Policies & Procedures

effective date: September 1, 2005
revised: October 19, 2011

POLICY:

Extended time is an accommodation that grants a student with a documented disability the right to spend additional processing time on any assessments of a timed nature including: exams, quizzes, online assessments, etc. Time-and-a-half is a common guideline or starting point, but each student’s allotted time is determined on a case-by-case basis. Extended time does not mean unlimited time. Double time is the maximum time allotment. Extended time is an academic accommodation that may be granted to a student with a disability who meets one or more of the qualifying criteria listed below. The accommodation is not granted based solely on a student’s status as a person with a disability. Most extended time requests include use of the Student Accessibility Services (SAS) Testing Center within the Center for Academic Development.

In order to be considered for the accommodation of extended time, a disability-related need must exist which:

• Limits a student’s ability to take in-class/online timed assessments due to a documented disability (physical, learning, medical, etc).
• Presents constraints due to poor /limited fine motor skills and, therefore, a scribe, a computer/laptop (non-Internet available in the SAS Testing Center), or more time to produce answers is required.
• Impacts receptive / expressive written language skills, reading challenges (dyslexia), or other learning tasks as verified by physician or medical report.

PROCEDURE:

1. A student must first establish their status as a person with a disability by submitting documentation (medical, neuropsychological, psycho-educational, etc.) to the Student Accessibility Services office (SAS) located in the Center for Academic Development.
2. Documentation must be submitted to SAS in a timely fashion in order for it to be evaluated by the SAS staff, who will then determine which accommodations, if any, are reasonable and appropriate.
3. If a student wishes to be considered as a candidate for the accommodation of extended time, it is his or her responsibility to make the request known to the SAS office by submitting the Accommodation Request form in a timely manner. All forms are readily available in the SAS office.
4. The Accommodation Request form must be FULLY completed by the requesting student. Name of each course, course number, professor’s name, and day/time of course MUST ALL be included on the form. Incomplete forms will not be processed.
5. In peak times (first three weeks of each semester) requests will take 2-3 business days to process. SAS recommends planning well in advance to receive your forms.
6. The requesting student will return to SAS to pick up the signed Academic Accommodation Authorization (AAA) forms also known as yellow sheets. The professor keeps the AAA form as a reminder for the semester. An Exam Cover Sheet is attached to each AAA form for faculty use/reproduction.
7. The requesting student must then deliver the AAA forms directly to each course professor. Immediate delivery of the AAA form each semester, with at least FIVE days notice prior to an assessment, is expected so that faculty can plan accordingly.
8. Faculty members are NOT legally obligated to provide extended time without first receiving the Academic Accommodation Authorization form.
9. Extended time will not be granted “on-demand” or “after the fact.” “On-demand” means students cannot arrive on the day of or day before an assessment with a yellow sheet and expect to receive extended time for that day. “After the fact” means students cannot expect additional time on an assessment that has already been taken and graded by the faculty member.
10. After receiving the Academic Accommodation Authorization form from a student who is authorized to use the SAS Testing Center, the faculty member (or a department designee) is responsible for hand-delivering the assessment to the SAS office located on the second floor of the University Library in the Center for Academic Development. The assessment must be accompanied by a completed Exam Cover Sheet which supplies SAS with such information as: materials students can/cannot use while testing, special instructions, latest date assessment can be taken, where SAS is to deliver the assessment, etc. To ensure safe and secure delivery of assessments, SAS cannot receive assessments via e-mail or interoffice mail.
11. Quizzes (in-class and online) MUST be accommodated if an authorized student requests the extended time for such an assessment. The student and faculty are expected to work together to establish a mutually agreeable manner in which to administer the quiz. The SAS Testing Center can be used for quiz assessments prior to or after class. SAS understands that lessons usually precede or follow a quiz.
12. For all assessments, the requesting student is responsible for confirming with his/her professor prior to an assessment the following:
    1. Confirmed start time and day of assessment
    2. A review of materials allowed during assessment
    3. Alternate method of assessment delivery (i.e. student picks up from faculty’s office with an SAS envelope to be sealed and signed by faculty).
13. Requesting students are REQUIRED to arrange test/quiz time with faculty members IN ADVANCE of an exam if there is a time conflict with another class. For example, if a student has an exam from 9-10 a.m. and a class from 10-11 a.m., arrangements need to be made to start the 9 a.m. exam at 8:00 a.m. or after 11:00 a.m. to allow for the time extension. Otherwise, students are expected to take the assessment at the SAME date/time as the class.
14. SAS does not “excuse” a student who misses a class due to testing in SAS.
15. Prior to entering the Testing Center, students MUST turn off cell phones, remove jackets/hats, and leave all bags and books outside of the test area.
16. Students are required to take care of all personal business PRIOR to entering the SAS Testing Center. Departures from the Testing Center for any purpose are not allowed. Only students with pre-established, medical circumstances on file and reviewed with SAS will be authorized to use the restroom.
17. Students utilizing the SAS Testing Center are regularly monitored during test-taking by Student Accessibility staff.
18. Testing Rules and Regulations MUST be adhered to and are posted within the Testing Center. A breech of academic integrity is a serious matter. Any materials found which were not authorized by the professor on the Exam Cover Sheet (i.e. note sheets, note cards, class notes) will be confiscated, along with the unfinished assessment, and immediately returned with an Incident Report to the faculty member. In some cases, the Dean or Provost may also be informed of SAS testing policy violations. This action may result in the failure of the assessment and/or course as deemed by the professor.
19. Students found in violation of the Center’s policy on academic integrity as stated in #17 may be denied the use of the Testing Center from that point forward. Denied students will then be responsible for making arrangements directly with their faculty for extended time and an alternate location.
20. The Testing Center hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. (During final exams extended hours are available and are posted.) A student may begin an assessment in the Testing Center beginning at 8:00 a.m.; however, all exams must be completed by or before 5:00 pm. SAS recommends a 3 p.m. start time to ensure extended time can be utilized. Exams for evening classes and late afternoon classes must be taken during the office’s regular business hours. If this cannot be arranged, it is the student’s responsibility to make arrangements with the faculty member for testing elsewhere.

