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Students with disabilities |
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The Office of Disabilities Services is located in the Academic Success Center, Howe 106. •
Ways That You Can Help Yourself
WAYS
THAT YOU CAN HELP YOURSELF
1. Many students with disabilities come to college and do not anticipate needing any accommodations or support services. However, you will still need to register with the Office of Disabilities Services (located in the Academic Success Center) and present your documentation to the Director, who will discuss the support available to you should you need it at any time. Your documentation will be kept in your confidential file and will not be released to or discussed with anyone without your written permission. 2. Learn all you can about your specific disability and be able to explain to your professors the reason for requesting an accommodation such as extended time on an examination. 3. If you require classroom accommodations of some kind, schedule an appointment with your professor early in the semester to discuss this. For instance, don’t wait until the day before the first test to request a special testing accommodation. 4. If you need to tape record lectures, ask permission of the professor before doing so as a courtesy. Be sure to explain why you need this modification and how you will use the tape to enhance your learning. 5. Take notes simultaneously while tape recording. Indicate questions in the margin when material is unclear. If your tape recorder has a counter, set it at zero at the beginning of the lecture, and note the counter number in the margin next to your question. Be sure to label every tape before you begin recording (for example, Psychology 101, 9/22/97, Side 1). 6. Listen to the tape, rewrite your notes and highlight key concepts as soon after class as possible. Comparing your notes with those of a study partner can help you fill in gaps. 7. Copy your notes over if necessary (this will also help you remember them). Keep a running list of important terms, key concepts, major events, formulas, dates, etc. 8. Complete reading assignments prior to class. Associating the lecture with the readings is a lot easier than listening to the lecture “cold.” In addition, you will be better prepared to ask questions and participate in class discussion. Professors value the active participation of students who come to class prepared. 9. Attend all classes. Copying someone else’s class notes is no substitute for hearing the lecture and participating in class. 10. Preview new material and review your notes from the previous lecture before each class. 11. Sit toward the front of the class. You can hear and see better and you are more likely to pay attention and less likely to be distracted. 12. Get a planner and use it. The Academic Success Center staff can assist you in getting organized and developing good time management skills. 13. If you have trouble recognizing and correcting spelling errors in your writing, it is important to use a word processor with a spell checker to identify misspelled words. Grammar checkers are also useful in identifying inappropriate prepositions and word choices, errors in punctuation or poor sentence structure. However, computers cannot catch every error. Find a friend or request a tutor who can help you proof papers before you hand them in. 14. If you are having trouble in a specific course, do not wait until you are in danger of failing to request assistance. Come to the Academic Success Center as soon as you feel you are falling behind and request help. A free tutor can be provided in almost any subject. The Center staff can also help you develop good study skills. 15. Be aware of Drop-Add options and deadlines to adjust your schedule. Use them to your advantage to enhance success, and don’t miss an opportunity to help yourself because you were unaware of a deadline. The current semester’s Academic Calendar is always printed on the front of the Schedule of Classes newspaper. 16. Work with others to inform and sensitize the student body, faculty, administration and staff about disabilities. Participate in student groups, organize a student panel, or write an article for the S.U.N. 17. Provide peer counseling and support to other students with disabilities. 18. Watch for workshops scheduled by the Academic Success Center and take advantage of them. These are always advertised well in advance in the S.U.N. and on flyers posted throughout the campus.
SHENANDOAH
UNIVERSITY POLICY ON ACCOMMODATION OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
Shenandoah University recognizes the mandates of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 by adopting this policy which directly reflects the requirements of these acts. It is the policy of Shenandoah University that no otherwise qualified individual is denied reasonable and appropriate access to or participation in any program or activity of the University because of a disability. Pursuant to this policy, the University employs a Coordinator of Disabilities Services as a resource for students, faculty and staff. Individuals who believe they have a disability covered under either of the acts named above may document the disability and request assistance from the Coordinator. Faculty and staff charged with assisting those with disabilities may utilize the services of the Coordinator as a source of expertise and assistance.
