Students, candidates and post-doctoral students with special needs
The policy of the Feinberg Graduate School (FGS (is to assist students with special needs (including students with learning disabilities) as much as possible, and to simplify formal procedures and allocate special resources for this purpose.
Adjustments Committee
The FGS regularly adopts adjustments and facilitations recommended by any qualified diagnostician, including those approved by another institution of higher education where the student or applicant studied for a previous degree. There is no need, therefore, for a permanent adjustments committee. In exceptional cases, the adjustment committee will include:
- The accessibility coordinator at the Weizmann Institute of Science,
- The FGS Director of Operations,
- The head of the research group to which the student/candidate/post-doc is associated.
Procedure for determining adjustments
- A student or candidate who has been diagnosed by a qualified professional (private or institutional) as having learning disabilities and/or attention deficit disorders is invited to write to the FGS course coordinator.
- The student or candidate must submit documents from the aforementioned qualified diagnostician indicating the disability, including recommendations for adjustments and/or facilitation. The FGS must also be provided with the authorization (if one exists) from the previous institution of higher education, which details the accommodations the student was entitled to there.
- The applicant will receive an official confirmation from the FGS that details the requested facilitations (e.g., extended test time) as close as possible to the date of application’s submission and no later than 30 days from that date.
- Students, candidates and postdoctoral fellows who require technical or other means are invited to contact the FGS Executive Director in writing (e-mail). The Director of Operations has the authority to adopt the existing solution or to find another suitable solution.
Appeal
A student with learning disabilities who disagrees with the FGS’s conduct regarding his/her case may contact the FGS academic secretary or the Weizmann Institute’s accessibility coordinator. If necessary, the Dean of the FGS will appoint an assessment committee (on which members of the adjustments committee will not serve). The assessment committee shall convene as soon as possible following the appeal submission date and no later than 30 days after said date.
Additional support
On individual questions, students with learning disabilities may contact the FGS faculty coordinator or the course and exams coordinator. In addition, a Weizmann Institute social worker is available for additional assistance and support.