Faculty Guide to NMU’s Disability Services

Who We Are

Disability Services was created in October of 1995 to provide accommodations for students with documented disabilities.  At that time, DS was serving @ 60 students a semester and providing @ 480 accommodations in an academic year.  In 2005-2006, DS provided services to @ 165 students per semester and providing 1746 accommodations as well as administering 307 exams.

DS is funded entirely by the General Fund.  The office consists of a part-time secretary, Linda Roe (who also works for First Year Programs) and a Coordinator, Lynn M. Walden,. 

The mission of DS is to provide classroom accommodations to students with documented disabilities in order to “level the playing field”.  Accommodations ensure that students with disabilities have equal access to the same information as their non-disabled peers. Accommodations do not provide unfair advantages; they provide equal advantages to all students.  With that in mind, students with disabilities have the same opportunities to pass or fail as their non-disabled peers. 

Disability Services is located in the Dean of Students’ Office, 2001 C.B. Hedgcock.  We are open 8 am to 5 pm during the fall and winter semesters; and from 7:30 to 4:30 during the summer months.  We can be reached a number of ways:

227-1700

227-1737

FAX: 227-1714

disserv@nmu.edu

http://dso.nmu.edu/newdisability/

Overview Of Services

Students requesting accommodations need to meet with the Coordinator of Disability Services.  At this meeting, the student’s disability documentation is reviewed; their academic needs are discussed and appropriate accommodations are determined.  The student then receives an e-mail letter (in PDF format so that faculty may be assured of its authenticity). 

If the student receives testing accommodations (extended testing time, separate or quiet room for testing, test reader or test scribe), he/she needs to print off a copy of the letter for each faculty member it applies to.  The student then is expected to meet with the faculty member, briefly, during office hours to determine how the faculty member wants to handle the testing arrangements at least one week in advance of the test.  This is the student’s responsibility- if he/she fails to do so, and then he/she will be taking the test with the rest of the class.

If the faculty member is able to handle the arrangements on their own (using any rooms or staff at their disposal), then they will determine the arrangements for tests for the semester.  If they cannot, (due to lack of rooms or staff to provide the services), it is the student’s responsibility to contact DS a week in advance of the test to make testing arrangements.

Once DS has received a Testing Accommodation Request, the professor is contacted for the following information:

-verification of the test date

-verification of the time allotted for the test for the class

Please do not say the student can have as much time as he/she needs; we need to know the length of time so that we can provide the proper time extension and then hire the proctor and book the room.  For all of the former, we need to know a definite time span.

-any special instructions/materials necessary

-to verify how and when you will get the test to DS:

-in person

-by e-mail to both Linda lroe@nmu.edu and Lynn lwalden@nmu.edu  in case one is unavailable to print off the test for the student in time for the scheduled test administration

-by fax to 227-1714

Please note that using campus mail with less than a week’s lead time does not guarantee that the test will make it to DS in time.

-to verify how you wish the test returned:

-you will pick it up

-return via campus mail

Common Questions:

Q.  What can you tell me about the student’s disability?

If the student has specified, in writing, that their disability may be discussed with faculty members, then the Coordinator will be able to answer specific questions you may have.

If the student has not given written permission, then the Coordinator may only share general information about strategies and the student’s academic needs without disclosing specific disability information.  As a person’s disability information is considered to be medical documentation (or its equivalent) and therefore it is disclosed only with the student’s specific written authorization.

Q.  Isn’t giving students with disabilities accommodations unfair to other students in the class?

Actually, no.  Accommodations are given on the basis of the individual’s disability and academic needs.  Some people take longer to process information and therefore may need extended testing time; some people may not be able to adequately hold a pen and write for an extended period of time and therefore may need a notetaker or test scribe.

It is not unlike someone with less-than-perfect vision needing glasses to correct their vision; wearing glasses does not give them an unfair advantage; it merely allows them to see what the rest of the class sees.  What they do with that information is entirely up to that student; they have the same opportunity to pass or fail as everybody else in their class!

Q.  What should I do if I suspect that a student has a disability?

Unless you have credentials to diagnose the wide range of disabilities that exist in the population at large, please do NOT tell a student that you think they have a disability!

There are many reasons why a student may be performing poorly in your class and most of them have nothing to do with having a disability:

-never been taught the pre-requisite skills for your class

-been out of school for an extended period of time

-responsibilities of job or family or both interfere with class work

-not getting adequate sleep or nourishment

-too shy/afraid to ask for help/say they don’t understand something

What you CAN do:

-meet with them 1-on-1 to see if any of the above reasons are valid in their situation.

-refer them to the appropriate campus support service (All Campus Tutoring; the Writing Center; departmental tutoring or class study groups; etc).

-if they mention that they have a disability or received disability services in prior school settings, a referral to Disability Services would be appropriate.  They (or you) could call 227-1736 and make an appointment to meet with the Coordinator.

-you can call and speak to the Coordinator about any suspected disability concerns you might have.