SUPPORT
SERVICES FOR ALL STUDENTS Placement Testing - all entering students take diagnostic placement tests in mathematics. Based on the results, students are placed in appropriate level courses. Students who have documented disabilities may request to take the placement test with accommodations. Please provide timely prior notification. If students desire to take the math placement test without accommodation, the results will be evaluated with consideration given to the disability. If the student disagrees with the results, the student may retake the test with accommodations. Placement will be based on the second test. Academic Success Center - the Academic Success Center offers students a variety of support services which will foster the development of skills for academic success. The goal of the Center is to help students become more effective and successful learners. The following topics are presented through workshops or on an individual basis: time management, study skills, test taking strategies, math skills, reading skills, writing skills, test anxiety and stress management. Peer Tutoring - free peer tutoring is offered to all students. Tutoring can be arranged for almost any course and should be requested through the Academic Success Center. Career Services (Career and Leadership Development Center) - offers help in clarifying long range career goals. Services include individual career counseling, resume writing, job search strategies, and information on graduate schools. Counseling (Wellness Center) - offers a variety of confidential services including individual and group counseling to assist the student in problem solving, learning new skills and growing more confident and competent as a person. Health Services (Wellness Center)
- offers the services of a full-time registered nurse and part-time physicians.
SUPPORT SERVICES FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES Services for students with disabilities are coordinated through the Office of Disabilities Services, located in the Academic Success Center (Howe 106). Documentation by a qualified professional must be presented to the Coordinator, who will discuss services and accommodations which may be needed. Students are also expected to meet individually with their professors to discuss their needs. In-Class Accommodations may include:
Testing Accommodations may include:
Out-of-Class Accommodations may include:
GRIEVANCE
PROCEDURE Step One In the event that specific complaints arise regarding the University’s compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Coordinator of Disabilities Services will, at the request of students, faculty or staff, review the procedures implemented and seek to resolve the matter informally. To the extent that the complaint(s) cannot be resolved informally, the following procedures shall be employed in order to address the grievance formally. Step Two 1. A student wishing to file a complaint shall submit a written grievance to the Coordinator of Disabilities Services within 30 calendar days of the event(s) triggering the grievance. The written grievance must include: a. a clear statement of the University rule, regulation, policy and/or action of which the student complains; b. the date of any action which the student is appealing; c. a summary of the action(s) which the student has taken to resolve the matter informally; d. documentation which supports the grievance. The Coordinator will forward this to the appropriate administrator as designated by the President. 2. The appropriate administrator shall meet with the student within 5 class days of the receipt of the grievance to gather data and attempt resolution. 3. If this meeting does not resolve the grievance, the appropriate administrator shall conduct an informal investigation of the grievance. In cases where the grievance is about the conduct or requirements of a course or an academic program, the appropriate administrator shall consult with the faculty member responsible for the affected course or academic program, and meet with and seek advice from the Advisory Committee on Disability Issues, consisting of at least one faculty representative from each school and one student. One of the faculty participants must be from the school responsible for the course or academic program from which the grievance originated. 4. The appropriate administrator shall furnish a written response to the grievance no later than 15 class days after the meeting with the student. The written response shall be mailed to the student by certified mail, return receipt requested. Step Three 1. If the student is not satisfied with the written response from the appropriate administrator, he/she may present the grievance in written form to the Vice President for Academic Programs within 10 class days after the receipt of the response from the appropriate administrator. 2. The Vice President for Academic Programs or designate shall, within 15 class days after the receipt of the grievance, schedule and conduct a meeting with the student and other persons involved in the grievance. 3. After the investigation is complete, the Vice President for Academic Programs or designate shall issue a written answer to the complainant within 15 class days from completion of the meeting(s) with the student and other persons. 4. If the grievance involved conduct or requirements of a course or academic program, a copy of the written decision of the Vice President for Academic Programs or designate shall be provided to the Advisory Committee on Disability Issues, the Dean and the department head in the school involved and to the professor of the course. 5. The Coordinator of Disabilities Services shall maintain the files and records relating to the complaints filed. 6. The right of a person to prompt and equitable resolution of a grievance shall not be impaired by the person’s pursuit of other remedies such as filing a complaint with a responsible federal department or agency. Although individuals have the right to pursue appeals through external channels, they are encouraged to use internal mechanisms to resolve disagreements. Step Four 1. If the Vice President for Academic Programs or designate is unable to offer a satisfactory resolution, the student may appeal to the President of the University, whose decision is final.
