Academic Support and Disability Services

The Juilliard School is committed to creating an accessible campus where all students are afforded the opportunity for academic success. The Office of Academic Support and Disability Services (OASDS) is the focal point for meeting the needs of students with disabilities. OASDS provides supportive educational services (such as tutoring) to all students and reasonable accommodations to students with disabilities. The office assists students with the educational, professional, social, and emotional foundation necessary for them to embark on successful careers and productive lives as artists, leaders, and citizens. 

Dan Stokes MSEd, CRC, Director of the Office of Academic Support and Disability Services

What is a Disability?

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines a disability as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities; this includes having a record of such impairment, even if the disability is not current or active.

Who can request Disability Accommodations?

Any new, current, or potential student (including Preparatory Division, Evening Divisions, International students, and Auditioning students) may request an accommodation. The request is more likely to be approved when … 

• The student has a documented physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.  

• The student has a record of an impairment, even if they do not currently have a disability. 

• The student is returning from a leave of absence.

• The student has health and/or physical abilities that are altered during their educational tenure, resulting in a permanent or temporary disability.

If a student does not have documentation of a disability or has never been diagnosed with a disability, OASDS will still meet to discuss the circumstances and offer a referral for an assessment.

New and Incoming Juilliard Students: Students are urged to contact OASDS before the beginning of the semester so that accommodations can be in place when the semester starts. However, students are welcome to register at any time.

Current Juilliard Students: Students are encouraged to register with OASDS at any point in their educational tenure.

Prospective Students: Students are welcome to meet with the director of OASDS at any point during their college selection process to receive information and discuss the accommodation process.

Visiting Campus:

If accommodations are needed during a visit to the Juilliard campus, for a meeting, or for an audition, please make an accommodation request via OASDS at least two weeks in advance. This can be accomplished by emailing [email protected].

What is the process for requesting disability accommodations?

The accommodation request process is a voluntary, confidential process that begins once a new, current, or potential student completes the following steps.

1. Submit a completed Disability Accommodation Request Form.

2. Submit all supporting documentation.

3. Schedule and complete an intake meeting with an OASDS representative.

4. Become informed of student rights and responsibilities by reviewing Juilliard’s Confidentiality Policy and the Grievance Procedure.

OASDS will inform the student of the outcome of the accommodation request once we review the request and supporting documentation and complete an intake meeting.

By signing and submitting the Disability Accommodation Request Form, supporting documentation, and related materials, the student affirms that the information provided is complete and accurate and that they have read and understood the information provided by OASDS as well as the Juilliard policies and procedures.

Is this process private and confidential?

Yes. All records are stored in the OASDS office separately from the student’s academic and medical records. Information may be disclosed to appropriate parties if: 

1. The student has a health or safety emergency. 

2. The information is necessary to protect the health or safety of other individuals. 

3. We have written permission from the student. 

4. We receive a court order or legal subpoena. 

5. Confidential information does not go on a student's "permanent" record.

What type of supporting documentation can be submitted?

Juilliard accepts supporting documentation in the forms of:

• Assessments

• IEPs

• 504 Plans

• Past letters of accommodations

• Letters from qualified medical or mental health professionals

If supporting documentation is submitted in the form of a letter, it must be on professional letterhead and should contain diagnoses, functional limitations, and any suggestions for recommendations. *Please note that IEPs or 504 Plans do not automatically qualify a student for accommodations and, in some cases, may not provide the information necessary to indicate a need for accommodation.

When can accommodation requests be made?

Students can request accommodations at any time; however, accommodations are not retroactive and begin once the faculty member has been notified by receiving an official OASDS accommodation letter from the student. Students are urged to make requests as soon as a need is noticed or knowledge of a need has been recorded, observed, or assessed. Accommodation requests must be made with enough time for them to be reasonably implemented. If the student does not have supporting documentation or has never been diagnosed, the student is invited to schedule a meeting with OASDS to discuss their circumstances and explore possible referrals for assessment. 

What happens after an intake meeting is completed?

OASDS notifies the student of the decision in person or via email.

What happens if accommodation is approved?

If a student is approved for disability accommodations: 

1. The student will receive an accommodation letter for each class in which accommodations are needed. (The diagnosis is not listed on this letter.) 

2. The student will provide the professor with their accommodation letter. 

3. The accommodation begins once the professor has received an accommodation letter for the class from the student. 

What happens if I disagree with the outcome of my accommodation request?

Students are allowed to initiate a grievance by observing the Grievance Procedure.

