Individual arrangements

According to the Non-discrimination Act (6/2014), an education provider has the duty to take necessary measures to promote the realisation of equality. These measures shall be effective, expedient and proportionate, taking into account the educational institution’s operating environment, resources and other circumstances. The education provider must ensure that the educational institution has a plan for the necessary measures for promotion of equality. 

The authority, education provider, employer or provider of goods and services has to make due and appropriate adjustments necessary in each situation for a person with disabilities to be able, equally with others, to deal with the authorities, gain access to education, work and access generally available goods and services, as well as to manage their work tasks and to advance their career. 

In assessing the reasonableness of the adjustments, attention shall also be devoted, in addition to the needs of the person with disabilities, to the size, financial position, nature and extent of the operations of an actor, referred to in subsection 1, as well as the estimated costs of the adjustments and the support available for the adjustments. (Non-discrimination Act
15/2014).

This guidance is due to help students to take measures getting individual study arrangements
at the beginning of their studies or in any time during their studies.

A student’s or applicant’s disability or long-term illness may be physical or mental in nature, such as a physical, sensory or cognitive disability. Students may have difficulties related to reading, writing or learning. Students may also have several disabilities or long-term illnesses that affect their opportunities to gain access to education and manage their studies. It is also possible to apply the individual arrangements when the problem caused by the disability or illness is temporary, for example, following an accident. The decision regarding individual arrangements will not be made in cases of regular short-term illnesses (such as the influenza, norovirus or a cold). In such cases, teachers can make arrangements with the student based on the Study Regulations, without a separate decision. The individual arrangements may apply to an entrance examination or suitability testing (including entrance examinations for minor subjects), exams or other teaching situations. In addition to teaching, other teaching situations include study-related guidance and services. 

The University of Eastern Finland operates a network operator model. The goal is that people providing guidance for students can work together with students to resolve questions related to accessibility. 

Student health meeting

A request for a student health meeting (opens in a new tab) can be made by the student, teaching staff, staff at the welfare services or study administration, or student healthcare staff. The purpose of student health meetings is to allow the student, the institution of higher education and student healthcare staff to find ways to promote studying and improve the student’s ability to study. The meeting will examine the extent to which the student’s ability to study is impaired, how it shows and what the cause is.

FSHS: Student health meetings in institutions of higher education – A guide for students, higher education institutions and student healthcare (pdf) (opens in a new tab)

Instructions for applying individual arrangements for entrance exams (only in Finnish)

Students are entitled to individual arrangements if they have been granted individual arrangements for other studies. Need for individual arrangements must be notified at least 14 days prior to the entrance examination for minor subject to the person in the faculty of philosophy mentioned in the study guide for minor subjects.  

As a rule, students are entitled to individual study arrangements in teaching that are equivalent to those granted to them for the entrance examination. Since teaching situations are pedagogically different from an entrance examination, it is possible to review the need for individual study arrangements. 

At the beginning of your studies a one-to-one guidance discussion can be arranged to ensure a smoother transition. You can bring up your need for individual study arrangements at any time during your studies as the need arises. It is also possible to grant temporary individual study arrangements. 

A decision on individual study arrangements during studies can be made based on an earlier decision. The student must attach the required documents to the application. When students apply for individual study arrangements for the first time, they must present a medical report or other expert report regarding the need for individual study arrangements. 

You have a duty to inform the university of any changes in your circumstances that affect your need for individual study arrangements (such as recovering from an injury). In your application, you must indicate the type of individual study arrangements you apply for and give grounds for them. 

It is recommended that a network discussion is arranged with the student to agree together on reasonable and realistic individual study arrangements. Participants of a network discussion may include people from the accessibility network, any required experts, representatives from the academic subject and, always, the student. It is important to involve a representative from the academic subject in individual study arrangements in order to ensure that any special characteristics of the programme are considered. The student may bring a support person to the network discussion. A memo will be prepared of the discussion to be attached to the student’s application. The memo will include a list of the participants and details of the discussion regarding the individual study arrangements but not any of the student’s medical information. 

Please note that you are responsible for informing the teacher in charge of the course of the need for individual study arrangements in good time (at least ten days before an exam or the beginning of the course) by presenting the decision regarding individual study arrangements. 

The decision (i.e. signed decision documents) regarding individual study arrangements is stored in the register. Documentation regarding the student’s state of health will be returned to you or removed from the database. Applications for individual study arrangements or any other documents that include health data will not be entered in the register. Decisions regarding individual study arrangements are stored in accordance with the university’s regulations on document management. 