RIGHTS
AND RESPONSIBILITIES Rights and Responsibilities of Shenandoah University: * The right to identify and evaluate abilities, skills and knowledge needed for success in its programs. * The responsibility to see that all recruitment information and activities are available in accessible formats and facilities. * The responsibility not to exclude students with disabilities from any course, program of study or activity, and to hold programs and activities in the least restrictive environment that is appropriate for the individual student. * The responsibility to evaluate applicants solely on their abilities, and to seek reasonable alternatives if the evaluation method is discriminatory. * The responsibility to modify examinations and other means of evaluating students if they discriminate against students with disabilities. Tests may be given orally if students with learning disabilities or physical impairments are unable to show their true mastery of the course content on a written test. Tests designed to measure specific skills related to essential course goals are permitted even if the skills are impacted upon by the disability. * The responsibility to provide auxiliary aids, such as taped texts, interpreters, readers and adaptive equipment for students with disabilities. The University is not required to provide attendants, individually prescribed devices, or other devices or services for personal use or of a personal nature. * The responsibility to provide housing for students with disabilities that is comparable to housing provided to students without disabilities. * The responsibility to assure that social organizations which receive support from the University are prohibited from discriminating on the basis of a disability. * The responsibility to provide personal, academic and career counseling to students with disabilities. These services are prohibited from counseling students with disabilities toward more restrictive career goals than are nondisabled students with similar interests or abilities. * The responsibility to provide financial aid, including work study, to students with disabilities, just as it is available to students without disabilities. * The responsibility to make reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities in the instructional method and evaluation of a course. The University has the right to select among equally effective accommodations, and to refuse an accommodation which is deemed unreasonable or constitutes an undue burden on the University. Your Rights and Responsibilities as a Student with a Disability: * The right to an equal opportunity to participate in and benefit from programs at Shenandoah University, including services such as counseling and career services, health services, housing, co-curricular activities and transportation. * The responsibility to present documentation of your disability to the Coordinator of Disabilities Services. * The responsibility to meet with the Coordinator of Disabilities Services and your individual professors to discuss your needs for accommodations. * The responsibility to meet and maintain Shenandoah University’s standards. * The right to reasonable accommodations in the course of study, instructional method or evaluation. * The right to an evaluation based on your ability, not your disability. If the disability affects the outcome of the evaluation, accommodations including an evaluation by an alternative method will be made. * The right to self-advocacy regarding your own individual needs. * The right to confidentiality of all information. No information will be released to another party without your written permission on a release of information form. * The right to appeal the University’s decisions concerning accommodations by following the Grievance Policy for Students with Disabilities. * The right to be informed of appeal procedures outside the University. This includes filing a complaint with the Office of Civil Rights or through the civil court system.
