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Volume VIII, Issue I (Fall 2005)
Welcome back returning students, and new students to the Office of Disability Services (ODS) and Texas State University-San Marcos (Texas State). In an ongoing effort to improve services for Texas State students with disabilities, the ODS sent a web based survey last April to all active students, faculty members and administrative staff. The Student User Survey and Faculty/Staff Administrative Survey were designed to obtain feedback on ODS services, and solicit recommendations on ways the ODS office can better meet the needs of students with disabilities and the university community. The results from both surveys provided valuable feedback to the ODS. Utilizing this feedback, the ODS staff worked during the summer to modify a number of office processes and procedures which we will introduce in several articles throughout this newsletter. We hope these changes will provide better service to all members of the university community. We will distribute these survey instruments again in April 2006 to help us identify additional areas for improvement. In addition, the ODS experienced several staffing changes over the summer. In June, we welcomed Jill Hutchins as the new ODS Cognitive Disability Specialist. A few weeks later, Dawn Bayardo was hired as a Texas State Service Specialist for the new Round Rock Higher Education Center (RRHEC) campus. Dawn will serve as the ODS liaison at the RRHEC. Both Jill and Dawn introduce themselves in this newsletter. The ODS also bid farewell in July to Tamara Dowda who left her position as Liaison Interpreter to return to her hometown of Houston. We will miss Tamara but hope to find a replacement for this position very soon. Please feel free to contact me at Tina@txstate.edu if you have any questions or concerns. Have a great semester!
Tina Schultz
Advance Registration
The 2006 spring semester Advance Registration sign up for students registered with the ODS is Monday, August 15 through Monday, October 3. To sign up, stop by the ODS Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. and complete an “Information Update and Advance Registration Sign Up” form. Students can also sign up in the One-Stop Center at the RRHEC. There will be no names accepted over the phone or any names accepted after the deadline.
504/ADA Compliance and Steering Committee
The university 504/ADA Compliance and Steering Committee meets in October and April. The purpose of the committee is to make recommendations on improving access and services for persons with disabilities at Texas State. Two ODS students serve as members of the committee. All meetings are publicized via e-mail and are open to the public. If you have questions regarding this committee, please contact Dr. Sherri Benn, ADA Coordinator at 245-2278.
Faculty Notification
Many faculty members who provided feedback last April to the faculty/staff survey were unclear how the notification by a student of their eligibility for accommodations related to the student testing at the ODS. As a result of this feedback, we have changed how the ODS notifies faculty of a student’s eligibility for accommodations. Previously, the ODS sent a copy of a each student’s Academic Accommodation Letter (AAL) only to faculty who requested a copy on the Academic Accommodation Form (AAF) after the signed form was returned by the student. Starting this semester, the ODS will send a copy of the AAL to every faculty member who signs the form after it is returned. General information will also be sent regarding testing and accommodations. In addition, the ODS will only include a student’s in-class accommodations on the AAL. We hope these changes will help improve services for you, our students. Remember, you must return the completed AAF and AL each semester for your accommodations to be officially “in place” for that semester.
The ODS Staff
Ellen Cagle Staff Interpreter
Debbie Cole Interpreter Coordinator
Bruce Coonce General Disability Specialist
Lisandra Gold Staff Interpreter
Scott Janke Psychologist
Jill Hutchins Cognitive Disability Specialist
Elizabeth S. Mello Administrative Assistant
Gloria Rodriguez Administrative Assistant
Tina Schultz Director
Amalie Wheat Staff Interpreter
Resa Young Staff Interpreter
TBN Liaison Interpreter
Career Resources
The NBDC National Resume Database is a FREE service for job seekers with disabilities. The database allows you to post and update your resume, and keep track of other personal information. The service is also used by employers to post job positions. There are several benefits to this service: 1) No fees, 2) You will not be asked to disclose your disability, 3) You can update your resume on-line 24 hours a day, 4) You can search new job opportunities daily. For more information visit: www.nbdc.com. The Texas State Career Services library also has a variety of disability-related career resources to assist in the job search. Two of these resources are “Six Steps to Employment for People with Disabilities,” and “No One is Unemployable: Creative Solutions to Overcoming Barriers to Employment.” In addition, Career Services staff member Greta Fenley is available to meet with ODS students. Greta’s experience as a career counselor can help students, from freshman to seniors, plan and implement strategies to help them successfully meet the challenges of the job search. Greta can be reached at 245-2645 or email gf11@txstate.edu.
A Welcome From Jill
Hello, my name is Jill Hutchins and I am the new Cognitive Disability Specialist here at Texas State. I have come all the way from Vermont and am really enjoying the change. Not only is it different to be in Texas, but the colleges where I previously worked had less than 500 students. I am very excited to be here and have the opportunity to work with students with Learning Disabilities, ADHD and Traumatic Brain Injury. I come from a background that has encouraged me to believe the most important thing I can do for a student is empower them with knowledge about themselves, which can be used to help them on the road to self advocacy and independence. Not only have I been working with this population in different ways for the last ten years, but I also have a Learning Disability and understand the difficulties it can present. I encourage you to stop by the ODS to say hello. I am very excited for the opportunity to work with you in the upcoming years.
