Faculty Handbook 2026–2027

3.3.9 Accommodations for Disability, Pregnancy, and Religion

As expressed in the policy Teaching Courses for Academic Credit, the University is committed and legally obligated to reasonably accommodate students so they do not experience an adverse academic consequence when disability, pregnancy, or religion conflict with academic requirements. Accommodations should be granted so long as doing so does not constitute an undue hardship or fundamentally alter the course. Accommodations do not relieve students of the responsibility to complete any missed coursework.

SDAC, the Office for Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights (EOCR), and the Office of the Provost have developed a training resource for faculty/instructors on the student disability accommodation process. The training offers in-depth information on the roles, rights, and responsibilities that faculty, SDAC, and students have as part of this process, and addresses common accommodations, sample syllabi statements, and reporting procedures. They strongly encourage any person who teaches students at the University to take this short training, and expect that all faculty and instructors who have students with approved SDAC accommodations in their courses will review this vital resource.

  • Pregnancy: Accommodations for pregnancy or related circumstances include accommodations related to childbirth, false pregnancy, termination of pregnancy, or recovery therefrom, as well as lactation needs. For guidance about requesting and granting pregnancy accommodations, visit the Student Pregnancy Accommodations section of the Office for Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights website, or contact EOCR at UVAEOCR@virginia.edu or 434-924-3200.
  • Religion: For guidance about requesting and granting accommodations for sincerely held religious beliefs or observances, visit the Student Religious Accommodations section of the EOCR website, or contact EOCR.
  • Applicants for Admission and Employment: The University is also committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants for admission and employment unless doing so would place an undue hardship on the University. Please contact EOCR for questions or to seek assistance with responding to or submitting a request.
  • Options for Resolution: Failure to provide an accommodation for disability, pregnancy, or religion may constitute a potential violation of the University’s Addressing Discrimination and Retaliation policy, and state and federal law. Faculty should consult with SDAC or EOCR if they do not believe they can grant an accommodation request. A student or applicant who believes their request has been unreasonably denied may file a complaint under the Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation Complaint Procedures and request informal or formal resolution with EOCR

The SDAC and EOCR webpages linked above include relevant FAQs as well as suggested syllabi statements.