LAP Policies and Procedures

According to the California Code of Regulations for community colleges (Title V), the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (section 504), The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 and the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA), you have certain rights.

• As a qualified student with a disability, you have the right to receive necessary academic accommodations based upon your educational limitations in order to have access to activities, programs, and services.  The college faculty and staff shall not automatically reject an accommodation unless the identified accommodation has been determined to lower academic standards or fundamentally alter the course or program in question, pose a health or safety risk, or if a more effective or feasible accommodation exists.
• Your participation in Learning Assistance Program (LAP) shall be entirely voluntary.
• Receiving LAP support services and accommodations or LAP instruction shall not preclude you from participating in any other course, program or activity offered by the college.
• All records maintained by LAP personnel pertaining to your disability shall be protected from disclosure and shall be subject to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) requirements for the handling of student records.  However, your consent to release information is not required as long as the disclosure is to other school officials (including instructors) within the college whom Allan Hancock College has determined to have legitimate educational interests.  Portions of the information you present to LAP may be shared with the Chancellor’s Office of the California Community Colleges or other state and federal agencies; however, disclosure to these parties is made in strict accordance with applicable statues regarding confidentiality, including FERPA.  According to Section 7 of the Federal Privacy Act, providing your social security number is voluntary.
• You shall not be excluded from the participation in, be denied benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity in a public entity.  In essence, you shall not be discriminated against on the basis of a disability.

If you wish to file a complaint or grievance regarding discrimination on the basis of a disability, you should follow the discrimination complaint procedure outlined in the college catalog.  You may also contact the US Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (OCR).

As a student receiving LAP services and accommodations you have the following responsibilities:

• Request services/accommodations in a timely manner.
• Provide LAP with the documentation deemed necessary to verify your disability(ies).
• Meet with a LAP specialist to complete an Academic Accommodation Plan (AAP)
• Demonstrate measurable progress as determined by the college policy on academic and progress performance. The Good Standing, Probation and Dismissal policy is available in the college catalog.
• Notify LAP in advance of any absences from class or appointment if you are receiving ASL interpreting, transcribing, or any other LAP provided service in class.
• Return any equipment on loan from LAP at the end of each semester. If borrowed equipment is not returned, you will be held responsible for the replacement cost. 
• Utilize the LAP in a responsible manner and abide by LAP written policies and procedures; and
• Abide by the Standards for Student Conduct (AHC Board Policy 5500).  The policy is also available in the college catalog. 

Inappropriate use of services is defined as failure to comply with the Allan Hancock College Standards of Conduct (Board Policy 5500) and/or failure to comply with the policies and procedures of individual services that the student is using. Failure to comply with the terms stated within each specific service area may result in the suspension of that service.

Reference: California Code of Regulations, Title 5, Section 56010(b)