Academic Services


Center for Academic Success
Center for Academic Success Services
The Center for Academic Success assists Toccoa Falls College (TFC) in fulfilling its commitment to educate and serve students. It is the policy and practice of TFC to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as well as state and local laws regarding students with disabilities. The Center for Academic Success provides reasonable accommodations to students with disabilities and a variety of academic and support services to all students to help optimize their learning experience, while encouraging them to develop and maintain independence. This includes providing counsel for students concerning academic issues including academic tutoring for students seeking help and academic support for students with documented disabilities.
The Center for Academic Success coordinates and provides a variety of academic and support services based on the individual needs of each student. The goal of the Center for Academic Success is to seek to create an accessible academic, social, and physical environment for students with disabilities at Toccoa Falls College. Accomplishing this goal requires balancing a number of factors, such as the degree and nature of the disability, the interests of the student, the resources of the College, and the right of the College to maintain academic standards and essential course or program requirements.
An accommodation is not required if it would fundamentally alter the nature of the course, program, service, or facility, or if it would result in an undue burden for the institution. To determine reasonable accommodations, the College will seek information from appropriate personnel regarding essential standards for courses, programs, services, activities, and facilities.
Application for Accommodations
The student must register with the Center for Academic Success as part of the approval process for the accommodations and services for academic and College sponsored activities and events. The student must meet the federal definition of disability to be determined as an Otherwise Qualified Individual with a Disability.
Eligibility for accommodations at TFC is dependent upon the nature of the particular disability and its impact on the student’s learning. The particular accommodations are determined on a case-by-case basis by the ADA Coordinator based on current documentation provided by a qualified professional (neurologist, psychiatrist, licensed clinical or educational psychologist, family physician, or other medical professional who is qualified to give a diagnosis and is currently treating the student for the disability/disabilities for which the student is requesting accommodations.
- Documentation must be on official letterhead and be signed/dated within three years of the request for accommodations. Approval for a major depressive disorder will remain in effect for two years, at which point the student will be required to provide updated documentation.
- Documentation should include the specific diagnosis/diagnoses and list of recommendations for accommodations.
- Documentation should provide evidence that the provider has treated the student for the condition for which the accommodation is being requested.
- Documentation should state the impact or functional limitations imposed by the disability/disabilities on the student’s academics and explain how the disability/disabilities relate(s) to the request for the recommended accommodation. There must be a direct link established between the diagnosis and the requested accommodation(s).
- Documentation cannot be provided by the TFC Counseling Center for accommodations.
Generally, an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), 504 Plan, or General Educational Initiative from a secondary school does not provide sufficiently thorough information for the documentation of a disability and needed accommodations, but can be used as part of a more comprehensive accommodation plan. The ADA Coordinator will bear primary responsibility for reviewing and maintaining the documentation of each student’s disability and for interpreting the student’s needs based upon the documentation provided and consultation with the student as well as with the treating medical professional. The cost of obtaining appropriate documentation is the responsibility of the student.
Provisional accommodations may be approved by the ADA Coordinator depending on the circumstances. If approved, those accommodations will only be provided up until the residential semester midpoint of the semester the student first enrolls as a new freshman or transfer student.
Students with disabilities should fill out the Application for Accommodations and the Authorization for Release of Information found on this website, providing current documentation. The accommodations process is not immediate. Determination of the status of a student as an Otherwise Qualified Individual and reasonable accommodations, if needed, will be made as soon as possible. Students on campus will receive an email from the Director of Academic Success to schedule an intake meeting to discuss the accommodations needed. Online students will receive an email from the ADA Coordinator with the necessary approved reasonable accommodations. The Director will notify the student’s professors of the necessary accommodations needed soon after the semester begins. Upon receipt of the notification, professors will comply with the accommodation directives.
- Within the academic semester if there are any changes and/or updates needed, it is the responsibility of the student to contact the ADA Coordinator. The ADA Coordinator will utilize the student’s documentation, the available resources on campus, and the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 as guidelines for eligibility for accommodations and services.
A student who feels as though they have been denied a reasonable accommodation or is dissatisfied with the determination that they are not eligible as an Otherwise Qualified Individual may appeal in writing using the following process.
- Must appeal within five (5) days of notification of the denial to the Section 504 Coordinator, at success@tfc.edu.
- The Section 504 Coordinator will schedule meeting and coordinate a review by the Accommodation Appeals Committee. The Section 504 Coordinator will notify the student of the decision in writing. The decision of the committee is final.
The availability and use of this Appeal Process does not prevent a student from filing a complaint of discrimination with external agencies such as the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (OCR). That office will determine whether a further investigation is warranted.
Information about how to file a complaint with OCR can be obtained from: How to File a Discrimination Complaint with the Office for Civil Rights (ed.gov)
Student tutors are available in the Library Study Lab during published times. These tutors are selected on the basis of academic excellence and trained to assist students in specific courses and general proficiencies such as research, study helps, time management, writing skills, and MLA/APA formatting. Their services are free of charge to all Toccoa Falls College students.
The Center for Academic Success will keep all records of student accommodations confidential. Staff of the Center will be the only ones with access to these records. Registration with the Center for Academic Success will not appear on transcripts. The Center will follow the guidelines of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) concerning any information that is disability related. The staff will confirm registration and approved accommodations on a need-to-know basis.
The Center for Academic Success will accommodate students with temporary disabling conditions due to injuries, surgery, or short-term medical conditions who may need access to services similar to students with permanent disabilities. To receive accommodations for a temporary disability, the student must submit documentation indicating the type of disability, severity, limitations, prognosis, and estimated duration of the disabling condition. Additional documentation may be required to verify the need for continued services after the estimated duration of the condition has expired.
Toccoa Falls College supports the use of service animals on campus by students with disabilities in appropriate circumstances and in accordance with this policy, ADA, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
Toccoa Falls College admits students of any race, color, sex, national and ethnic origin, or other protected classifications to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate and will not tolerate harassment on the basis of age, veteran status, sex, race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.
Academic advising is a process that helps students make informed decisions about their academic path. Advisors provide guidance on course selection, degree requirements, and other academic matters, and can also help students connect with resources on campus and plan for their future after graduation. Current students will be assigned an advisor upon enrolling at Toccoa Falls College. These advisors are dedicated faculty from your academic area of interest and are specifically trained in ensuring that you maximize your experience at TFC. Whether you’re a new student looking for guidance on course selection or a returning student seeking support for your academic journey, your advisor is here to help.
The goal of the CLEP Administration Services is to provide efficient test administration and services for the community and students of Toccoa Falls College. Institutional tests include the Institutional Challenge Examination (ICE). Nationally-normed tests include the College Level Examination (CLEP) Tests. These institutional and nationally-normed tests are administered through the Center for Academic Success at various times throughout the year.