Case Study

I think the most telling part of this issue is the lack of qualification and preparation of the individuals conducting the Judicial Board hearings. While they do go through a period of training following the guidelines of the code of conduct, it is ultimately based upon the judgment of those individuals who may very well be uneducated about post traumatic stress disorder and various other sensory disorders.

Manges' "outburst" may have been disruptive to the learning environment and therefore a violation of the code of conduct, but she should have been given reasonable accommodations so that she could continue with her education and healing process. Instead she was forced to chose between two equally bad options and have even more attention drawn towards her disorder. These types of knee-jerk reactions by institutions reflect a lack of understanding and willingness to treat a particular situation individually.

There needs to be a recognition of the needs of individuals with disabilities, meaning that institutions such as EIU need to implement programs that train individuals on how to handle situations similar to Jill Manges' instead of providing blanket codes of conduct that treat every situation the same. A redistribution of needs is in order as well; students will disabilities need to receive the same opportunities to learn as any other student, they should not simply be given their money back and swept out of the university in a neat and tidy fashion. With today's advances in technology, why not implement a program with WebCT that can allow students with disabilities to get lecture notes and study guides, and meet with instructors during office hours for any specific questions or concerns? Or simply offer a full schedule of online classes? There may be better options, but the most important thing is to make the institution address the problem, not sweep it under the rug.

There is no excuse for any institution to have brash, knee-jerk reactions to solvable situations. This wasn't a terrorist attack, this wasn't something that came out of nowhere; it was a symptom of a known disorder that an institution was obviously under-prepared to handle. In my opinion, concerned individuals should approach the administration and do not settle for generalized explanations and excuses. Make them aware that the people of this campus will not stand for any sort of discriminatory practices, and legal action will be brought against the institution if proper action isn't taken.