Willingness of College Faculty to Make Accommodations for Students with Learning Disabilities

A survey questionnaire was sent to forty-nine full time faculty members in the fall of 1996. Thirty-nine {80%) faculty members at a small four year, predominantly liberal arts college in central Virginia, responded to the questionnaire. The questionnaire was concerned with providing instructional accommodations, assignment accommodations, examination accommodations, and academic policy accommodations for students who have learning disabilities. Data were analyzed using t-tests and a one way analysis of variance. The variables included were gender, professional position, interaction with students who have learning disabilities, total years teaching at the college level, and whether or not the faculty member has taken any special education courses. The results were analyzed by calculating the frequency and the percentage for each of the items in the questionnaire. Hypothesis testing the relationship between the School and instructional accommodations showed a significant difference {F=3.331, df 2, 30, Fcv=3.32, p\u3c .05). The School of Education and Human Services was found to be the most willing to make accommodations. The results indicated that faculty members are willing to provide accommodations in instructional methods and in examinations, but not in assignments or in academic policy. Faculty members appear to be willing to help the student with a learning disability by providing accommodations as long as students who do not have a disability are not jeopardized in the process