Counseling and Disability Services

Career Counseling

Students can receive help in assessing their career interests, abilities, values, skills, personality type, and other factors important in making career choices. Popular career assessments include the Myers-Briggs Personality Inventory and the Strong Interest Inventory.  Students can research a wide variety of occupations and fields of interest using resources such as web databases, occupational information software, and books that can be checked-out. Through career counseling, students are able to make decisions about their career and educational goals and develop action plans for achieving those goals.

Resume/Interviewing Assistance

Students preparing to look for work can get help with resume writing, interviewing skills, and job search strategies. Resume software is available that offers a variety of examples and templates. Practice interviews are available for students who want to refine their interview skills. Students can also learn networking skills to strategically uncover the hidden job market.

Transfer Assistance

Counselors help students understand the transfer process and the steps required to transition successfully. Students receive guidance in understanding articulation agreements and course equivalencies, deciding which transfer courses selection at MCC, and deciding which transfer college is best for them.  Students can research any college in the nation and gain assistance in applying to colleges.

Personal Counseling

Supportive counseling is available for students experiencing personal problems that impact their ability to succeed in college. Referrals to outside agencies can be made for more significant mental health concerns. Personal and academic coaching is available for students who need help in areas such as time management, motivation, study skills, self- management, stress reduction, and test anxiety.

Americans with Disabilities Act

It is the policy of Mayland Community College to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and all federal and state laws concerning the application, admission, or other terms and conditions of educational programs for qualified students, student applicants and other participants of College-sponsored programs or services who have disabilities.

Confidentiality

In accordance with the law and with sound ethical counseling practice, specific information regarding a student’s disability will not be shared with a third party, including faculty, without the student’s express permission to do so. It is the student’s right not to disclose specific information regarding their disability to their faculty.

Requesting Accommodations

Accommodations for Students

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, students must disclose disabilities to the counselor in order for MCC to provide reasonable accommodations.

• The student must complete a Disability Accommodation Request Form with the Office of Counseling and Disability Services.

• The student must disclose the type of disability, the student’s limitations, and the current impact of the disability/medical condition to the counselor by completing a Disability Accommodation Request Form with the Office of Counseling and Disability Services. Accommodations should be requested at least two weeks in advance to give the disability counselor time to make arrangements. More complex accommodations, such as interpreters, must be made at least six (6) weeks in advance. Accommodations requested after that will be provided as soon as possible.

• The student provides proof of the disability from a physician, psychologist or other appropriate professional stating the nature of the disability and recommendations for needed accommodations. The documentation must reflect the current impact of the disability. The only exception to this requirement is what is called the “reasonable man rule.” That is, if any reasonable person were to see a given student, they would concur that he was disabled. MCC’s staff is not able to diagnose disabilities. The documentation accepted at MCC may not suffice for universities or professional and certification exams.

• The Director of Counseling and Disability Services will engage in an interactive process with the student to determine the accommodations.

• The Director of Counseling and Disability Services approves and documents the reasonable accommodations that the College will provide as determined from the appropriate documentation (including accommodations that may be administered by the SOAR Program). All of the information is collected by the Director and filed with a copy of the approved accommodations.

• The Director or counselor sends a Notification of Accommodations Form to the faculty (with the Director of the Counseling and Disability Service’s signed approval).

• The student must request the accommodations prior to or at the beginning of each semester during which the student wishes to receive accommodations.

Technical Standards

Each program of study at MCC has its own set of technical standards. All students regardless of disability must meet the technical standards of a program with or without reasonable accommodations. Technical standards are available in the Office of Counseling and Disability Services.

Student Absences from Class

Regular class attendance is a student obligation. A student is responsible for all the work, including tests, homework, and in-class assignments for all class meetings. A reasonable number of absences from class for valid reasons (including disability-related medical situations) are approved only by the faculty on a case by case basis. Whenever possible, students should inform faculty prior to being absences.

Student Code of Conduct

All students, regardless of disability, must adhere to the MCC Student Code of Conduct. The Student Code of Conduct may be found in the MCC Catalog and on the MCC webpage, http://www.mayland.edu/student-life/student-code-conduct.

Personal Aids and Services

MCC does not provide services of a personal nature. Personal attendants and individually prescribed devices are the responsibility of the student who has a disability and not of the college. For example, a reader may be provided as a testing accommodation, but the College does not provide readers for personal use or for help during individual study time.

Accessible Parking

Students displaying an accessible parking placard will find parking in designated areas. State parking placards can be obtained from the Department of Motor Vehicles in Raleigh, NC. Students having state placards are permitted to park in designated accessible parking spaces. Temporary accessible parking permits for the Visitor spaces are available for eligible students through the MCC Bookstore.

Service and Emotional Support Animals

See MCC Policy 5.4.5 Service Animals and Other Animals on Campus.

Student Appeal Procedure

See MCC Procedure 5.3.4.2 Unlawful Discrimination.

Disability Services

Students with documented disabilities may receive reasonable accommodations in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Examples of accommodations include testing accommodations, recorded textbooks, and assistive technology to access learning resources.  Students should first contact the Office of Counseling and Disability Services and provide documentation of the disability to help determine appropriate accommodations. Accommodations that are more extensive, such as an interpreter, require six (6) weeks notification.

Service Animals and Other Animals on Campus

Overview

In accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and other applicable federal and state law, the College may be required to accommodate an otherwise qualified individual with a disability by making a reasonable modification in its services, programs or activities. This Policy addresses the use of Service Animals and other animals on campus by qualified individuals with disabilities or individuals authorized to provide training.