If there are any questions regarding the accommodation of extended time in the SAS Testing Center please call 401-254-3841 or stop in to SAS in the Center for Academic Development.

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Effective date: August 1, 2005
Revised: June 2011

POLICY:

Notetaking assistance is an academic accommodation that may be granted to a student with a disability who meets one or more of the qualifying criteria listed below under the guidelines of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The accommodation is not granted based solely on a student’s status as a person with a disability.

To be considered for notetaking assistance, a disability-related need must exist which:

• Limits a student’s ability to take in-class notes due to a documented disability (physical, learning, medical, etc.).
• Presents constraints due to poor /limited fine motor skills.
• Imposes restrictions due to fatigue, medication side effects, or sustained concentration verified by physician or medical report.

PROCEDURE:

Student’s Responsibilities:

1. A student must first establish their status as a person with a disability by submitting documentation (medical, neuropsychological, psychoeducational, etc.) to SAS, which is located in the Center for Academic Development. 
2. Documentation must be submitted to SAS in a timely fashion in order for it to be evaluated by the SAS staff, who will then determine which accommodations, if any, are reasonable and appropriate.
3. A student’s documentation must also directly indicate the need for a notetaker or indirectly indicate the need for a notetaker (i.e. test scores, specific diagnosis such as fine motor skill or auditory processing deficits, etc.), as determined by SAS staff
4. If a student wishes to be considered as a candidate to receive a notetaker, he/she must first attend the class for at least a week to assess the need.
5. Then it is his/her responsibility to officially request a notetaker in the SAS office by completing the Notetaker Request form.
6. The form must be fully completed by the requesting student. The name of the course, course number, professor’s name and day/time of the course must be included on the form.
7. The student will then bring the authorized Notetaker Request directly to the faculty member.
8. Many faculty members post class notes to Blackboard, use PowerPoint and other methods. If such notes are made available by the professor, the student must return to SAS to present a strong written rationale as to why the additional support of a notetaker is required.
9. SAS relies on the professor and the student to assist in locating a suitable notetaker. 
10. Having a notetaker does not excuse a student from attending class and taking a set of primary notes to the best of his/her ability. 
11. A notetaker is not obligated to provide notes to a student for unexcused or excessive absences.
12. The student and the notetaker are responsible for arranging the details of the transfer and delivery of the class notes.  
13. If the student is having difficulty understanding the notes, or if a problem arises with the notetaker arrangement, the student must report concerns directly to SAS.
14. Requests for notetaking assistance must be submitted in writing to the SAS office each semester for each course.