REQUESTING
ACCOMMODATIONS Requesting Accommodations in the Admissions Process Admission to Shenandoah University is based on the requirements in the college Catalog. Admission decisions are made by the Admissions Committee without regard to disabilities. If a student receives accommodations on the SAT or ACT, those scores will be accepted as equivalent alternatives. Applicants may request modification in the admissions process and should present documentation of need when the application is requested or submitted. A request for an alternative measure for admission may be submitted if the applicant thinks that an admission standard appears to be discriminatory. Comparable measures of skills or aptitudes will be accepted as valid substitutes. The fact that modifications are made in the admissions process is not a guarantee of admission to the University or specific accommodations after acceptance. Requesting Long Term Auxiliary Aids It is the policy of Shenandoah University to provide assistance and support to students with disabilities in obtaining long-term auxiliary aids. The student will be encouraged to be a self-advocate and Disabilities Services personnel will serve as resource persons. Student with disabilities are expected to obtain auxiliary aids from government or private agencies. If the student does not desire to do this, or outside agencies cannot provide the aids needed, the University will determine the necessity of the aid and will ensure that the student is not denied the right to participate in a program or activity because of the absence of the aid. Students should present requests for auxiliary aids in writing, along with their documentation, to the Coordinator of Disabilities Services as early as possible, but a minimum of 4 weeks before the beginning of the semester, to ensure that aids are available at the opening of the semester. The University will evaluate late requests on a case-by-case basis. It is the student’s responsibility to keep the Coordinator informed of needs for auxiliary aids on a semester-by-semester basis. The Coordinator will review the request to ascertain: 1. that the auxiliary aid requested is appropriate to the needs of the student, 2. that the aid cannot be provided by outside agencies, and 3. that the student will be unable to fully participate without the aid. Shenandoah University has the responsibility to provide the auxiliary aid or a reasonable alternative that will allow full participation in the program or activity unless it is deemed unreasonable or would impose an undue hardship on the University. Requesting Modifications in Specific Courses A student who needs accommodations in a specific course should contact the Coordinator of Disabilities Services, who will discuss options with the student. The student is responsible for meeting with the course instructor to discuss the need for accommodations in the class. This should be done in a timely manner. The Coordinator will also provide the student with letters to be given to instructors detailing the student's needs, and will be available to serve as a liaison between the student and the instructor. If necessary, the student, the Coordinator and the instructor may meet to discuss accommodations or auxiliary aids. Instructors are expected to make reasonable accommodations. However, they are not expected to lower course standards or quality of student work. Requesting Modifications of Course Requirements If a student with a disability is unclear about what modifications are possible in order to make requirements accessible, the student should contact the Coordinator of Disabilities Services to discuss options. Requests for course substitutions should be submitted in writing to the Dean, who consults with the Vice President for Academic Programs. If approval for substitution is given, the documentation of the decision remains with the student’s permanent record in the Office of the Registrar. Requesting Modifications of Degree Requirements A full-time student should complete the degree requirements within six years of initial registration at Shenandoah University. Time extensions may be granted when approved by the Vice President for Academic Programs. If a student with a disability is unclear about modifications for degree requirements, the student should contact the Coordinator of Disabilities Services. COURSE SUBSTITUTION PROCEDURE Course requirements are designed to provide a comprehensive education in both liberal arts and the student’s major field of study. Shenandoah University recognizes that some students, as a result of a disability, may be unable to satisfy specific course requirements for degree completion. Shenandoah University has a formal course substitution procedure. The course substitution will be considered in relation to the student’s intended major. Courses that are deemed by the University to be essential elements of a course of study are required and cannot be substituted. A waiver of a subject from high school does not guarantee a substitution by the University. A student with a disability who would like to request a course substitution as a reasonable accommodation should follow the procedure outlined below in a timely manner. Since the student may be required to enroll in as many as four semesters of a foreign language or two semesters of mathematics, the request should be initiated not less than four semesters from degree completion. 1. Submit the appropriate written documentation verifying that the disability substantially limits the successful completion of the required course to the Disability Services office. 2. Write a letter to the Coordinate for Disabilities Services requesting the course substitution with a person al statement indicating the reasons for the request including prior experiences with the subject, names of courses and grades, as well as statements from high school personnel and/or college faculty attesting to the student’s efforts and diligence in attempting to master the subject matter. 3. If there is evidence that a substitution is warranted, the Coordinator will forward the petition to the Dean of the student’s College or School. 4. The student will meet with the Dean to hear the final decision rendered. The student has the right to appeal the decision by following the Grievance Procedure outlined in the Student Handbook. 5. The approved documentation of substitution will remain with the student’s permanent record. Standard course requirements will remain applicable until the student has received a copy of that documentation.
