Accommodations Request Procedure
Send appropriate documentation to the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD), along with the semester and year when you intend to enroll and the location of the campus you plan to attend, and a phone number or email where you can be contacted between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM.
Rachel White
rwhite@vernoncollege.edu
Phone: 940.552.6291, ext. 2308
Fax: 940.552.6387
Wright Library, Room 219
4400 College Drive
Vernon, Texas 76384
1. Contact the Office for Students
with Disabilities (OSD) as soon as possible and submit an Application for Accommodations along with relevant supporting documentation.
Students may make accommodation requests
and submit supporting documentation at any time prior to and during the
semester that accommodations are needed. However, it may take some time for the
information to be reviewed, meetings to be scheduled, and accommodations to be
put in place (up to 2-3 weeks). If the accommodations you plan to request
require time to arrange (interpreters for the deaf, CART services, alternative
versions of textbooks, adaptive equipment or furniture, etc.) please notify the
Office for Students with Disabilities as soon as possible.
Documentation submitted to the Office for
Students with Disabilities is confidential and used solely for the purpose of
assisting students in identifying and securing accommodations and services to
support their full participation at Vernon College. Affiliation with the Office
for Students with Disabilities is not reported on a student’s transcript.
Students should review the documentation guidelines for more information.
Supporting documentation can be e-mailed, faxed, or delivered in-person.
Note: All documentation provided to the
Office for Students with Disabilities within the last week of class days will
be processed for the following semester. No exceptions will be made to this
policy. It is the student’s responsibility to apply for and obtain
accommodations in a reasonable period within the semester.
2. Schedule and complete an intake
appointment with the Director of the PASS Department or attend On-Site Registration
at either the Century City Center (Room 114) or the Vernon Campus (Room 217 - Wright
Library) to officially request accommodations through the Office for Students
with Disabilities. Student accommodation requests and supporting documentation
will be reviewed on an individual, case-by-case basis. During the intake
appointment, the student and the Director of the PASS Department will discuss
and determine appropriate accommodations through an interactive process.
3. Once the intake process is complete and
approved accommodations have been determined, Accommodation Letters will be
processed by the Office for Students with Disabilities and sent to instructors
via e-mail. Students should communicate with instructors regarding
accommodations in each course, such as to clarify any testing arrangements. It
is a student’s right to choose whether to disclose their disability to the
instructor or not. However, students are encouraged to collaboratively
communicate regarding their accommodations. Please keep in mind that
accommodations are not retroactive. Students should contact the Office for
Students with Disabilities if problems arise regarding the provisions of
accommodations.
Note: After receiving Accommodation
Letters, instructors may need up to five business days to provide the approved
accommodations. This is to allow time for any administrative planning that may
need to occur. Students should request and discuss Accommodation Letters well
in advance of class exams.
4. After the initial registration,
students must request renewal of accommodations each semester to continue
receiving services.
1970 marked the beginning of Vernon College. Throughout this decade the College continued to grow and more students enrolled in both on- and off-campus courses. On January 20, 1970, a majority of the citizens of Wilbarger County voted to create the Wilbarger County Junior College District. Following that decision, Vernon Regional Junior College was established and on April 9, 1970, the newly elected Board of Trustees appointed Dr. David L. Norton as the College’s first president. Campus construction began in May 1971, and included an Academic Science Center, Administration-Fine Arts Center, Applied Arts Center, Library, and Student Center. The following year, on September 5, 1972, classes met for the first time on the Vernon campus with a total of 608 students. On August 1, 1974, Dr. Jim M. Williams became the College’s second president. In the fall semester of that year, combined on- and off-campus enrollment exceeded 800 students. During the 1975-76 academic year, the College expanded its services to include a learning center on Sheppard Air Force Base. During this year, enrollment in credit courses, both on- and off-campus, rose to a level of 1,199. The scope of the Vocational Nursing Program was enlarged during the 1976-77 academic year with the assumption of the Bethania School of Vocational Nursing in Wichita Falls. In August 1976 the Physical Education Center was dedicated in honor of Dr. and Mrs. Thomas A. King longtime benefactors of Vernon College.
