Procedures for New SAR Students

Self-Identification is important as you enter college, otherwise you risk not receiving the support needed for academic success while in school. If you are on an IPE or 504 Plan, or have been recently diagnosed with a disability, you should self-identify to the Student Accessibility Resources (SAR) Department to discuss your disability.  Accommodations that will remove barriers on campus and in the classroom will be assigned once you self-identify. It is recommended to begin the self-identifying process directly after being admitted to the College to ensure that accommodations are in place for the upcoming semester.

Services and support are free to GCSC students and are used to remove barriers at our institution. You should apply for services after receiving notification of acceptance to the College.

To apply, follow these steps:

• Apply and receive confirmation of acceptance to Gulf Coast State College.
• Make an appointment with Leigh Bailey to register for classes or receive help from GCSC's Navigation Center.
• Apply to receive Accommodations with the Student Accessibility Resources (SAR) Department. 

(You will be required to attach schedule as well as any and all documentation/paperwork regarding your disability.)

• Schedule an appointment with the SAR Department (850.747.3243) to go over, sign, and agree to all terms of accommodation plan.
• Notify professor(s) for each course electronically if expecting to receive accommodations.
  • The SAR department encourages students to set up a time to speak with professors about accommodations.

Each semester, SAR students are required to renew with the Student Accessibility Resource Department.

For more information on documentation guidelines and resources, please visit the SAR Forms webpage.

SAR Application

If you choose to disclose your disability to receive accommodations, you must complete the SAR Application and provide documentation of your disability. Requirements vary according to disability, please view the Documentation Guidelines below and contact our office with any questions.

General Rule

The Family Educational Rights Privacy Act (FERPA) regulates disclosure of disability documentation and records maintained by SAR. SAR requires prior written consent by the student before SAR may release disability documentation or records to any third party.

Exception to the Rule

Under FERPA, SAR is permitted to release information to any school official who has a "legitimate educational interest."

What Does this Mean?

Professors or other school officials, such as tutors, may request information about the impact of your disability on your ability to learn. SAR will only share information with other school officials when appropriate and will carefully balance a your request for confidentiality and the request for additional, relevant information. SAR seeks to preserve your wish to keep their disability information and status confidential.

Other Student's Rights Under FERPA

FERPA also allows students to inspect and review their files maintained by SAR. Students have the right to challenge any information contained in the files that is incorrect or misleading and request an amendment to this misinformation. 

Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) and 504 Plans are the common use of accommodation and goal setting plans in primary and secondary educational settings under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Under these provisions, K-12 schools set up accommodations for students with disabilities with a Placement/Planning/Action Team made up of school teachers, counselors and parents. Students are rarely involved in the planning of their accommodations and accommodations are reviewed yearly until graduation.

However, in a postsecondary institutional setting such as college, the planning and advocacy becomes the student's role and accommodations must be requested each semester for which the student is registered for classes. Postsecondary institutions follow Sections 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act as well as Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act as Amended in 2008 (ADAAA) as guidance for access and inclusion. 

High School	College
Services provided under IDEA or Section 504.	Services provided under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and The Americans with Disabilities Act.
School district responsible for identifying and evaluating disability at no cost to student or family.	Student must self-identify and provide documentation of disability. Student must pay costs of evaluation. College is responsible for costs involved in providing accommodations and/or essential auxiliary aids; student needs based on documentation of disability.

High School	College
Special education teacher is liaison and buffer between student, other teachers, administrators and parents. The decision to receive accommodations is made by educators and parents. Students have little or no choice	Student is responsible for self-advocacy. Student can choose not to seek services and accommodations and can choose to function independently. Student must self-identify disability and request services from college. Student is required to provide recent documentation (less than 3 years old) of disability. Documentation must clearly support requested accommodations.
Help is readily available.	Student must independently seek help using effective communication skills. Services must be requested well in advance (for example, you cannot wait until the day of a test to ask for accommodations).
Student is labeled as special education student.	Student is NOT labeled or serviced separately from other students.
Student is possibly served separately from other students.	Other students and faculty members will not know about the student’s disability. Faculty members are only notified of required accommodations.
Personnel talk freely with parent about student progress and planning.	Personnel cannot discuss student without student’s written permission.

Reasonable accommodations are academic adjustments to programs, policies, and practices that make aspects of the College experience accessible and provide equal opportunities to Gulf Coast State College students with disabilities.  Equal opportunities means any student with a disability can attain the same level of performance while enjoying equal benefits and privileges that are available to a similarly situated student without disabilities.

There is no cost involved in providing reasonable accommodations.  To determine reasonable accommodations, SAR may seek information from appropriate College personnel regarding essential standards for courses, programs, services, activities and facilities. Designated SAR Staff make the final determinations of reasonable accommodations in collaboration with the student and faculty as warranted. Reasonable accommodations are determined by examining:

• Environmental barriers limiting curricular, facility, or program access
• Whether or not the access to the course, program, service, activity or facility is available without an accommodation
• The range of possible accommodations that might remove the barriers
• Whether or not essential elements of the course, program, service, activity or facility are altered by the accommodations

NOTE: Reasonable accommodations, disability information, or any information that can be related to an individuals disability is NOT on the student's academic record.  Any and all student disability and accommodation information is kept confidential.

SAR Student Handbook

Need Adobe Reader? Download Adobe Reader if you are unable to view any of our forms or contact SAR for an alternative format.

SAR Staff and Contact Information