Students With Learning Disabilities in Higher Education: Faculty Attitude and Practices

Prior research indicated that academic success for students with learning disabilities (LD) is enhanced when faculty members are willing to make accommodations. This investigation explored faculty attitude and practices toward providing teaching and examination accommodations for students with LD in higher education. All full-time and part-time faculty teaching in a large midwestern, public, doctoral-granting university were asked to respond to a survey regarding their background knowledge about learning disabilities and the relevant legislation, their firsthand experience teaching such students, their willingness to provide accommodations, and their judgment of the fairness of providing accommodations vis-a-vis students without disabilities. Faculty (N = 420) indicated slightly greater willingness to provide teaching accommodations as compared to examination accommodations (EA). The highest level of willingness was reported for allowing students to tape-record lectures. Faculty members were least willing to provide supplementary materials such as an outline of their lecture or to provide assignments in an alternative format. Faculty members were most willing to allow extended time for exams and to allow exams to be proctored in the office of support services for students with disabilities. Faculty were least willing to alter the format of examinations. Factors that may have influenced faculty attitude include age, academic discipline, experience teaching students with LD, years of teaching experience, and professional rank.