Accommodation Descriptions for Faculty
Nearly 20% of the ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ student population is registered with SAS as having disabilities, making them eligible for academic accommodations as outlined under the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act). The purpose of accommodations is to remove barriers that exist due to a disability, and they do not serve to fundamentally alter the learning outcomes of a course. Documentation is reviewed, and if accommodations are approved, faculty receive notification through the AIM system email.
Below are common accommodations, what they mean, and how they may be provided to meet ADA standards. Faculty should feel free at any time to consult with Meg Hegener, Director of Access Services.
Extended Time Testing:
The most common accommodation, this provides students a percentage of extra time for exams, quizzes beyond what the rest of the class is given. An important distinction is that time calculated is based on what the class is given, not the amount of time the test or quiz is expected to take. These guidelines also apply to timed exams on The Spring.
Examples based on 50% extended time accommodation:
- Example 1: Class is 80 minutes long. A student with approved extended time of ‘time and a half’, should be given 120 minutes.
- Example 2: Class is 80 minutes long. The class appears to need more time to complete the exam or quiz, so they are given an extra 20 minutes to finish. Student(s) with approved 50% extended time, would be given 150 minutes.
- Example 3: The Final Exam is written such that students are anticipated to take two hours to complete it. ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ final exam periods are three hours. Students with approved extended time of 50% are given 4.5 hours.
Distraction Reduced Location:
Students approved for this accommodation need to take tests in a setting with minimal distractions. Students may choose to test in the Annex to meet this need. Their request will go through AIM, and an email prompt will go to the professor requesting that the exam be sent though the secure link to our testing system.
Digital Notetaking:
Students approved for digital notes are eligible for an account through the education software, Glean. This provides students with transcripted notes and organizational formats for entering course material.
Students using Glean are required to sign a confidentiality and non-distribution agreement, which is filed in their AIM account.
Notetaking Support
Students approved for notetaking support, or for classes in which Glean will not meet the student’s needs, faculty will be asked to identify a volunteer note taker. Since this position is not paid, faculty may offer incentive(s) for this role.
Use of a laptop for testing and notetaking:
Students approved for this accommodation due to disability, will use a laptop in class for notetaking, and will also use a laptop for test taking. SAS has testing laptops that do not have internet connection for secure test taking. If students take exams in the Annex, and have a laptop accommodation, they will be issued a laptop for the exam period.
Closed Captioning:
All video used in class must have captioning for students with hearing impairment to ensure equal access.
Use of an FM system:
Faculty will be asked to wear a small microphone during class, which transmits to the student’s hearing aid. SAS provides this equipment.
Texts in Alternative Format:
Students with this accommodation work with SAS to obtain access to digital copies of assigned textbooks. Additional texts for courses uploaded to The Spring should be uploaded in formats that are compatible with the platform’s accessibility tools.
Flexibility in attendance/for deadlines:
It is recommended extensions for deadlines for assignments should not exceed 48 hours. Students with chronic medical conditions may experience situational needs that affect their attendance more than non-disabled peers and as such should not be penalized.