The following procedures should insure that you receive the appropriate and reasonable accommodations: 1. As early in the semester as possible you should contact Disabilities Services in the Academic Success Center to request accommodations. Initially, you must provide current documentation regarding your disability. Guidelines for documentation are found on this website or can be obtained at the Academic Success Center. Accommodations are not retroactive, but begin after documentation is presented. You must meet with someone in Disability Services at the beginning of each semester so that you can obtain notification letters for new professors. At your meeting in the beginning of the semester, you and the Coordinator will explore appropriate and reasonable accommodations for your courses. You will be given a notification letter to give to each faculty in the courses for which you desire accommodations. 2. It is your responsibility to meet with your professors, hand-deliver the notification letter, and discuss your needs with them. This must be done in a timely manner. At these appointments, you should explain your concerns and review the syllabus, course requirements and test formats. Based on this conversation, you should discuss with each professor any accommodations that you may need. Please keep in mind that your unique abilities, needs and requests may be new and unfamiliar to professors. Just as you expect professors to be understanding, you should be sensitive to their concerns and possible confusion. The notification letter will provide documentation of your disability and suggestions for the types of accommodations that may be useful. You will need to work with each of your professors to determine if the accommodations are appropriate for a specific course. You should never simply hand a professor a copy of your notification letter and assume that this is all you need to do. You will want to discuss with each professor which accommodations are necessary and how each will be carried out. During your discussions, be sure to remind the professor that Disabilities Services will provide any necessary logistical or technical support such as proctoring for test administration, readers, scribes, alternate test locations, taped materials, etc. It is your responsibility to inform the Coordinator of any arrangements that you and the professor have made that require support. 3. You are responsible for contacting the Coordinator of Disability Services should any problem arise during the semester with regard to your disability or accommodations. Alternate Format Textbooks Students with documented visual or reading disabilities may request textbooks in an alternate format. Alternate formats may include: Large print Braille 4-track audio tapes or AudioPlus CD’s from Recordings for the Blind & Dyslexic E-text from textbook publishers 2-track audiotapes produced in-house CDs of texts scanned in-house
The Academic Success Center has 4-track tape recorders and CD players available for loan to students who use materials from Recordings for the Blind & Dyslexic. Students who use e-text obtained from publishers or created in the Academic Success Center will need to have the following installed on their computers: Adobe Acrobat (download free) A screen reader such as JAWS, or ReadPlease (download free.)
Procedure for Requesting Alternate Text 1. A students seeking alternate format texts must be approved for this accommodation. 2. Because it generally takes 4-6 weeks (sometimes longer for Braille) to obtain alternate texts, the student should pre-register during the time set aside at the end of each semester for the following semester’s classes. 3. The student should bring a copy of his/her schedule for the following semester to the Academic Success Center and indicate for which classes he/she is requesting books. The Academic Success Center will obtain information from the Bookstore for the books needed and arrange for alternate texts. 4. The student must purchase a print copy of the text when the semester begins to avoid copyright infringement. Alternate format materials are for that student’s use only and may not be copied or sold. 5. If the semester has already begun, the student should bring his/her copy of any book requested to the Academic Success Center so that we can obtain the pertinent information. A student who requests a book at the beginning of the semester should understand that it may take several weeks to obtain the alternate format text. 6. If a text will be scanned in-house, the student may be asked to leave his/her copy of the text with the Academic Success Center. The book will be cut, scanned, and returned to the student rebound. 7. The Academic Success Center will take the student’s specific format request into consideration when obtaining materials. However, the format obtained will be depend on how quickly the text is needed and the availability of various formats. 8. All materials must be returned to the Academic Success Center at the end of the semester, along with any playback equipment loaned to the student. | ||||
