Welcome to Accessibility.
The Goldman Center for Student Accessibility supports students and their families through this transition to college for both prospective and committed students. Here, you'll find an overview of our accommodations request process as well as important information about the changes that happen with disability-based accommodations in the academic, housing, and dining environments in higher education.
Accommodations do not automatically transfer from high school to college. If you wish to continue receiving academic accommodations after high school, you'll need to request accommodations through the Goldman Center.
The transition from high school to college can be a rewarding but challenging time for many students and their families, and students with disabilities have an extra step to navigate this transition. The Goldman Center for Student Accessibility is here to provide insight, guidance, and information for you at each step of the way. Now that you are committed and confirmed for starting in the fall, you are welcome to apply for disability accommodations. Students can request accommodations at any time; however, for incoming fall semester students, we recommend beginning the process in the summer well before arriving on campus in August. The process can sometimes take several weeks, so we encourage you start as soon as possible. The professional staff in the Goldman Center are ready to help!
The Goldman Center is featured in the May modules created by NTC First-Year Experience.
- For more background, review the slides of our Accessibility at Tulane Family Programs webinar.
- For an overall consideration of your transition to college as a student with health considerations, visit our helpful guide for information about campus resources and living in New Orleans.
Important Deadline Information
Important Dates and Deadlines in the Goldman Center
Academic: We encourage incoming students to apply for their academic accommodations over the course of the summer (May-July) so that any approved accommodations can be ready for the fall start. To honor this timeline, submit a request for academic accommodations before July 15 for priority consideration ahead of the semester start. While academic accommodations can be approved at any time, no accommodation is retroactive, so taking care of this process over the summer is important.
For incoming Spring Scholars or spring transfer students, please submit your academic accommodation request for October 15.
Housing: Incoming students seeking housing-based accommodations in the residence halls should apply for housing accommodations between March 1 and May 1 with the Goldman Center. This deadline is important so that your application can be processed ahead of room selection for incoming students; applications received after this deadline will be considered and granted on a rolling basis, depending on capacity. For more information regarding housing accommodations and the housing accommodation process, please refer to our Housing Accessibility page.
Dining: Incoming students who are seeking accommodations should explore support through Tulane Hospitality and consider a Dining Plan Petition. Additional support for dining-based concerns can be found through our Dining Accessibility page.
For accommodations in any of these environments, the general application remains the same.
Read more about the differences in laws, guidance, and philosophies in high school accommodations versus accommodations in higher education. These differences change the necessity and delivery of some accommodations you may have received in high school. Explanation of these differences would be communicated in your application process during your Access Interview.
Accommodations in High School:
- Guarantee success
- Legal guidance is provided by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
- IDEA provides the mandate and funding for in-school individualized instruction/special education services as well as transportation, therapy services, and tutoring
- Teachers will remind students of assignments, provide missed information to students when absent, and provide additional support such as teacher provided notes
- The school is responsible for identifying students with disabilities, providing support, and involving the parents
- The parent is the student's advocate
Accommodations in College:
- Guarantee access, a key component of success, for students with disabilities. Accommodations must not amount to a fundamental alteration.
- Legal guidance is provided by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Fair Housing Act (for housing accommodation requests)
- The ADA and Section 504 require colleges to provide accommodations and support services, but not services of a personal nature, such as individual therapy or tutoring services based on a disability
- Students are responsible for activating accommodations, asking professors for help/support, and for making up missed work
- Students with disabilities must request accommodations with the school and must be an active participant in the accommodations process
- The student is expected to self-advocate
Accommodations and Resources at Tulane:
The Goldman Center facilitates the interactive process for accommodations at Tulane. As a facilitator of access, the Goldman Center is a neutral evaluator of the student's requested accommodations related to identified barriers to access and considering what academic adjustments may be necessary to create that access. We consider the student's request, provided documentation and recommendations, and the resources available within the program. As such, the Goldman Center is the final evaluator of what accommodations are necessary for a student. Each request is approached in an individualized process-- the guidance detailed on this page and across our website is for informational purposes around typical considerations and policies.
For incoming students, the transition from high school to college may be challenging as academic demands shift. We have put together helpful guidance for frequently requested accommodations and resources incoming students put in their online request. For further information about some of the terminology used on this page or in our process, visit our Key Terms page and review the information linked below.
- Academic:
- The Goldman Center: Request accommodations and review our academic accessibility resources. Since accommodations cannot create a fundamental alteration, review additional information for accessibility-related questions around the NTC foreign language requirement and course registration.
- Academic Advising: Incoming Students
- Housing:
- The Goldman Center: Request accommodations and review our housing accessibility resources
- Housing & Residence Life: Logistics
- Dining:
- The Goldman Center: Request accommodations and review our dining accessibility resources
- Tulane Hospitality: Health and Wellness plans
Applying for Accommodations with the Goldman Center
Frequently Asked Questions
We know we can't cover every question or concern unique to each student and family, but below are some common questions for students in the application and acceptance phase. If you'd like a more in-depth conversation or consultation for you/your student's accommodation needs, please don't hesitate to contact our office at goldman@tulane.edu or (504)-862-8433. We operate during standard business hours, Monday-Friday 8:30AM-5:00PM, and respond to inquiries outside of these hours as soon as we are able to.
The Role of Parents and Families
The best way to support your student is to continue fostering the same self-advocacy skills you have been teaching throughout your student’s educational career. It is imperative that your student completes the request for accommodations in their own words, though you are more than welcome to help them navigate this application process. While our process is inherently student-led, student-focused, and student-centered, you are able to join your student in their Access Interview with our office, with the consent of your student. The Goldman Center will not schedule meetings or approve accommodations without the direct involvement of the student at each step.
We know this is as much a transition for you as it is for your student. You can support your student by encouraging them to reach out to our office to discuss any questions or concerns they have about the accommodations process. You are also welcome to share information about additional campus resources, such as Student Success and Case Management, that you can read more about here.
For students hesitant to inquire about accommodations, either as a student who has not yet contacted the Goldman Center or a student already approved for accommodations with the Goldman Center, it is important that you encourage them to reach out to us to schedule a meeting (in-person or virtual) to discuss their questions and concerns. While we understand that students may feel hesitant to reach out or utilize their accommodations, your student must drive the conversation for support.
An Open Letter to Parents of Students with Disabilities About to Enter College