Office of Student Life
Disability Services

Intermittent Flex Plan

Requesting a Flex Plan

  1.  Review the course syllabus for relevant policies and determine if you will need any flexibility. Remember that flex plans are not retroactive, so it is important to make a request at the beginning of the semester.

  2. After sending your Course Accessibility Letters, watch your flex plan dashboard in AIM for status updates. An incomplete flex plan will read as “Not Initiated,” while a completed flex plan will read as “Completed.”

  3. Review the flex plan. If you agree with the terms, no additional steps are necessary. Follow the terms of the flex plan, including the instructions for communicating need.

  4. If you have concerns about the terms of the flex plan and would like to request an individualized modification, please contact your Access Specialist within one week of receiving the flex plan. If we do not hear from you within that week, we will assume you agree with the plan.

  5. For general questions about the flex plan, please contact slds-flex@osu.edu.

Parameters for your Flex Plan

  • Troubleshooting/Conflict: Under no circumstances are you solely responsible for the resolution of conflicts arising from disability-related absences. Please contact SLDS if a conflict or disagreement occurs with your instructor. 

  • Communication: Clear and prompt communication is key, and your flex plan should include any specific expectations about how to communicate with your instructor in the event of a flare-up. We recommend giving proactive notice when possible. If proactive notice is not possible, you must contact your instructor within 24 hours to utilize the flexibility available to you. You do not need to share medical details; use terms like "acute episode of my disability" or "disability flare-up" and reference SLDS and the flex plan.

  • Makeup Exams: Your instructor should offer you a makeup exam of equivalent difficulty in the event that you have an acute episode, even if the course policy is to drop the lowest exam or offer a comprehensive makeup exam at the end of the semester. While you may choose to opt-in to these alternative options, an equivalent makeup exam must be an option. Contact your Access Specialist if you run into issues receiving an equivalent makeup exam. 

  • Falling Behind: If at any point your symptoms worsen to the point that you are falling behind and are unable to meet the terms of your flex plan, contact your instructor and Access Specialist. We can work together to determine the best path forward. 

  • Asynchronous Weekly Participation Assignments: While flex plans do cover deadline extensions for most types of homework, they do not typically apply to asynchronous weekly participation assignments. By that we mean short discussion board posts, 5 minute Carmen quizzes, or other coursework common to online classes which are open for the whole week. You are expected to complete these assignments within their standard timeframes. However, if there are extenuating circumstances (e.g. hospitalization), please contact your Access Specialist and instructor so that we can discuss the situation on a case-by-case basis. 

FLEX PLANS ARE NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE:

  • Unlimited flexibility. Almost all classes have a limit to the amount of flexibility possible, based on the course design.
  • Automatic flexibility. Your flex plan should only be applied in the event of a disability-related acute episode or essential medical treatment. You must proactively request a flex plan through AIM and notify your instructor promptly each time you need to use your plan.
  • Flexibility for perfectionism, avoidance coping, executive functioning, or chronic limits on daily productivity (i.e. spoons theory). If these issues are impacting your academics, please contact your Access Specialist to discuss alternative accommodations and available resources.

The Default Plan

If a flex plan is not provided by your instructor within the allotted time frame (~3 weeks from the time your letter was sent), you will be provided with the default plan from our office. The parameters of this plan should work for most traditional lecture courses. However, it does not account for group work, labs, or studio coursework elements. If you receive a flex plan for a course that includes any of these elements and they are not addressed in your flex plan, we recommend that you follow up with your instructor as soon as possible for clarification.

Other Types of Attendance/Deadline Modifications (ADM)

One-Off Flexibility as Needed 

If your symptoms have been consistently stable, then you can contact your Access Specialist to change your accommodation to "one-off flexibility as needed." This means that no proactive plan with your instructors is needed. In the unlikely event that you do experience an acute episode, please contact your instructor and Access Specialist. We will work with you and the instructor on a case-by-case basis.  

Remain-in-Class Plan 

If a medical condition or treatment is causing you to miss an extended amount of class, contact your Access Specialist as soon as possible. You may be eligible for a temporary Remain-In-Class plan, which can help you explore options with your instructors, such as deadline extensions or asynchronous participation. You may also want to discuss course withdrawal or other alternatives with your Academic Advisor. Remain-In-Class plans are intended for temporary situations and are not typically used for multiple semesters in a row.