student handbook - Cumberland School of Law - Samford University

13
Academic Policies
Accommodations (See Academic Standard 206 (e).)
Reasonable accommodations are available to students with disabilities. Students seeking such accommodations are
required to self-identify. To receive accommodations, a student must present appropriate documentation to the director
of counseling services, located in the Student Health Center. The director will then make recommendations to the law
school. The coordinator for ADA compliance shall arrange such reasonable accommodations as recommended by the
director of counseling services.
Accommodations are available for classroom situations and exams. In order to provide exam accommodation, the
Cumberland School of Law must receive a letter from Disability Support Services no later than 30 days prior to the end
of classes. Because the process of evaluating and documenting a student's need for accommodations can be time
consuming, students are encouraged to contact Disability Support Services early in the semester in order to ensure the
completion of all necessary paperwork by the deadline. Accommodations received after the deadline will be processed
for the following semester.
Taking Exams by Computer
Students may use computers on exams unless the professor of the course has disallowed the use of computers. Some
faculty may elect not to allow the use of computers on some exams. Other faculty may allow the use of computers on an
open hard drive basis (i.e., allowing students full access to their hard drive during the exam). Faculty may allow open
hard drives on take-home or floating exams only. Any such open hard drive exams will not be governed by the
procedures set forth below.
Some courses may use closed hard drive computer procedures administered by the law school. Toward the end of
the semester, faculty should announce in each class whether students may use computers on the exam for that class and
provide to the associate dean the name of the course(s) in which they will not permit students to use the closed hard
drive computer procedures administered by the law school. It is the responsibility of students to confirm that their
professors have authorized the use of computers on exams.
Students will be given instructions about downloading examination software. Students should download the
examination software and practice with the program well prior to the start of an exam period.
Departure and Re-entry (See Academic Standard 202 (b).)
Withdrawal: Students may withdraw from or discontinue studies at the law school by notifying the associate dean
for academic affairs in writing that they are withdrawing. If a student officially withdraws from the law school, the
student's permanent record will show a W [Withdrew] in each course in which the student was registered that semester.
W carries no academic penalty. A student who withdraws from school without notifying the associate dean for academic
affairs in writing will receive an F in each course in which the student was registered that semester.
Readmission after Withdrawal: Students who withdraw or discontinue studies at the law school shall have no
right to return to the law school. If the associate dean for academic affairs and the dean of the law school determine in
their sole discretion that the circumstances occasioning a student's withdrawal were such that readmission is appropriate,
and the time since the student last attended classes at the law school is no longer than is reasonable under the
circumstances, the associate dean shall readmit the student. Any student readmitted will be bound by all regulations and
requirements in effect at the time of readmission.
Leave of Absence: Students may take a leave of absence for no more than two semesters by notifying the
associate dean for academic affairs in writing that they are taking a leave of absence. This notice must be given before
the date of registration for the first semester a student takes a leave of absence and, unless arrangements are otherwise
made with the associate dean, before the registration of the second semester (excluding summer semesters). If an event
necessitates a student taking a leave of absence during a semester, the student shall notify the associate dean in writing
that the student is taking a leave of absence beginning during the semester. That semester shall be deemed the first of
the two allowable semesters. The student's permanent record will show a W [Withdrew] in each course in which the
student was registered that semester.
Absent permission from the associate dean, students must graduate within four years of beginning their law
studies.