A record of individual study arrangements granted is made in the electronic student data system in the additional information field for the study right in question. If the individual study arrangements granted are temporary, the validity period of the individual study arrangements must also be recorded. Information regarding the individual study arrangements will be deleted at the termination of the student’s study right for which the arrangements were granted. The individuals responsible for the preparation of degrees are responsible for deleting the information. 

The person making the decision regarding the individual study arrangements will inform the student and other relevant people about the decision.

The content and implementation of individual study arrangements depend on the student’s needs and the nature of the circumstances. The implementation of individual study arrangements does not mean lowering the requirements or learning outcomes of the course. Individual study arrangements guarantee the student equal opportunities to participate in the teaching and demonstrate their competence. In the end, the course teacher is responsible for maintaining the same learning outcomes for all students. 

Individual study arrangements may include:  

• the opportunity for additional time or lighting, a separate exam room or other arrangements regarding premises.  
• the opportunity to use special aids (such as a computer, braille display or induction).  
• material arrangements (such as the opportunity to have exam questions in a larger font size, providing lecture materials in advance, audio books, or streaming or recording lectures).  
• services (the opportunity to use an assistant or interpreter. Please note! The university is not responsible for obtaining an assistant or interpreter; it is the responsibility of the applicant/student).  
• an alternative way of completing a study module or course exam (such as an oral exam, completing the course with learning assignments rather than an exam, completing the course in parts). 

Further information: http://www.esok.fi/esok-hanke/esittely/en/material/guides  

If the applicant/student needs to use special aids in the entrance examination (i.e. Finnish entrance examinations) or exams, such as a computer, the university has the right to inspect the files and software before the beginning of the entrance examination or exam. Students must make a note of the individual study arrangements granted to them in their personal study plan if they affect the planning of the studies. 

If you already are a student at the University of Eastern Finland and you need individual arrangements for your studies, you can request them by filling out the Individual Study Arrangements Form. 

Individual arrangements at the UEF Open University are requested the same way as students in UEF.

If you need further assistance or advice on how to request individual study arrangements, please get in touch with the accessibility contact person of your campus or faculty, or with your personal study plan counsellor. 

• Instructions for Students (pdf) 
• The Decision of the Academic Rector 17.6.2019 “Guidelines for Individual Arrangements Related to Entrance Examinations and Studies” (pdf) 
• Individual Study Arrangements Form (docx) 

Application and required attachments for individual study arrangements must be submitted electronically via the secure email website to your own Faculty. 

Go to the secure email website (choose language “in English”) and type your own email address (and, to prevent junk mail, an alternating code on the form). 

To the email address you give, the system will send a message with a link enabling you to send the secure message itself. Click the link and type the email address of you own Faculty to the receiver slot (To:). 

• Philosophical Faculty: filoerityisjarjestelyt@uef.fi 
• Faculty of Science and Forestry: lumeterityisjarjestelyt@uef.fi 
• Faculty of Health Sciences: ttdkerityisjarjestelyt@uef.fi 
• Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies, Fields of Joensuu Campus: yhkajoensuu_erityisjarjestelyt@uef.fi 
• Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies, Fields of Kuopio Campus: yhkakuopio_erityisjarjestelyt@uef.fi 
• The Centre for Continuous Learning, Open University studies avoinyliopisto_erityisjarjestelyt@uef.fi

Next, type the message itself on the secure email form and attach the needed enclosures. Finally, press the send button.

You can always ask advice from your faculty

• Philosophical Faculty: Amanuensis Emma Hahl 
• Faculty of Science and Forestry: Head of Academic Affairs Kaisa Laitinen 
• Faculty of Health Sciences: Head of  Student and Learning Services Susanna Järvelin-Pasanen 
• Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies, Joensuu Campus: Amanuensis Minna Paronen 
• Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies, Kuopio Campus: Amanuensis Heli Kemppainen 

If you need further aid or advice regarding individual study arrangement application process, you can contact the accessibility contact person of your campus.

The contact persons for accessibility at the campuses are:

• Joensuu Campus: Erja Widgrén-Sallinen, Head of Student Services and Admissions
• Kuopio Campus: Tuija Pasanen, Head of Student Services

E-mail addresses: first name.last name@uef.fi / UEF Connect  (opens in a new tab).