information for the student’s Access Coordinator are provided at the top of the FNL and in myDRS.

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Immediate Actions

1. Ensure you understand what is required to implement accommodations. Information on each accommodation is provided in the FNL. Additionally, general guidelines for implementing accommodations as well as specific instructions for complex accommodations is provided on our Implementing Accommodations page.
2. Contact the Access Coordinator immediately if you have questions or about implementing an accommodation. You must implement an accommodation while working with DRS to address your concerns, even if those concerns are about altering essential elements of your course.

   It is also beneficial to contact your department or supervisor to learn more about how your specific department implements accommodations.

   

   University of Washington Policy

   Instructional personnel are responsible for implementing approved accommodations in a timely manner. Approved accommodations may not be unilaterally denied or modified. Concerns about implementing approved accommodations should be directed to the DRS office, or through the Instructional Personnel Reconsideration Process. Accommodations must be implemented as described until alternatives are decided with DRS and Instructional personnel.

   

   Tip

   Many answers to your questions about specific accommodations or the implementation process can be found in the detailed instructions we provide on our Implementing Accommodations page.

3. Discuss with the student how the accommodation(s) will be implemented. Students activate course accommodations to generate the Faculty Notification Letter (FNL) or other eligibility letter, which serves as their official communication to you. We recommend acknowledging receipt by email within one week of receiving the letter.You are responsible for communicating with your student about how accommodations will be implemented. Keep in mind that while you may begin these discussions asynchronously (such as through email), some accommodations may require a meeting or call with the student to finalize implementation plans.
   • Review implementation instructions and think about how they will work in your course/program. If the implementation instructions mention completing an agreement with a student, you will need to meet with the student to do so.
   • When contacting multiple students at once, maintain confidentiality according to FERPA requirements in all communication with students.
   • In addition, respond to any follow-up messages from students regarding their accommodations. Doing so helps the University document compliance and reassures students that their communication has been received.
   

   Tip

   For tips and more detailed information about these communications, please see our guidelines for communicating with students.

4. Implement accommodations based on stated timelines. Timing is indicated in the FNL and can also be found in our Instructor Response Timelines table. Accommodations should be implemented consistently throughout the quarter.
5. Between quarters, identify how you can increase the baseline accessibility of your course/program. Accommodations are a retroactive solution to addressing access barriers. By designing a course to remove access barriers where possible, you reduce the need for accommodations and course modifications.
   
   

   Tip

   DRS is not the resources on campus for making courses/programs accessible in a general way for all students. We’ve put together resources on Creating Accessible Courses so you know where to go for support in making your course/program accessible.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about FNLs

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Contact Information and Support

We are here to support you in implementing accommodations and creating an accessible learning environment.

For Questions about a Specific Student’s Accommodations:

• Contact the Access Coordinator listed on the student’s FNL.

For General Inquiries:

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