Policy and Procedures Regarding Foreign Language Substitutions

While the faculty of UCI views the learning of a foreign language to be an important component of your education, it recognizes that otherwise qualified students with disabilities may find the conditions of the UCI's Foreign Language Requirement to be a barrier to degree completion.

Substitutions related to Foreign Language Requirements will be considered for students who have documented disabilities which affect their ability to learn a second or foreign language. Typically, courses representing cultural diversity will be substituted for foreign language courses. If the request is granted, the student will work with Major Degree School Academic Advisor on approved substitution courses. According to the Americans With Disabilities Act, if the student is requesting a fundamental alteration of the program, the major degree school would not be obligated to grant the request.

A complete waiver of the Foreign Language Requirement is not granted by UCI/DSC.

The procedure for obtaining a foreign language requirement accommodation includes the following:

1. The student must be registered with Disability Services Center and have on file current documentation of how his/her disability condition affects the ability to learn a foreign or second language.

2. The student will complete a Petition to the Major School outlining his/her request for a foreign language accommodation (substitution). The Petition should explain the difficulties the student has had with learning a foreign language in relation to a disability condition. A discussion of attempts to take foreign language and resulting grades should be included. The student should have attempted at least one foreign language course with appropriate disability accommodations before submitting a petition.

3. The student may include a letter from a recent (high school or community college) foreign language instructor.

4. The Petition and letters must be sent to the Disability Services Center. DSC will review the application, add any necessary supporting information and forward it to the student's Associate Dean for consideration. The Associate Dean will respond to the student in a timely manner upon reaching a decision.

5. The Associate Dean may ask for the professional documentation of the student's disability condition in order to make a decision.

6. The student may begin to take substitute courses in the quarter following the decision of a foreign language requirement accommodation.