Changes in Testing at the ODS
The 2005 ODS surveys provided a lot of feedback regarding ODS testing policies and procedures. As a result of this feedback, the ODS has implemented several changes which we believe will allow us to better serve students who take tests at the ODS. Testing changes include:
- Due to the generosity of Academic Affairs, the ODS will now provide blue books and scantron forms for exams.
- In order to provide the full time and a half extended time of three hours and forty-five minutes for final exams (which are two and a half hours in class), we will begin finals at 7:30 a.m., 11:15 a.m., and 3:00 p.m. starting this semester.
- Students are now advised to arrive at least five minutes before their scheduled exam time. This will allow the ODS staff time to check in each student scheduled to take an exam, and ensure that those students who are scheduled to test in the same room can start their exams at the same time. If you do not notify the office that you may be late we cannot guarantee we can administer your exam
Remember, if you are planning to take an academic exam at the ODS, a completed “Testing Accommodation Form” or a “Testing Accommodation Form-Final Exam” (both are available on the ODS web site) must be submitted to the ODS a minimum of 48 hours (two business days) before the time the test is scheduled to begin. Due to the large volume of tests we administer during finals we cannot make any exceptions to the 48 hour notice.
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. This is accomplished by providing services such as one-on-one tutoring, counseling, academic 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 meet one or more of the following criteria; first generation college student (neither parent graduated with a bachelor degree from a four-year college or university), meet income guidelines or be a student with a documented disability. For more information, contact SSS at 245-2275 or stop by their office located in the LBJ Student Center, Suite 5-6.1. Students who have disability documentation on file in the ODS should inform SSS. Space in SSS is limited, so it is important to apply early!
Scholarships
Every spring, Texas State awards several scholarships to students with disabilities with amounts ranging from $250.00 to $1,000.00. To be considered for a scholarship, students must complete a General Scholarship application available from the Office of Financial Aid (deadline is October 1), and an ODS Scholarship Application (available upon request from ODS). Watch for more information on scholarships in the spring issue of The Access Digest. Also feel free to come by and check out the ODS scholarship notebook!
DARS May Benefit You
John Grayson, a counselor with the Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS), is available to meet with DARS clients on campus in the ODS office. All appointments must be made through the DARS San Marcos Office at 512-353-8627 or toll free 1-800-687-8442. To find out if DARS can help you with testing, tuition, books, assitive devices, and some medical treatment, pick up a DARS brochure at the ODS. You may qualify for tuition assistance up to $960.00 per semester!
Recommended Professors
The ODS maintains a list of “Recommended Professors” which is available for review in the ODS office. These Texas State professors have been identified by ODS students as having a teaching style that accommodates the unique needs of students with disabilities. The list is not comprehensive, and we need your help in adding to the list of names. If you would like to recommend a professor for the list, please submit the name any time to the ODS office.
AIDS Memorial Quilt
The ODS in conjunction with the Alcohol & Drug Resource Center, Student Health Center and University Police Department will host a display of panels from the AIDS Memorial Quilt in September. Verification of attendance will be provided for those who attend the display for class credit. The quilt memorializes more than 80,000 people who have died of AIDS. The display will be held in the LBJ Student Center Ballroom:
Tuesday, September 27, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday, September 28, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
A Welcome From Dawn
Hello, my name is Dawn Bayardo, one of the Service Specialists at the Round Rock Higher Education Center (RRHEC). I am a clinical social worker and have worked as a counselor in non-profit agencies in the Austin area for the last 7 years. I am excited to be at Texas State and a part of the changes happening at the RRHEC. The One-Stop Center in the new Avery building enables us to offer more comprehensive student support services on-site. One of my goals is to offer the same quality of services to students with disabilities attending the RRHEC that they would receive on the San Marcos campus. Please stop by my office in the One-Stop Center or call me at 512-716-4000. I look forward to meeting you!
Court Dismisses a Student's Claim that a University Violated the ADA
Case name: Johnson v. Southern Connecticut State University, 29 NDLR 64 (104 LRP 49276) (D. Conn. 2004). Ruling: The U.S. District Court, District of Connecticut dismissed James Johnson’s claim that Southern Connecticut State University violated Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. What it means: A private suit for monetary damages under Title II of the ADA may be maintained against a state institution only if the plaintiff can establish that the violation involved a fundamental right. Summary: Johnson attended the Bridgeport Hospital Nurse Anesthesia Program. At some point, his performance level in the clinical portion of the program began to decline due to extreme anxiety. The program directors accommodated him by allowing him to continue his academic studies and take a leave of absence from the program’s clinical phase.
Shortly after resuming his clinical work, Johnson was dismissed from the program. He sued the program and Southern Connecticut State University, the program’s operator.
His complaint alleged, among other things, that the university violated Title II of the ADA. The university moved to dismiss the claim. A private suit for money damages under Title II of the ADA may be maintained against a state only if the plaintiff can establish that the violation involved a fundamental right. The U.S. Supreme Court has repeatedly held that the right to an education is neither explicitly nor implicitly guaranteed in the Constitution. Therefore, it cannot be considered a fundamental right. Since there is no fundamental right to higher education, states enjoy 11th Amendment immunity from suits for money damages. Thus the District Court dismissed Johnson’s ADA claim against the university.
Disability Compliance for Higher Education December 2004.