What are Technical Standards?
Technical Standards are the non-academic, essential abilities, skills, and attributes students in health science programs must possess to complete their degree programs. Technical Standards can be met with or without accommodation. While Technical Standards are unique to each program, abilities outlined in Technical Standards typically fall under categories related to behavior and social abilities, communication, ethics and professionalism, acquiring and using information, intellectual abilities, motor abilities, and observation abilities. Many programs are required to have Technical Standards for accreditation, while others provide these standards to ensure candidates for admission, promotion, and graduation can complete their entire curriculum and participate fully in training, with or without reasonable accommodation.
Where can Rush students find the technical standards for their programs?
Technical Standards for each program are outlined on the admissions pages for each academic program, and within the Rush University Catalog. Students should review the technical standards for their programs, and engage OSAS if they believe they may need reasonable accommodations to meet technical standards. Accommodations are never retroactive, so timely requests are encouraged.
What is Rush's statement on Technical Standards?
Rush University is committed to diversity and to attracting and educating students who will make the population of health care professionals representative of the national population.
Our core values - I CARE (innovation, collaboration, accountability, respect and excellence) - translate into our work with all students, including those with disabilities. Rush actively collaborates with students to develop innovative ways to ensure accessibility and creates a respectful, accountable culture through our confidential and specialized disability support. Rush is committed to excellence in accessibility; we encourage students with disabilities to disclose and seek accommodations.
The technical standards must be met, with or without accommodation. Students who, after reviewing the standards, determine they require reasonable accommodation to fully engage in the program should contact the Office of Student Accessibility Services to confidentially discuss their accommodation needs. Given the clinical nature of our programs, time may be needed to implement accommodations. Accommodations are never retroactive, therefore, timely requests are essential and encouraged.