FAQ
Special Educational Needs describe the needs of a student who has a difficulty which makes learning harder for them than typical ones. Students with SEN face academic challengers due to a disability or an impairment that can be a temporary or permanent condition.
There are direct and indirect disability discriminations. Direct disability discrimination means treating a person with a disability less favorably than another person without that disability, in comparable circumstances, on the ground of the disability.
Indirect disability discrimination exists when a person applies the same requirement or condition to a person with a disability as well as to another person without the disability, but the outcome is detrimental to the person with the disability and the first mentioned person cannot show the requirement or condition to be justifiable. In such circumstances it is unlawful to treat a person with a disability and another person without the disability in the same way. This is because in some circumstances the person with the disability cannot comply with the requirement or condition due to the disability.
(Source: Disability Discrimination Ordinance, Code of Practice on Education, Equal Opportunity Commission)
There are some tips, available resources to support students with SEN from this website, please click here for details. Kindly encourage your groupmate to reach out to USSEN for assistance in appropriate manner.
Apply to be an Inclusion Student Ambassador! Please visit here to learn more!
Exam & Academic Accommodations
- Check your email for a unique exam timetable that supersedes what is shown on BUniport.
- If you have not received that email, contact AR at ugs@hkbu.edu.hk. (If you are unsure about the release timeline for such emails, you may ask AR when the special exam timetable will be sent.)
You can inform AR (ugs@hkbu.edu.hk) to remove certain special exam arrangements.
As the Academic Registry (AR) reminded you in their email to your instructor and you, you should take the initiative to reach out to your instructors about the implementation of special academic accommodations for coursework. Only approved exam accommodations are automatically arranged by AR.
- No. Only approved accommodations for final exams are arranged by the Academic Registry.
- For tests, you need to request similar arrangements directly from your instructors. In some cases, it may not be feasible (e.g., due to a lack of a separate room or an invigilator)
Professors are informed of your SEN status only if you have requested special academic arrangements. If you do not request academic accommodations, they are not notified. You should take the initiative to communicate your situation and needs directly to your professor when necessary.
- The University discloses your SEN status on a need-to-know basis. If you registered as a student with SEN, the Academic Registry will NOT notify your instructors about your SEN status, unless you require a special academic arrangement (e.g. extension of exam time). Even then, instructors are only informed that you are entitled to special accommodations, without details of your disability.
- You are reminded to take the initiative to update your instructors about your needs, and it is your choice to share more information with them as you see the need.
To promote your independence, you are expected to communicate directly with your course instructors. However, if you encounter any difficulties in communication, you can reach out to USSEN (ussen@hkbu.edu.hk/ at 34112806) for assistance.
Registering/Declaring/Withdrawing SEN Status
No. Once you declare your SEN status at HKBU, it remains valid throughout your studies at HKBU.
Yes, the declaration of SEN is voluntary. You may request the removal of your SEN status with AR anytime.
Seeking/Arranging Academic Support & Assessment
Reach out to USSEN (ussen@hkbu.edu.hk/ at 34112806) to arrange for a professional assessment and necessary recommendations for academic support.
Reach out to USSEN (ussen@hkbu.edu.hk/ at 34112806) to explore your concerns and refer you for assessment if needed.
Academic Procedures
Contact your department to discuss your academic options and ask for the specific procedures or actions to take.
Financial Support
You may take one or more of the following actions:
- Check out different funding schemes offered by our Scholarships & Financial Aid Unit: https://sa.hkbu.edu.hk/en/sfa.html
- If your financial needs are related to medical issues, check the Alumni Gratitude Fund (AGF): AGF Info
- Apply for SEN scholarship: Alumni Gratitude Scholarship (AGS): AGS Info
- For further help, contact ussen@hkbu.edu.hk or at 34112806 to book an individual advising session to let us know your needs.
Explore free or low-cost public resources for the interest class. You may also check the Alumni Gratitude Grant(AGG) for funding: AGG Info
Social/Wellbeing Support
If you have no idea why you cannot make new friends, consider booking a 1:1 advising session with the SEN support team. You may also join our social skills training, the Tours designated to SEN students and Inclusion Student Ambassador activities, or contact ussen@hkbu.edu.hk at 34112806 to join our Buddy Programme.