Notetaker’s Responsibilities:

1. Once a student hears/reads the announcement of the need for a notetaker, he/she should inquire at SAS.
2. The notetaker must demonstrate strong notetaking abilities (clear handwriting, labels, outlines, etc.) by providing sample notes for review by SAS staff.
3. The notetaker is authorized to use the Center’s photocopying machine for the exclusive use of copying notes for the requesting student.
   Notetakers are not authorized to use the Center’s equipment for personal use. 
4. Notes are to be directly delivered to the student in a manner which both students agree upon.
5. Notes are for the exclusive use of the student. Notes are not intended to be universally copied and shared with other members of the class.  Notetakers are only authorized to provide notes to the student with whom they have been matched. 
6. Notetakers are expected to report incidences of the student not attending class. Notetakers are not obligated to supply notes to a student chronically absent or late for class. 
7. SAS encourages notetakers report any concerns or unusual circumstances directly to the SAS office.

Faculty's Responsibilities:

1. Faculty will receive the Notetaker Request form directly from the requesting student
2. Faculty are asked to read the request statement (located on the form) in class or post it to Blackboard or other electronic messaging tools. 
3. To ensure confidentiality, SAS asks that the requesting student’s name not be announced.
4. The faculty’s role in this process is an important one to ensure the timely delivery of this accommodation.  SAS may need to follow up with faculty if a notetaker does not come forward. 
5. Faculty should be aware that the requesting student and the notetaker will meet each other and collaborate on the exchange of notes throughout the semester.
6. Notes are for the exclusive use of the requesting student. Notes are not intended to be universally copied and shared with other members of the class. Notetakers are only authorized to provide notes to the student with whom they have been matched. 

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effective date: July 1, 2011

The office of Student Accessibility Services (SAS) provides accommodations to ensure accessibility of textbooks required by courses and programs for eligible students with qualifying disabilities.

SAS provides the following points of access for eligible students to obtain alternative forms of textbooks. Student Accessibility Services will assist students who are approved for electronic text accommodations to locate the best point of access for your textbooks/book needs. for your textbooks/book needs.

POINTS OF ACCESS:

1. Learning Ally www.learningally.org - individual membership only
2. Kurzweil 3000 - SAS Learn Stations with e-text or scan of pages
3. AccessText.org
4. Nook Study – via B&N College (Barnes and Noble)
5. Bookshare.org
6. Student’s choice

Getting started:

1. The accommodation process begins with a student scheduling a meeting with an SAS staff member. The SAS office is located in the Center for Academic Development on the 2nd floor of the Main Library.
2. Student must provide documentation to the SAS office to verify that he/she has been approved / recommended for e-text accommodations.
3. Accommodations are determined on a case-by-case basis and are based on current documentation of need. Documentation must substantiate the need for e-texts.
4. Students may request alternate text formats at anytime. Please note that processing may take from 4-6 weeks at the start of each semester, i.e. early September and early February.
5. SAS will not accept requests ON DEMAND (same day, next day, etc.)
6. In order for SAS to help a student secure e-texts in advance he/she MUST be sure to start the process as soon as course registration for next semester’s classes has been completed. (November-January for the Spring semester and April –July for the Fall semester)
7. SAS encourages students to request Priority Registration to help with timely, pre-semester book ordering
8. As soon as a student registers for courses, SAS recommends using the Points of Access on page 1 of this Policy to determine where books will be obtained.
9. The Alternate Textbook Request form will ask for the following information - publisher, ISBN #, etc.
10. To obtain textbook information, check the following link to the Barnes and Noble Bookstore at RWU: http://rwu.bncollege.com
    1. at the HOME page click on TEXTBOOKS
    2. STEP ONE: Find Your Course 1-4
    3. STEP TWO: Review Your Course / View Textbook List
    4. YOUR COURSE MATERIALS will display with title, ISBN, access to text, etc.
11. When textbooks are not available though the Points of Access within this Policy, student must notify the SAS office immediately so that we may determine other methods to acquire the necessary publication, or so that we may scan and adapt the book directly.
12. Please note, in order to scan books the binding must be taken apart and then put back together, often resulting in the book not being in its original condition when returned to the student. Therefore, book scanning is only done when all other options have been exhausted.
13. Additionally, in order for SAS Staff to scan any form of a textbook, the student must provide documentation (a receipt) verifying proof of purchase of the hardcopy of the textbook.
14. Once a request has been filled for an alternate form textbook, the student will be contacted at the student123@g.rwu.edu address and asked to come into the SAS Office to retrieve and sign for the receipt e-book.
15. By completing and signing the Alternate Text Format Request, a student is agreeing to abide by U.S. copyright laws and will use the text for academic purposes only. Student will not reproduce the material without permission.
16. All e-text in PDF format on CD are to be returned to SAS at the end of each semester for inclusion in the e-text Library.

