Madison College – Deaf/Hard of Hearing Services
Student Policies & Procedures for Interpreting Services
(Effective 5/1/10)
General Contact Information
Interpreting Requests
Jana Mauldin, Lead Interpreter
Sandy Hall, Director - Disability Resource
Services
Front Desk
(to schedule appointments w/ specialists)
608-219-6598
interpreters@matcmadison.edu
(text/voice)
608-246-6352 (v)
jmauldin@matcmadison.edu
608-234-4279 (vp)
608-246-6791 (v)
sghall@matcmadison.edu
608-246-6076 (v)
Location of Services
Interpreting services are provided to students at any Madison College campus. Our office is
at the Truax campus, room 159AA – Student Development Center.
Procedure for Receiving Services
1) Meet with your DRS Specialist. Before your first semester, the meeting must
be in person; for future semesters the meeting may be in person, through phone,
or email.
2) Tell the Interpreter Coordinator when you have registered for classes.
Then we can start scheduling interpreters for your classes.
It is recommended that you register at least 4 weeks before the start of a semester.
Policies for Using Interpreters
1. Communication with Interpreter Coordinator
It is the student’s responsibility to schedule interpreters as needed. You must inform the
Interpreter Coordinator when any of the following happens in your class:
 Day(s) of class cancelled by instructor
 Room number change
 Start or end time of class change
 Field trips
Informing the Interpreter Coordinator will ensure continued services and the ability to
provide accurate information to substitute interpreters when necessary.
2. Staff Interpreters vs. Contract Interpreters
Staff interpreters will be used first to cover classes. If necessary, freelance interpreters
will be used to cover additional hours.
3. Missing the First Day of Class
If you miss the first day of class, you must contact the Interpreter Coordinator. No
interpreter will attend class until the Interpreter Coordinator is contacted and the issue
is resolved.
4. Exams
D/hh students typically remain in the classroom for their exams. The standard policy
for Madison College (in the classroom or Testing Center) is as follows:
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Directions for the exam and communication between the student and
instructor or test proctor (i.e. asking the instructor or proctor for
clarification of a question) may be interpreted. Any interpreting of an exam
beyond that must be discussed and agreed to by the instructor and DRS
Specialist prior to the exam.
5. Planned Absences
If you plan to miss a class, you must tell the Interpreter Coordinator:
 Your name
 The class name
 The date or day you will be absent
The Interpreter Coordinator will then contact your interpreter.
Tell the Interpreter Coordinator about absences as early as possible.
6. Interpreter Wait Time
The interpreter will wait 15 minutes at your classroom. After this time, you will be
considered a no-show and the interpreter will leave. If you show up after this time, you
can still choose to stay for class without an interpreter. Your instructor has his/her own
attendance policy that you must follow as well.
7. No-Shows
No-Show definition: You don’t show up for a class in the first 15 minutes AND you
don’t contact the Interpreter Coordinator in advance.
16-week, semester-long classes: A student with 3 no-shows per class, per semester,
will have his/her interpreting services suspended for that class.
Classes less than 16 weeks (i.e. 4-, 6-, or 8-week classes): A student with 1 no-show
per class, per semester, will have his/her interpreting services suspended for that class.
8. What to do if Your Interpreters are Suspended
If interpreting services are suspended because of no-shows, you must arrange a meeting
with the your DRS Specialist to discuss the issue and to determine whether interpreting
services will be reinstated.
9. Dropped Classes
If you decide to drop a class, you must inform the Interpreter Coordinator. You do NOT
need to give a reason for dropping a class.
10. Interpreter Requests for Meetings, Extracurricular Activities, etc.
We provide interpreters for functions or meetings outside of class time. You must
request an interpreter through the Interpreter Coordinator at least 2 days ahead of time.
We will try to honor requests with less notice, but may not be able to find an
interpreter. It is best to give at least a one-week notice to find interpreters.
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Interpreter Code of Professional Conduct
Any interpreter working for Madison College, staff or freelance, is expected to follow
the Code of Professional Conduct (CPC) established by the Registry of Interpreters for
the Deaf and the National Association of the Deaf. However, this does not prevent
interpreters from informing the D/hh Specialist of classroom accommodation issues.
Issues that will be discussed include, but are not limited to: student no-shows,
communication problems, difficulty meeting student needs, and any issue the
interpreter is unable to resolve with the student. For a copy of the CPC you can find it
online at www.rid.org/ethics
Grievance Procedure
If you have concerns about interpreters, DRS policies/procedures, or DRS staff
members, first discuss it directly with the person(s) involved.
If you feel the issue is still not resolved, please contact Sandy Hall, Director of DRS.
If you continue to feel your issue has not been resolved after talking to the Director of
DRS, you may follow the procedures for Conflict Management, set forth by Madison
College. Madison College has an ADA Coordinator and may be involved at this level.
Complete information can be found at
www.matcmadison.edu/matc/studentresources/rights/cms/procedures.shtm#conflict
Please keep a copy of this document for your reference.
I understand and agree to the above policies and procedures.
Student Signature
Date
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