Growth and changes continued during the 1980s. In August 1980 a Student Residence Center, designed to house 128 students, opened for occupancy. Further expansion of program offerings in the Wichita Falls area was accomplished through absorption of an existing proprietary school that was renamed the Vernon College Technical Center and the integration of the nursing program from the Wichita Falls Independent School District. On March 22, 1982, Dr. Joe Mills took over the leadership of the College as the third president. That fall, the College fielded its first intercollegiate rodeo team. During 1983-84, the Department of Cosmetology and the Career Development Center (previously known as the North Texas Skills Center) were established in Wichita Falls. On the Vernon campus, the Chaparral Center was completed, and the Pease River farm purchased through a state land trade. The following academic year, 1984-85, Vernon College reached a record credit enrollment of 1,863 and a record continuing education enrollment of 7,056 registrations. A Vocational Nursing Program opened in Seymour, and the Board of Trustees established a college foundation and approved an agreement to allow construction of the Red River Valley Museum on the Vernon campus. In February 1987 the College played its first intercollegiate baseball game on the Vernon campus. During May of that year, the new Natatorium was opened in the King Physical Education Center. A newly constructed Athletic Dormitory opened to house 28 athletes in August 1988. In October, Trustees voted to add women’s volleyball as a varsity sport, effective with the fall 1989 semester. In May 1989 Vernon College moved all Wichita Falls programs to one centralized location—Century City Center. Since the College opened its doors 38 years ago, many individuals, corporations, foundations, and organizations have made an investment in our students through the creation of endowed and annual scholarships. As of this year, more than 100 scholarship funds are available to help students pursue their educational dreams.VERNON COLLEGE PHILOSOPHY: Vernon College is a constantly evolving institution, dedicated primarily to effective teaching and regional enhancement. With this dedication to teaching and to the community, the College encourages open inquiry, personal and social responsibility, critical thinking, and life-long learning for students, faculty, and other individuals within its service area. The College takes as its guiding educational principle the proposition that, insofar as available resources permit, instruction should be adapted to student needs. This principle requires both flexibility in instructional strategies and maintenance of high academic standards. Strong programs of assessment and accountability complement this educational principle. VC accepts the charge of providing a college atmosphere free of bias, in which students can exercise initiative and personal judgment, leading to a greater awareness of personal self-worth. It strives to provide every student with opportunities to develop the tools necessary to become a contributing, productive member of society.
Vision
VERNON COLLEGE VISION: Vernon College will promote a culture of success for our students and communities through learner-centered quality instructional programs and exemplary services.
Values
VERNON COLLEGE VALUES: Vernon College promotes a culture of success through our shared values and commitment to:
Accessibility
Accountability
Building Relationships
Diversity
Inclusion
Innovation
Leadership
Quality
Student Success
Teamwork
Our values define who we are and guide us in conducting our business every day. Our values are our morals – what is important to us at our college.
Mission
VERNON COLLEGE MISSION The mission of Vernon College is teaching, learning, and leading. Vernon College is a comprehensive community college that integrates education with opportunity through our instructional programs and student support services by means of traditional and distance learning modes. Therefore, to fulfill its mission, the College will provide access, within its available resources, to:
Career technical/workforce programs up to two years in length leading to associate degrees or certificates;
Career technical/workforce programs leading directly to employment in semi-skilled and skilled occupations;
Freshman and sophomore courses in arts and sciences, including the curricula leading to associate and baccalaureate degrees;
Ongoing adult education programs for occupational upgrading or personal enrichment;
Compensatory education programs designed to fulfill the commitment of an admissions policy allowing the enrollment of disadvantaged students; ;
A continuing program of counseling and guidance designed to assist students in achieving their individual educational goals;
Career technical/workforce development programs designed to meet local and statewide needs;
Support services for educational programs and college-related activities;
Adult literacy and other basic skills programs for adults; and
Other To help prospective and current students, faculty, and staff locate important information about Vernon College, this webpage provides links to helpful information on a variety of government mandated and consumer information. Examples are academic programs, cost of attendance, financial aid, safety and security, and institutional financial reports. Vernon College’s presentation of this information complies with the Higher Education Act, as amended, and implementing regulations.