FROM THE DIRECTOR
Welcome returning and new students to the Office of Disability Services (ODS).  I hope each of you had an enjoyable summer and are ready for the 2007 fall semester.  I would like to formally welcome two new ODS staff members, Terry Casey and Heidi Walden.  Terry joined our staff last March and comes to ODS from the Texas School for the Deaf in Austin.  Terry is one of the ODS staff interpreting team members.  Heidi joins us from Harcourt Assessment in San Antonio and is the newest General Disability Specialist who will be assisting with testing coordination, serving students with ADD/ADHD and other general disabilities.  She will also manage the new ODS TRACS site (see below).  Please join me in welcoming Terry and Heidi.  In addition, we have completed a reorganization of the office which includes a new title and responsibilities for Jenni Ward who now also serves as the ODS Assistant Director.   Thank you to all students who responded last year to the ODS office visit surveys and annual Service Quality Survey.  We received some excellent suggestions which we have incorporated into policy and process changes this year.  Several articles in this newsletter highlight some of the more significant changes including changes to on-line testing, ODS TRACS site and Academic Accommodation Letter process.  Please contact me if you have any questions, concerns or suggestions.  Have a great fall semester.  

Tina Schultz, Director

ON-LINE ADVANCE REGISTRATION  

Advance Registration sign up for the 2008 spring semester for registered ODS students is: 8:00 a.m. Monday, August 13 to 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, October 3.  To sign up visit Advance Registration and follow the links to ODS System for Students.  There will be no names accepted after 11:59 p.m. on October 3.

ACCOMMODATION LETTERS AND FORMS

This semester the ODS will launch a new on-line request process for pick up of the Academic Accommodation Letter and Forms.  The on-line request will allow registered ODS students with approved accommodations to request their letter for the semester and select the number of classes they are taking.  The letter and forms will be ready for pick up 24 hours after the request is submitted.  To make a request, visit the restricted ODS System for Students and follow the links to Accommodation Letter.  ODS staff will require that you present a Texas State ID or driver’s license to pick up your letter.  We hope this new service is time saving and helpful to you.

LIBRARY NEWS FALL 2007

The library has several new short instructional videos that can help you get started with your research including: Find Articles @ Alkek Library ; Find Books @ Alkek Library ; and Export Catalog citations to Refworks.  To find out more about the videos search for “alkek library” at You Tube.  Over the summer, the library catalog’s “My Account” feature was launched.  Now you can: 1) renew items online, 2) turn on “Your Reading History” to keep a list of items checked out in the past, 3) save searches, and 4) create email alerts.  Instant messaging has also been added to the Ask a Librarian page, just add and you are ready to go to several accounts.  The library has also added several new databases during the past few months.  Read more about the new databases at the library’s blog, which has links to each database so you can try them out.  For help finding books and articles for your research or any other questions about the library, contact the reference desk at 245-2686 or use the Ask a Librarian service at.  You can also schedule an appointment with Barbara Potts by calling 245-2685.  More information is located at Disability Services in the Library .

 
TEXAS STATE SCHOLARSHIPS
This spring, Texas State will award scholarships designated for students with disabilities.  These include the Access, Cooper, Middleton, and Nesenholtz Scholarships which give preference to students with physical disabilities.  Scholarship amounts will range from $250.00 to $1,000.00 based on the number of qualified scholarship applicants.  To be considered for any of these scholarships, a student must have a completed Texas State General Scholarship application on file with the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships by October 1, and an ODS Scholarship Application. The deadline to submit the ODS application and any specific scholarship application is November 1.  For more information visit the ODS TRACS site.  Information will be updated as information and approval is granted by the Office of Financial Aid. 

CAMPUS CONSTRUCTION & ACCESS
Texas State has begun work on numerous construction projects which will impact access for students with physical or mobility impairments.  Some of the projects include the temporary closure of the 2nd and 3rd floors of Pleasant Street garage, elimination of accessible parking on North LBJ, the closure of Concho Street for the “Concho Green” project, and closure of Read Street for the Campus Recreation expansion.  The Campus Master Plan Construction Maps website shows all of the major projects and accessible routes.  The map is updated often so it is important to check back regularly.  If you have any questions or concerns regarding these projects please feel free to contact Tina.    

STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES
Student Support Services (SSS) offers a variety of FREE services to Texas State undergraduate students who have a need for academic and other support services.  The program is funded by the U.S. Department of Education to help students adapt to college life, excel in the classroom, and ultimately reach their goal of graduation. SSS accomplishes these objectives by providing services such as one-on-one tutoring, advising, financial aid assistance, study skills, cultural enrichment activities and campus referrals.  SSS is free, but only serves a limited number of students who apply and meet federal guidelines.  Students are eligible if they are a first generation college student (neither parent graduated with a bachelor’s degree from a four-year college or university), meet income guidelines or have a documented disability on file with the Texas State Office of Disability Services.  For more information, contact SSS at 245-2275 or stop by their office located in the LBJ Student Center, Suite 5-6.1.  Space in SSS is limited, so it is important to apply early!