Definitions

Emotional Support Animal – an animal selected or prescribed to an individual with a disability by a healthcare or mental health professional to play a significant part in a person's treatment process (e.g., in alleviating the symptoms of that individual's disability). An emotional support animal does not assist a person with a disability with activities of daily living and does not accompany a person with a disability at all times. An emotional support animal is not a "Service Animal”.

Service Animal – a dog or miniature horse that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual or other mental disability. The work or tasks performed by a Service Animal must be directly related to the handler's disability. Examples of work or tasks include, but are not limited to, assisting individuals who are blind or have low vision with navigation and other tasks, alerting individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing to the presence of people or sounds, providing nonviolent protection or rescue work, pulling a wheelchair, assisting an individual during a seizure, alerting individuals to the presence of allergens, retrieving items such as medicine or the telephone, providing physical support and assistance with balance and stability to individuals with mobility disabilities, and helping persons with psychiatric and neurological disabilities by preventing or interrupting impulsive or destructive behaviors. Service Animals may or may not have been licensed by a state or local government or a private agency.

Animals on Campus

Pets are not permitted on campus and may not be left in vehicles on College property. There are occasions when a student or employee may need to bring an animal onto campus for the purpose of meeting an educational objective. Such requests should be made to the appropriate academic Dean prior to the animal being allowed onto campus. Subject to the rules set forth in section IV and V below, Service and Emotional Support Animals are permitted in any area of campus where employees or students are permitted, with a few exceptions for health and safety reasons.

Responsibilities of the Service/Emotional Support Animal Owner/Handler

Registration
Students and employees are not required to register Service Animals. However, they are strongly encouraged to notify the Office of Counseling and Disability Services (students) or Human Resources (employees) prior to bringing the service animal onto campus so that appropriate College officials are aware of the animal’s presence and to assist with the Service Animal’s access to areas within the College campus. Logistical or physical accommodations within campus buildings or classrooms may be necessary to ensure that the Service Animal has the space necessary to assist its handler. In addition, there are other disability related academic accommodations a student handler may be eligible to request to ensure full access to the learning experience. Visitors with Service Animals are not required to register the animals on campus.

Emotional Support Animals

The Service/Emotional Support Animal must be under the control of the handler at all times and may not be left alone. A Service/Emotional Support Animal must be restrained by a leash or other appropriate device that does not exceed six (6) feet in length or other appropriate device dependent on the animal (i.e. carriers or cages). In a situation where a leash or other appropriate device interferes with a Service Animal’s ability to perform its task or service, the Service Animal must remain under the control of the handler at all times.

The owner and handler of the Service/Emotional Support Animal is responsible for any damage of personal property or any injuries to an individual caused by the Service/Emotional Support Animal.

The handler must ensure the animal is “housebroken” and trained and must clean up and remove all animal waste created by the animal, both inside and outside.

The Service/Emotional Support Animal may not disrupt the operation of the College or any class. Disruptions include, but are not limited to: barking, growling, pacing/constant motion, foul odor, pawing, and/or sniffing of others. It is the assumption of the College that all Service/Emotional Support Animals on campus are “working” animals and therefore, should not be treated as pets. There should be no petting by others and no handling by others.

Responsibilities of the College Community

Service Animals
If the need for a Service Animal is obvious, College officials may not question the presence of the animal on campus. If the need for a Service Animal is not obvious, College officials are permitted to ask the handler two questions:

1. Is the animal required because of a disability?

2. What work or task(s) has the animal been individually trained to perform?

At no time may a College official require a Service Animal to demonstrate the tasks for which they have been trained nor may they inquire as to the nature of the individual’s disability.

If another person on campus has a covered disability under the ADA and it includes an allergic reaction to animals and that person has contact with a Service Animal, a request for accommodation should be made by the individual to the Director of Human Resources (if an employee) or the Office of Counseling and Disability Services (if a student). All facts surrounding the concern will be considered in an effort to resolve the concern and provide reasonable accommodation for both individuals.

Emotional Support Animals
Students and employees may request, as a reasonable accommodation for a disability, the need to have an Emotional Support Animal on campus. The determination of whether a student or employee with a disability is allowed to have an Emotional Support Animal on campus shall be made on a case by case basis using the College’s disability accommodation approval process. The College is not required to grant reasonable accommodations that would result in a fundamental alteration of a program, create an unsafe environment, or would constitute an undue burden. Any request for a reasonable accommodation for an Emotional Support Animal shall be directed to the Office of Counseling and Disability Services (students) or Human Resources (employees).

In determining a request for accommodations for an Emotional Support Animal, the consideration is: 1. Does the person have a documented disability (i.e., a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities); 2. Does the Emotional Support Animal perform tasks or services for the benefit of the person or provide emotional support that alleviates one or more of the identified symptoms for effects of the person’s existing disability; and 3. Is the request an undue burden on the College, does the request create an unsafe environment, or does it fundamentally alter a College program.

Removal of Service/Emotional Support Animals

The College has the authority to remove a Service/Emotional Support Animal from its facilities or properties if the Service/Emotional Support Animal becomes unruly or disruptive, unclean and/or unhealthy, and to the extent that the animal’s behavior or condition poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others or otherwise causes a fundamental alteration in the College’s services, programs, or activities. All cases for removal shall be decided on a case by case basis based on that specific situation. In appropriate situations, the College will use a progressive model beginning with a warning for the first offense and removal (either temporarily or permanently) for additional offenses. However, dependent on the severity of the situation, the first offense could result in a temporary or permanent removal.

It is a Class 3 misdemeanor “to disguise an animal as a service animal or service animal in training”. N.C.G.S. § 168-4.5. In other words, it is a crime under North Carolina law to attempt to obtain access for an animal under the false pretense that it is a Service Animal.

Additionally, any employee or student who violates any portion of this procedure is subject to disciplinary action.