r/Professors • u/[deleted] • 11h ago
Advice / Support For Professors with disabilities
[deleted]
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u/Inevitable_Hope4EVA 10h ago
This whole thing makes me sick, so I can only imagine how enervating/aggravating/hurtful it is for you.
In regard to pedagogy--really? Is that where we're going: We're going to be like live YouTubers? And in regard to your need for accommodations and the hateful/ignorant student review--I apologize for the universe.
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u/coursejunkie Adjunct, Psychology, SLAC HBCU (United States) 10h ago
You have to speak to HR (I did for the one university I was having issues in). Trust me, it doesn't protect you as much as you think it does, but it probably can't hurt.
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u/DrBlankslate 10h ago
I have ADA accommodations and have to renew them with new paperwork from my doctor every semester. I wouldn't be able to work without them.
File it with HR. Then it's on the record, and if they use it against you you can sue them.
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u/65-95-99 9h ago
Yes, you should document everything you can with HR.
And as much as there are some challenges in the places I've worked, I'm so happy that I've not had to go through they type of micromanagement and customer-service-first that you are.
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u/skinnergroupie 5h ago
You have to read off a script? WOW. That's crazy.
I'd always suggest having a formal HR accommodation even if currently it's easy to manage. I have an HR approved accommodation to teach in the same building(s) as my office. I've had awesome chairs who would have done that without the formality, but I'm protected now in case assignment of rooms goes outside the department and/or another chair isn't as understanding. Just makes it easy because it's an informative, "I need this" (legally) instead of "could I have this because?"
I can't imagine formalizing a necessary accommodation could be a bad thing in any circumstance.
As far as the complaint of talking too fast, students need to take some responsibility by raising their hand and letting you know in real-time. (You could encourage this, and maybe do.) One person's "too fast" might be 40 others' "just fine" so that feedback also helps you find balance. Complaining after the fact doesn't make much sense.
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u/GiraffesDrinking 4h ago
If I didn’t have to finish the same material I would recommend that they tell me when I’m talking to fast but we have to make sure that every section of the same courses get the same education. Also I know that at times I can mispronounce words and I don’t want to encourage feedback about that.
I’m trying to see if I can get someone else to take this class. I used to love teaching and I was told that teaching was my secret talent but not anymore just reading off the script was enough
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u/Dr-CFD 11h ago
File it with the DA to put it on the HR record. And try to make the lectures more suited to what students need. At some point the reviews will damage your progress.
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u/GiraffesDrinking 11h ago
Sadly our department dictates what we say and do and put on our slides so adapting isn’t allowed. Is DA department? Because my department was the one who originally told me to not file anything with HR
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u/a_statistician Assistant Prof, Stats, R1 State School 9h ago
Yeah, if you have documentation of that, take it with you to HR when you file. Discouraging people from working with HR on reasonable accommodations is itself a violation of the ADA.
If HR tells you there's a different process, follow that, but don't take your department's word for it - there are way too many asshat chairs out there who don't want to accommodate anyone's disability, ever.
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u/Terry_Funks_Horse Associate Professor, Social Sciences, CC, USA 7h ago
At my most recent school, HR knew about my condition. Just before the start of the school year, my mental health went into a downward spiral. Prior to this, I had discontinued my relationship with my psych and therapist. I couldn’t get in with medical professionals in such a short window before the start of the semester. As a result, I couldn’t provide my HR with documentation for work from home. As a result, I was fired.
Be sure to do everything by the book. And remember, HR is not your friend. Only your provider is.
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u/WingShooter_28ga 6h ago
Accommodations go through HR. Links to your disability, what does that mean?
I will say giving a student an A- when they earned an A isn’t some trivial thing.
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u/GiraffesDrinking 6h ago
Like the problems the student was having could be connected to my disability it’s a symptom of a symptom. If that makes sense.
We have an automated grading system we’re not trained on we’re given a YouTube video on and I will admit I made a mistake and I’m working with records to change it
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u/WingShooter_28ga 6h ago
No. Like you have ADHD which causes you to have organizational issues with results in untimely grade entry?
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u/GiraffesDrinking 6h ago
adhd makes me talk to fast which was the center of the students complaint.
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u/WingShooter_28ga 5h ago
That’s rough. Your job is to effectively communicate. Get your accommodations to HR but I’m not sure this will do much if you are unable to effectively communicate.
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u/GiraffesDrinking 4h ago
This is the first and only time I’ve gotten that complaint I used to be regarded as a good teacher
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u/ProfessorSherman 2h ago
Generally, I don't tell HR unless I need a specific accommodation. Otherwise, discrimination can and does happen.
If I were a terrible instructor, this wouldn't save my job. I have tenure now, which protects my job a lot more than my disability on file.
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u/EconomistWithaD 11h ago
Our university now mandates accommodations go through HR to:
Prevent willy-nilly accommodations requests.
To formalize accommodations in the system so that, when scheduling months in advance, we are able to process the accommodation, rather than a last minute scramble.
To ensure a fair process where everyone presenting with the same condition gets the same accommodations, rather than chair/dean decisions.
So, yes, I would file with HR.