Academic Accommodations Procedures
Sept. 24, 2010
HI all,
I know I touched on this in the weekly newsletter BUT this is REALLY IMPORTANT
since so many of you use Academic accommodations, including the alternative
testing program. I apologize for the length, but everyone has different needs.
I have had many people who are not notifying professors about academic
accommodations and expect the professor to magically know they are a disabled
student plus many people are showing up for an exam and have not let us know they
are coming. In some cases they have not told the professor either so there is no
exam waiting for them in our office.
If you think you need academic accommodations while at the University, YOU have
to do a few things to make sure it all happens smoothly.
1. Request an academic accommodation letter from this office.
2. Review the listed academic accommodations. They should be what you agreed
to when you registered. If you feel that your needs have changed and you
need different or additional accommodations, make an appointment to
discuss this with either Nancy or Carolyn, and provide
reason/documentation to support the changes you request.
3. Take this letter to every professor you have this semester IF you will
need academic accommodation in that professor’s class.
4. Discuss this letter with the professor and determine exactly how your
accommodation will happen.
5. If you have testing accommodations, will the professor proctor your exam
or will you take the exam at the Disability Resource Center? Does the
professor want you to remind him/her to send the exam to the testing
center? Are you taking the exam at the same time as the class or is there
a conflict and you need to negotiate an alternative test time for your
exam?
6. If you have attendance accommodations due to unexpected complications with
your disability, how will you notify the professor and what is a
reasonable level of attendance - - if there is a lot of in class
interaction then very few additional absences are reasonable.
7. If you need help with notes, does the professor post notes on line? Can
you get a copy prior to class? Can you ask another student to share notes
with you (as a bonus you could form a study group and everyone will make
better grades) If you are shy, will the professor help you recruit a
volunteer note taker? Is there a TA to help with notes in the class?
8. If you need to have a special place to sit in class to be able to see the
board/screen/professor or to help you focus, how will you get the seat you
need?
9. If you need text in an alternative format, will the professor send you an
electronic version of any hand outs? Have you come to the office to
request your e-text? We need time to process an e-text request - - some
publishers are very quick, some are very slow. In any case you have to
have a copy of the text book that you have purchased before we can make a
request. IF we cannot get an electronic copy, we may have to cut your
book apart and scan it, or you can scan it in the Library, as you need it,
if you do not have a scanner, and you have to have a program on your
computer that will read it to you.
10. Discuss your particular accommodations with the professor, work together
to make sure your receive REASONABLE accommodations.
TESTING PROGRAM
To make the testing program run smoothly, you have to make testing reservations
so we know to expect you and to expect an exam from your professor.
IF you are taking the exam at the same time as the class, after talking with your
professor, you simply fill out a test reservation form and leave it in our office
a MINIMUM of 5 working days PRIOR to the exam (that is usually a WEEK before the
exam).
IF you need to take the exam at a DIFFERENT time from the class
start early,
different time of day - - you have 3 classes in a row, or
a different time and/or day because you have an evening class
then we need to have the professor’s SIGNATURE on our test schedule form to
indicate you have discussed this with the professor and have his/her permission
to take the exam at a different time.
NOTE: the professor may give you an alternate form of the exam if your exam time
DOES NOT overlap the original class time. Many will not, but some will.
NOTE: when filling out the test reservation form we need the CLASS number (ECO310
or HIST 100 or PSY220 etc.) and Professor’s ACTUAL name ( not nick name - - some
professors use a shortened form of their name to help you but is not their ACTUAL
name)
If you need a reader or scribe or word processor for your exam we NEED MORE than
the 5 business days to make this happen for you
Exams are starting to happen - - Make sure you have given your accommodation
letters to professors and discussed your testing accommodations.
MIDTERM date is October 18 - - 1/2 way through the term!
from Oct 4 through Oct 28.
So expect MIDTERM exams
WE have LIMITED space reserved all the time, and we have to reserve MORE space
when more than 10 people need to take an exam, or someone needs a reader or a
scribe. HELP us HELP YOU.
HERE is our FORM Page: http://www.albany.edu/disability/forms.shtml
Thanks,
Carolyn
Carolyn Malloch
Assistant Director
Disabiltiy Resource Center
University at Albany
1400 Washington Ave.
Albany, NY 12222
email: cmalloch@uamail.albany.edu
phone: 518 442 5490
fax: 518 442 5400