Accommodating Students
All responsibility for the request of accommodations and notification to faculty begins with the student. Students approved for accommodations are strongly asked to first notify their professors online in a timely manner and to follow up the online notification by meeting with professors to discuss accommodations implementation.
- New applications for accommodations are submitted through SARC Online to the Student Accessibility Coordinator; the Student Accessibility Resource Center located on level A in the LITC, room A78. The application and supporting medical and testing documents are reviewed within 10 days.
- The student will be notified, via email, which accommodations have been approved. At this time they are directed to meet with the Student Accessibility Coordinator to discuss their accommodations and implementation.
- Students should notify their professors in the classes they choose to utilize their approved accommodations at the start of the semester, but absolutely not less than 10 days before they need their accommodations in place. Professors may receive notifications during the semester from some students who recently received accommodations approval.
Academic accommodations and related learning disabilities:
Extra time on exams and quizzes: Students with this accommodation are allowed extended time on all timed in-class tests and quizzes. This accommodation does not apply to assignments completed outside of class, as long as adequate notice of the due date is provided. If faculty cannot easily or adequately accommodate students in the classroom for exams, students should arrange with SARC, with faculty approval, to take their exams in the testing center. Students must submit an online exam request and Faculty will receive an email copy of the request. Please note the exam time requested by the student to be sure that you are in agreement.
Typical reasons for this accommodation: students have learning disabilities that compromise their processing speed, making it difficult to complete exams in the allotted time; students have a reading disability and need additional time to process the information they are reading; students have an attentional disorder, making the ability to focus on the task at hand challenging.
Reduced distraction space for exams: If faculty cannot easily accommodate students in a reduced distraction setting, students should arrange with SARC by submitting an online request, with faculty approval, to complete exams in an alternative reduced distraction setting.
Typical reason for this accommodation: students have an attentional disorder, making the ability to focus difficult with outside distractions present.
Supplemental set of notes: SARC will work with faculty members to arrange for another student in the class to anonymously share their notes.
Typical reason for this accommodation: students have an attentional disorder, making it difficult to focus, leading to missing chunks of information during lectures; students have a slower processing speed or auditory processing challenges, making it challenging to translate the information from the lecture to written notes.
Use of a laptop for note-taking: students may use their laptop during lectures for note-taking. We understand that some faculty have a no laptop policy in their classroom. If one of your students has this accommodation, please honor it without singling out the student or students.
Typical reason for this accommodation: students with a slower processing speed or with dysgraphia may find it challenging to keep up with handwritten notes.
Use of a computer for the written portion of exams: students may use SARC computers to type the written portions of exams. Please note that the computers in the testing room do not have internet access.
Typical reasons for this accommodation: students with a slower processing speed and or dysgraphia may find it challenging to hand write more lengthy portions of exams within the allotted amount of time; students with a Reading or Language disorder may be too distracted by compensating for difficulties that they run out of their allotted time or miss the main point of the assignment.
Use of a recording device for lectures: students may use a device to record lectures. Please refer to Trinity’s lecture recording policy for students with accommodations. At the request of the faculty member, students may sign a pledge stating that they will not use recordings for anything other than study.
Typical reasons for this accommodation: students with a slower processing speed, auditory processing challenges, or attentional difficulties may miss information during lectures. The recording device allows them to listen to parts of the lecture that they may have missed. Additionally, students may be using a note-taking application that will convert the recording into a word document.
Access to audiobooks: students are granted access to the college’s Bookshare account to obtain audio copies of their textbooks.
Typical reasons for this accommodation: students with reading disorders may find it challenging to comprehend the written word; students with dyslexia may become distracted by their compensation strategies that they miss the main point of the text.
Use of a simple, 4-function calculator: students may use a simple, 4-function calculator during exams
Typical reasons for this accommodation: Some students struggle with a slower processing speed/working memory or have a Math Disorder, which makes it more challenging and time consuming to mentally compute equations.
Foreign Language Alternative: students may be approved to study two Culture (LACS) or Civilization (CLCV) courses in place of a spoken language. LACS courses must be in the same culture. There are some other courses that could fulfill the requirement, but those exceptions must be approved by the Language and Culture Studies department chair.
Typical reasons for this accommodation: Some students struggle with working memory, slow processing speed, dyslexia, phonological difficulties (problem putting sounds together and pulling sounds apart in spoken and written language) and or orthographic difficulties (problems with sound-symbol tasks in language).
Attendance Consideration: some students may be approved for this accommodation if they have a condition that can, at times, affect their ability to attend class. This accommodation is given with the understanding that it does not excuse absences, but provides the faculty member with confirmation that there is a documented condition present and asks that reasonable consideration be given. Please click here for more information: Disability Related Absence Information and Policy
Please note that the typical reasons listed are by no means an exhaustive list of potential difficulties. The most common reasons have been listed to help identify some learning disabilities a student may be struggling with.
What is involved in applying for academic accommodations at Trinity?
Students must submit an online application to the Student Accessibility Coordinator, along with a copy of the complete report of psycho-educational, neuropsychological testing or other supporting documentation.
The psychoeducational evaluation used to determine certain academic accommodations usually involves fairly exhaustive testing over the course of 1-2 days, and typically includes parent interviews. The most common of which is the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale – assesses IQ, verbal comprehension, perceptual reasoning, working memory and processing speed.
One of Trinity’s psychologists will carefully review testing and if appropriate, approve the requested accommodations.
For those students who have never explored applying for academic accommodations in college, refer them to the Student Accessibility Coordinator. Financial assistance may be available for students.