Students with SEN have unique strengths and challenges, and open communication is key. Proactively expressing your individual needs to various stakeholders helps the university community recognise your uniqueness and better support your personal success.
Definitions and Importance
The law requires “reasonable” accommodations. Reasonable Accommodations are any measures taken in order to provide equal opportunities for students with disabilities, such as providing aids for lectures, accessible facilities or services on campus to meet the needs of the individuals. Usually, an assessment from medical professionals or educational psychologists will help to determine what adjustments are necessary. Reasonable Accommodations help to overcome barriers faced by students with SEN.
Yes, under the Disability Discrimination Ordinance, educational institutions are obligated to provide reasonable accommodations in their programmes and campus environment to enable equal learning opportunities.
- Academic accommodations
- Academic adjustments
- Learning alternations
- Special learning arrangements
They are all the same. Learning and academic matters include exams, tests, coursework, assignments, etc.
Eligibility and Notification
If a student is registered with HKBU as a student with SEN and is eligible for special academic accommodations, the Academic Registry will send an email to all instructors specifying the details. The email is usually sent soon after the add/drop period of each semester.
Due to privacy, the disability of a student will not be disclosed without the consent of the student. The instructor may invite the student for an individual meeting to learn more about his/her needs and offer appropriate support. When interacting with a student, what truly matters is not the type of SEN, but the behaviours of concern. While identifying the type of SEN can foster empathy and understanding of the root causes of different behaviours, it does little to address the management of behavioural challenges. Our goal in advising is to raise awareness of these behaviours of concern and provide constructive guidance to promote positive behaviour. By focusing on practical strategies and support, we can empower students to overcome challenges and thrive during their time in university.
You may invite the student for an individual meeting and share with him/her your observation of the challenges s/he may be facing. If the student expressed that s/he has a disability and s/he will benefit from having special examination accommodations, encourage him/her to declare his/her SEN with the Academic Registry and reach out to USSEN for support. If the student suspects that s/he faces difficulties related to an undiagnosed disability, he/she can contact USSEN to discuss the concerns. A referral to other assessment services may be provided when deemed appropriate.
Scenarios and Procedures
Advise the student to go to the Academic Registry (AR) to declare their SEN status for any academic accommodations. Only AR can arrange academic accommodations for FINAL examinations; all requests must go through AR.
For coursework, instructors may exercise discretion if the requests are reasonable. The instructor may ask for a medical note if necessary. For example, it is a reasonable request if a student with dyslexia requests to type an in-class assignment instead of handwriting it, but it would be unreasonable for a student to ask to be exempted from the assignment.
- Yes, It would be ideal if you could provide the same exam accommodations for the tests/ coursework of your course to students in need.
- If after putting in efforts to arrange, but still the accommodations cannot be made for tests, e.g. a separate room or an invigilator is not available, the course instructor is encouraged to communicate the reasons with the student. Communicating the reasons will help the students understand the possible challenge the instructor faces when coordinating the resources.
- For the final examination, the student should submit a new recommendation from medical professionals to AR.
- Other than the final exam, the course instructor may exercise discretion if the requests are reasonable. The instructor may ask for a medical note if necessary. For example, it may be reasonable for a student with dyslexia to request to type an in-class assignment instead of handwriting it, but it would be unreasonable for a student to ask to be exempted from the assignment.
The email specifies the examination and/or learning accommodations of the student registered with SEN. While the Academic Registry is responsible for the provision of the examination arrangements, course instructors are to implement the class arrangements whenever possible. When in doubt about certain class arrangements, please directly communicate with the student to discuss the feasibility or any alternatives if necessary.
Fairness and Best Practice
Yes, it is considered fair. According to the principle of equal opportunities, educational institutions should ensure that their assessment mechanism are fair to all students, including students with SEN. Compared to other students, students with SEN, due to their functional impairments, are affected to a certain extent in demonstrating their abilities during examinations. Under these circumstances, the university needs to provide them with special examination arrangements to ensure that they are equitably assessed. Providing special academic accommodation is generally considered fair, as it aims to create equal opportunities for all students to demonstrate their knowledge and abilities.
- Extra time allowance
- Breaks during examinations
- Special seating
- Examinations in a special room or a separate room
- Allow for the use of special equipment and technological aids
- Different formats or substitution of assessment
- Enlarged word size on question papers
- Braille question papers
Click here to learn more about each SEN type.