What are tutorials?

Tutorials are private one-on-one sessions with an OASDS assigned tutor. They are available as a means of assisting eligible students who are having difficulty meeting curricular requirements. Tutorials are processed by the Office of Academic Support and Disability Support Services (OASDS) in conjunction with the Office of Academic Affairs. Tutors are usually graduate students or advanced upperclassmen who have worked with the instructor or the department. On rare occasions, a faculty member may be approved to tutor a student. 

How do I request a tutorial?

1. The student must first discuss the need for tutoring with the instructor (before contacting OASDS). 

2. The instructor should request tutoring for the student by submitting a completed Tutorial Contract to OASDS (note: this document must be signed by the student, tutor, and instructor).  

3. OASDS will review the request with the dean of academic affairs and assessment. 

4. OASDS will notify the student and instructor of the decision.  

5. If approved, the tutor will contact the tutored student and arrange a time and a place for the tutorials. 

OASDS will be the central point of communication surrounding this initial inquiry.

What is a Tutorial Contract?

After the initial inquiry, the Instructor obtains a Tutorial Contract [PDF] from OASDS. The Instructor, together with the Student and Tutor, then completes Sections 1–3 with all signatures and submits the contract to OASDS for processing. Tutorials are set up on a semester-by-semester basis.

What is my responsibility as a tutored student?

• Students are expected to set up a schedule of tutorials with the tutor. 

• Attend all sessions, arrive promptly, and come prepared. 

• Treat tutorial sessions like private studio lessons.  

• If for any reason the student is unable to attend the tutorial, they must contact the tutor at least 24 hours in advance. 

• Failure to notify the tutor in advance will result in the student being billed for missed sessions. Disregarding these responsibilities may be reported to the Scholastic Standing Committee and may result in termination of the tutorial. 

What is the responsibility of the tutor?

Tutors are expected to: 

• Collect all contract signatures from all parties (student, tutor, instructor).

• Set up a schedule and place for tutorials (physical or Zoom).

• Prepare assignments in conjunction with the instructor.

• Complete aTutorial Report for each session and concurrently input worked hours into Cadence. 

Failure to input worked hours into Cadence and concurrently submit a Tutorial Report will result in delayed payment or nonpayment. These reports are a critical tool in monitoring a student’s progress and will be shared with the Registrar’s Office.  

Fees

Base pay for student tutors is $25.00 per hour.
Base pay for faculty tutors is $75.00 per hour.

Payment of Fee

Students do not pay tutors directly. Once the tutorial has been approved, the bursar will bill the student’s tuition account for the designated fee unless a different arrangement has been authorized.

Payment of Tutors

To be paid for tutoring services

Student Tutors  

• Must be approved for work-study employment by completing all necessary documentation with the Financial Aid office.  

• Once approved for work-study employment, students are required to submit all worked hours biweekly via the Cadence employment module. 

• Students are paid for work-study biweekly. 
   

Faculty Tutors 

• Are required to submit all worked hours via a monthly Tutorial Report for each Student tutored. (Preferably before the 16th of the month.) 

• Faculty are paid monthly. 

If you have any questions regarding the tutorial process or would like to apply to be an OASDS Tutor, please contact [email protected].

DISABILITY ACCOMMODATION FORMS

• Disability Accommodation Request Form [PDF]
• How to Request a Disability Accommodation Guide
  [PDF]

TUTORIAL FORMS

• Tutorial Guide
• Tutorial Contract
• Biweekly Tutorial Report

POLICIES

• Attendance Accommodation Policy [PDF]
• Authorization for Release of Information [PDF]
• Confidentiality Policy [PDF]
• Disability Housing Accommodations Policy [PDF]
• Emotional Support Animal Policy [PDF]
• Extended Time on Coursework Policy [PDF]
• Grievance Procedure [PDF]
• Recorded Lecture Policy [PDF]
• Student Attendance Accommodation Policy [PDF]

The Juilliard School complies with all federal ADA regulations. For more information about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), please visit www.ada.gov.

OASDS strives to be a resource for all Juilliard faculty members to help ensure an accessible, equitable learning environment for our students. If you have any questions regarding the disability certification process, how to notify students of our services, how to best provide an accommodation for a student with a disability, or how to design more accessible courses by incorporating universal design principles, please visit our Information for Faculty page or contact OASDS directly.

• OASDS understands that not all accommodations will be applicable to all course contents. If you have specific questions about how to accommodate a student in the context of your course, please contact OASDS staff so we can work together to find the most applicable accommodation(s). 

