Office Hours & Location
Kirkland Building
Room 156
Open during regular business hours throughout the school year
To provide evening services, our office hours are from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays.
Initial Process for Requesting Academic Accommodations and Services
Students requesting accommodations and/or services on the basis of a disability must first submit documentation of the disability which meets the college requirements as outlined on the documentation requirements for disabilities form. Professionals providing the report must have appropriate credentials for diagnosis and treatment of the disability. Information on documentation of specific disabilities can be obtained by selecting from the documentation requirements for disabilities form. A meeting with the student to discuss the documentation, history of accommodations and preferences regarding accommodations and services is a critical part of this review. In the following semesters, after the student determines which accommodations/services to request for each class she only needs to complete a Request for Accommodations Form obtained from the Special Needs Coordinator.
Faculty members who suspect that a student may be in need of services may make a referral to the Special Needs Coordinator by completing a Student Referral Form.
Why must the information be current?
The quality and completeness of the disability documentation provide the staff of the Special Needs office with information to both to determine the student’s eligibility for accommodations and plan appropriate academic accommodations and services. College academic requirements can require a different scope of services than the student received in high school. Courses will provide different challenges. As a result, information that is current is crucial to appropriate planning.
Policies & Procedures
Accommodations and Services
Classroom and Exam Accommodations
- At the beginning of each semester students who have completed the initial process for requesting accommodations services must submit a request for the accommodations and/or services they require for that term. Students may request only the accommodations and services agreed upon in the initial planning meeting. Students who may wish additional accommodations and services during a semester should contact the Special Needs Coordinator and request a meeting to discuss this additional assistance.
- Once a letter is sent to faculty regarding in class accommodations, the student is expected to meet with the faculty member to discuss the implementation of the accommodations. For example, if a student is allowed extended time for an exam and a distraction free environment, the student and faculty member should discuss in advance how this can be provided. In addition, the faculty member may have questions that can be raised at this time. Developing the best plan for providing in class assistance to students is a collaborative process and one that should be ongoing over the course of the semester.
- Students requesting extra time for in class exams must consider whether this will result in missing portions of other class periods. Arrangements should be made to either begin the exam earlier or to take it at a later point in the day. Please check if you have a class immediately after one for which you are requesting extra time on exams. Discuss your options with your professor well in advance of the first exam day.
Note taker Services
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Note takers are volunteers from the student’s class who are willing to share their notes. Volunteer note takers are provided with a notebook containing carbonless paper. The note taker keeps the original and the student receives the copy. Most students identify themselves to the note taker and receive the copies at the end of each class period. If a student wishes to maintain confidentiality, they should indicate this to the Special Need Coordinator. (SNC) In that case the note taker will send the notes to the SNC through campus mail. The SNC will then scan the notes and send them to the student. This will result in a delay of about 3 days.
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If a student misses a class, the note taker will send the notes to the SNC through Campus mail. The student may not request the notes for the day they are absent from the note taker. The student will have to discuss the possibility of receiving the notes with the SNC.
- The faculty member for the course will not be involved in the note taker process. This includes decisions regarding notes for missed class periods.
Alternative Format Materials
- Students requesting electronic format for academic texts must sign an electronic text distribution agreement. This stipulates that the student must purchase a copy of any textbook received in alternative format, and that the electronic text will not be shared with any other person.
- The SNC will meet with students requiring electronic text format each semester to review current course needs. Students are advised to inform the coordinator as soon as possible of course changes.
- Students may stipulate a preference for the Alternative Text Format (electronic text, mp3, RB&D). While the coordinator will attempt to provide the preferred format, it may not always be efficient or possible to do so. Other formats may be substituted as required.
Assistance for Low-Vision
- Students with low-vision can request scribes who will sit beside them in class and take down notes from the board in large print.
- A CCTV which provides visual enlargement of materials can be requested for classroom use. This equipment is generally used with a microscope for lab use in science classes. Students who wish to use this equipment should inform the SNC at the beginning of the semester.
- The library has a computer station equipped with Jaws, Zoomtext and Kurzweil 1000. Please see Mr. Calhoun, Director/Library Media Center