ON-LINE TESTING UPDATE
A student must be qualified for testing accommodations based on a documented disability to take an exam at the ODS.  All exams to be taken at the ODS must be scheduled through the on-line Student System (Testing Accommodation System) available through the ODS web site. Students should regularly check the status of the exams they have scheduled on the web through the ODS System for Students “My Testing Schedule” link.  Please keep the following items in mind when scheduling tests through ODS:

*A separate request must be completed for each exam at least 48 hours (two business days) before the time the test is scheduled to begin.  Any request submitted with less than the required 48 hours notice will be denied by the ODS.

*Due to limited space for testing, the ODS can only administer exams according to the times listed in the Testing Accommodation System. 

*Time allowed for the exam in class must be provided on the request.  The length of time for an exam in class is determined by the professor, not ODS.  The ODS will schedule an exam based on the time allowed for the exam in class plus the student’s approved extended time. 

*The ODS will only administer an exam with the accommodations for which the student has been approved to receive based on the student’s disability documentation.   If additional accommodations (i.e. unlimited time or more than the approved time for an exam) are requested, arrangements will need to be made for testing through the faculty member of the course.

*All requests for final exams in fall and spring semesters must be submitted by the last regular class day of the semester.  This will enable the ODS to ensure that students have access to all of the necessary accommodations for final exams.  For final exams, if double time or more is an approved accommodation, either the 7:30 a.m. or 11:15 a.m. testing times must be selected.     

The on-line system only shows your current schedule therefore if you need to take a test from a previous semester you must contact Bruce at 245-3451 or e-mail dc06.  The ODS will contact your instructor for the exam and make arrangements to accommodate your requests in these cases.

ADA COMMITTEE
The university ADA/504 Compliance and Steering Committee on Disabilities will hold its fall meeting in October.  The committee provides guidance on access and services for persons with disabilities at Texas State.  Two ODS students serve as members of the committee.  If you would like to propose an agenda item contact Tina at the ODS, or the ADA Coordinator, Dr. Sherri Benn at 245-2278.  Meetings are open and notices are sent in advance to all members of the Texas State community.       

WELCOME TERRY
I am a child of deaf adults (CODA), a native Austinite, and graduate of Del Valle High School.  My employment experience ranges from work in warehouse and restaurant management before I found my calling as a sign language interpreter.  I have been interpreting for 5 years and come to Texas State from the Texas School for the Deaf.  I believe I have found a great place to apply my skills here at Texas State.

NEW ODS TRACS SITE
The ODS TRACS system will be up and running for the fall semester.  Registered ODS students will receive access and an email invitation to visit the site.  Here are a few of the options you will see in TRACS: 1) You will be emailed new announcements or changes that occur within the ODS office and you can view old announcements, 2) You will find a calendar of events to help you keep track of important dates such as Advanced Registration and the last day to schedule final exams in the ODS office, 3) In the Resource tab you will be able to download various forms to request for services including requests for books on tape, request for an interpreter, and much more.  All updates and announcements will be sent to your Texas State email account, so be sure and check it on a regular basis.  If at anytime you do not wish to continue receiving email updates and announcements from ODS contact Heidi Walden to be removed from the site.

WELCOME HEIDI
I am excited to be the newest member to join the Office of Disability Services team as a General Disability Specialist.  My education and job experiences have taken me all over the world including Kenya, Australia, and New York City.  I received by Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations from Harding University, and will also be joining Texas State as a student this fall to earn my Masters in Mass Communication.  Although I am not a native of San Marcos, I am quickly learning my way around campus and love the close knit community of Texas State. I look forward to seeing the campus full of students, staff and faculty this coming semester, and feel honored to be a part of Texas State.

NEW DARS OFFICE
Clients of the Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) now have access to a full-time counselor at Texas State.  John Grayson who previously met with DARS clients in the ODS office, has relocated to 308 ASB North.  He is assisted by Helen Armendariz.  The DARS office is open 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  Clients who need to contact or schedule an appointment can call 245-3625.  DARS clients who already work with another DARS counselor will continue with that counselor, but the campus DARS office can serve as a liaison with other DARS counselors to assist with problems and help facilitate communications.  Contact DARS to find out if they can help you with testing, obtaining accommodations and other supportive services, assistance with tuition, books, assistive devices, and some medical treatments.  Financial assistance is on a needs basis as DARS must consider your income, and usually your parent’s income.  Tuition assistance is now calculated according to the number of credit hours you are taking.  DARS brochures are available at the ODS. 

ALTERNATE FORMAT MATERIALS
The ODS continues to update and make improvements to their request for information in alternate format (books on tape accommodation). If you are approved through ODS for this accommodation, we encourage you to submit your request forms as soon as you know what books you will need for the semester.  The ODS orders some materials from Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic and employs readers to read materials not available through RFB&D.  Therefore please remember that your requests take 1-2 weeks for processing, so you must allow for this time before items are received or reading assignments completed.  Request forms can be picked up from the front desk staff or printed directly from the ODS website or TRACS site and need to be filled out completely before being processed. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the quality of your materials or the process for alternate format materials please contact Jenni Ward.