• OASDS staff are not able to disclose the type of disability that the student has registered for without written permission from the student due to privacy laws. However, we can discuss the students’ accommodation and work together to help you figure out how to implement their accommodation in your classroom. 

• Students are required to self-identify for accommodation to OASDS and must register with OASDS to set up formal accommodation.  

• Faculty are NOT required to provide any accommodation to a student until they have received a Reasonable Accommodation Plan Agreement from OASDS, which formally notifies them of the accommodations for which the student is eligible. 

• Faculty are urged to contact OASDS if a student discloses a disability. Additionally, please refer the student to register with OASDS and request a formal disability accommodation.   

• Faculty should NOT ask a student what type of disability they have but should have a conversation about how the accommodations on the student's Reasonable Accommodation Plan Agreement can be applied within the course content. 

• Faculty should NOT ask a student about their disability or any accommodation in front of other students. This can, in essence, “out” the student with a disability to their peers and is not appropriate. 

How can I let students know about Juilliard’s disability services and policies? 

The easiest way to make students aware of Juilliard’s policies for students with disabilities is to include a statement on your syllabus, to be distributed to the entire class at the start of the term. Our suggested syllabus statement is as follows: 

Juilliard will provide reasonable accommodation for students with documented disabilities. Please contact the Office of Academic Support and Disability Services (OASDS) at (212) 799-5000, ext. 320, or email o[email protected] for more information. Services are available only to students who are certified through the OASDS. Students may be asked to submit appropriate supporting documentation. 

The Juilliard School strives for an environment that is accessible for all Juilliard community members and visitors. For accessibility questions, requests, or general support, please contact the OASDS at [email protected] or (212) 799-5000, ext. 320. For general questions about Lincoln Center campus accessibility, please refer to Lincoln Center’s accessibility guide [pdf].

Pick-Up/Drop-Off: North side of West 65th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue.

Accessible Entry: Street level entrance at 155 West 65th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue. Elevators are located on every floor.

Restrooms: Accessible men’s and women’s restrooms are located on all floors.

Water Fountains: Accessible on all floors.

Telephones: Available on the upper level of the Peter Jay Sharp Theater lobby near the women’s restroom and on the plaza level near Paul Hall, opposite staircase D.

Box Office: Tickets can be purchased online at any time from our Calendar of Events. You may purchase tickets in person at the Juilliard Box Office (155 W. 65th Street; Mon-Fri, 11am-6pm.) and Alice Tully Hall Box Office (1941 Broadway, at 65th Street; Mon-Sat, 10am-6pm; Sun. noon-6pm) at any point during the season.

Accessible Seating: All venues have accessible seating locations. Specify your requests when purchasing to ensure accommodations.

Braille and Large-Print Programs: Available at all on-campus performances. Please ask an usher for assistance.

Assistive Listening Devices: Assistive listening devices (headsets and neck loops) available in the Stephanie P. McClelland Drama Theater and the Peter Jay Sharp Theater. Ask the house manager in the theater lobby. A valid photo ID is needed to ensure return.

Campus Housing (Meredith Willson Residence Hall): For housing-related accessibility questions and/or accommodation requests, please contact the Office of Academic Support and Disability Services.

Juilliard is committed to providing a website that is accessible to the widest possible audience, regardless of technology or ability. We are working to increase the accessibility and usability of our website and continue to implement new technology that provides all users with a rich experience and equal access to content.

The Juilliard website supports current and prior major releases of Chrome, Firefox, and Safari on computers. On mobile devices, you can access the website using Safari, Chrome, or native ICS Android browser.

Websites often have text that is difficult to read, controls that are difficult to click, and/or audio and videos that are difficult to hear. Fortunately, your computer can be customized to improve your web browsing experience. Please check out W3C Better Web Browsing Tips and BBC My Web My Way for more accessibility topics.

508 compliance means that all users, regardless of disability status, can access technology. It’s a way to break down barriers and provide new opportunities for all Internet users.

Compliance standards are set by Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 that requires federal agencies to provide software and website accessibility to people with disabilities. When websites are 508 Compliant, they are accessible to all users. This can mean that they are compatible with assistive technology, such as screen readers.

Juilliard is in the midst of a comprehensive accessibility review. One of the goals of this project is to make the new site natively compliant with WCAG 2.0 and ADA Section 508.

Please let us know by reporting it in our Report an Accessibility Barrier link.