Messiah College does not waive course requirements, consistent with court findings which support the right of colleges and universities to set and maintain standards. In some cases, a disability may make course substitutions appropriate.

An example might be substitution of a series of courses in cultural studies, as well as cross-cultural courses for the language and cultures requirement. There must be a direct correlation between the request and the disability as evidenced by ADA eligibility documentation. Students whose high school documentation clearly documents efforts to learn a foreign language with subsequent accommodation will find it easier to justify than those who have no such record. The college reserves the right to require at least a one-semester enrollment in a language sequence. Disability Services will obtain recommendations from the language instructor regarding continuation or discontinuation of further language study.

Students requesting modifications in the language and cultures requirement should file a letter of request with the Director of Disability Services, who will review the request and, if approved, recommend a series of courses which have been approved by the Director of General Education. The Office of Disability Services will notify the Registrar of approved courses for degree-tracking purposes.

ANTH 101 Intro to Cultural Anthropology is recommended as a first course in a sequence of three. A second course can be met during a following semester by completing one of the approved non-Western cultures courses. The third semester requirement can also be met by an approved course, or by completion of a cross-cultural course (preferred). We strongly recommend an experience that builds on content and learning from course 2. For example, a course in Latin American Plays of Protest would be best followed by immersion in a Spanish-language culture. A student who is unable or prefers not to participate in a cross-cultural course should try to build a deeper understanding of a particular culture by completing two courses with related content. For example, Latin American Plays of Protest could be followed by Christianity in Latin America, or another course of relevance.

Only those students who present written evidence of an approved accommodation for alternative courses will be approved for these substitutions.