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Policy:

Priority registration (permission to register for classes early before the regularly assigned time) is an academic accommodation that may be granted to a student with a disability who meets one or more of the qualifying criteria listed below.  It is not granted based solely on a student's status as a person with a disability.

In order to be considered for priority registration, a disability-related need must exist which:

• Requires classes to be housed in accessible locations.
• Imposes geographical constraints due to mobility speed and/or endurance.
• Imposes physical or cognitive restrictions due to fatigue, medication side effects or sustained concentration verified by a physician or medical report.
• Necessitates extensive therapy or other medical treatment/intervention, which significantly impacts scheduling flexibility (e.g. chemotherapy, physical therapy, renal dialysis, etc.).

Procedure:

1. A student must first establish their status as a person with a disability by submitting documentation (medical, neuropsychological, psychoeducational, etc.) to SAS, which is located in the Center for Academic Development.
2. Documentation must be submitted to SAS in a timely fashion in order for it to be evaluated by the SAS staff, who will then determine which accommodations, if any, are reasonable and appropriate.
3. If a student wishes to be considered as a candidate for priority registration, it is his or her responsibility to make the request known to the SAS office by submitting the Priority Registration Request form in a timely manner (see item 5 below).
4. The Priority Registration Request form must be accompanied by a rationale for receiving priority registration based on the qualifying criteria listed above.
5. All requests for priority registration must be submitted to the SAS office at least four weeks prior to the start of the advisement period.
6. Requests for priority registration must be submitted to the SAS office each semester.

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Roger Williams University, including its School of Law, (“University”) has adopted this grievance procedure to assist in facilitating resolution of complaints alleging disability discrimination in violation of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (“Section 504”). The University has designated Kenneth Osborne, Dean of Instructional System Development and Special Projects, (the “Coordinator”) to coordinate its efforts to comply with Section 504. The contact information for the Coordinator is as follows: Kenneth Osborne, Dean of Instructional System Development and Special Projects, Roger Williams University, Administration Building, One Old Ferry Road, Bristol, RI 02809, Telephone: 401-254-3166.

Initial Discussion:

An individual with a concern relating to his or her disability should first discuss the matter orally with the appropriate responsible department listed below that will attempt to resolve the individual’s concern.

• Roger Williams University students should consult with Student Accessibility Services.
• Roger Williams University School of Law students should first consult with the Assistant Dean of Students of the School of Law. If the student is not satisfied with the resolution proposed by the Assistant Dean of Students, the student should then consult with the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs of the School of Law.
• University employees should consult with the Department of Human Resources.

Informal Resolution:

If the individual is not satisfied with the resolution proposed by the appropriate responsible department listed above, the individual should discuss the matter orally with the Coordinator. Individuals who are not satisfied with the resolution proposed by the Coordinator may file a formal grievance following the procedures set forth below.

Formal Grievance Procedure:

An individual may file a formal grievance with the Coordinator after attempting to resolve his or her concern orally with the appropriate responsible department listed above and the Coordinator. The formal grievance should be filed as soon as practicable. For example, students should file a formal grievance during the academic semester in which the concern arose, and employees should file a formal grievance within thirty (30) calendar days in which the concern arose.

The grievance must be in writing and include the following: (i) the individual’s name, address, email address, and telephone number; (ii) a full description of the individual’s concern; (iii) a description of the efforts made to resolve the concern orally through the appropriate responsible department listed above and the Coordinator; and (iv) a statement of the remedy requested.

Upon receipt of the grievance, the Coordinator will provide the individual with written notice acknowledging its receipt and promptly initiate an investigation. Upon completion of the investigation, the Coordinator will prepare and transmit a written reply to the individual and the party(ies) against whom the grievance is directed within thirty (30) calendar days of the filing of the grievance, unless additional time is needed, at which time the Coordinator will notify the individual and the party(ies) against whom the grievance is directed.

U.S. Department of Education Contact Information:

Individuals may always contact the following regarding allegations of disability discrimination in violation of Section 504:

• Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20202-1100, Telephone: 1-800-421-3481; or
• Boston Office, Office of Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, 33 Arch Street, Suite 900, Boston, MA 02110-1491, Telephone: 617-289-0111.

Adopted by the President and Senior Vice Presidents on October 28, 2009. Rev. to reflect department name change in June 2011.

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