Student Guide

Accommodations and Services

Disability Support Services staff works with students to ensure access and participation in academic and campus life at Towson University.  Students with disabilities, for their part, are responsible for making their needs known in a timely manner and meeting the academic standards set for all Towson University students.  The primary responsibility of the DSS staff is to provide academic accommodations and services, such as extended time on exams and note taking services.  However, we also encourage students to develop an individual working relationship with our staff to address learning and other issues, as appropriate.

Services and accommodations can include: 

• Pre-admission counseling and new student orientation
• Help with course load and selection
• Priority registration
• Testing accommodations
• Note-taking assistance
• Interpreting services
• Alternate formats for printed materials
• Learning and study skills assistance
• Disability consultation and advocacy assistance
• Assistive technology
• Para-transit registration
• Campus orientation and mobility services
• Information and referral*
• Technical assistance and training to faculty and staff

Please note:  DSS does not offer diagnostic testing or content tutoring, but we can make referrals to campus and community resources.

DSS Policies and Procedures for Services and Accommodations

Alternate Text Policies and Procedures

The following policies and procedures have been developed by Disability Support Services to guide students who are approved for alternate text format as an accommodation.  Students who request books in an alternate format are responsible for knowing and abiding by this information.  Alternate formatting includes reformatting text to audio (e.g., scanning texts onto CDs to use with Kurzweil software and taped texts from Recordings for the Blind and Dyslexic), Braille and large print.

1.  Students who are registered with DSS and approved for this accommodation may request books in an alternate format.  Every semester the student must make a request for each text he or she needs to be converted to an alternate format.   

2.  The student must be enrolled in the course for which the alternate text is requested, and he or she must purchase each text book that is being made available in an alternate format.  The student may be asked to provide proof of purchase before receiving the alternate format from DSS.

3.  Students are encouraged to use the On-Line Alternate Text Request Form when making their requests.  A separate form must be completed and submitted for each alternate text requested.  Students may also request texts in an alternate format by completing and submitting the paper version of the Alternate Text Request Form available in the DSS office and submitting it to us.

4.  Alternate text requests should be submitted as soon as possible, preferably as soon as the instructor makes the course text list available.  Turn-around times for alternate text requests are determined on a case-by-case basis. Requests are processed in the order they are received, and the process will begin when DSS has received the (1) Alternate Text Request Form, (2) hardcopy textbook or receipt showing proof of purchase and (3) instructor's course syllabus, if requested. As a rule of thumb, students should allow three weeks to receive hard copy materials back from DSS.

5.  In order to accommodate as many students as possible in a timely manner during periods of high demand, alternate text formats may be provided in stages based on the course syllabus and the needs of the student.  Additionally, students may scan or enlarge their materials using equipment in the DSS office with permssion.

6.  For audio formats, DSS will request e-text directly from the publisher, if available, or scan the hard copy text onto a CD.  If DSS scans the text, the book will be sent to Towson University Printing Services to have the spine removed so it can be fed into the scanner.  After scanning, DSS will send the book back to Printing Services to have it spiral bound.  (Please note that texts that have been spiral bound are not accepted for resale by the University Store.)  DSS will also request audio texts from Recordings from Blind and Dyslexic if requested by the student.  Large print and Braille formatting are also available through DSS using the same alternate text request form.

7.  The student should notify DSS immediately if he or she drops the course or otherwise needs to change a request.

Testing Accommodation Policies and Procedures

Policies and Procedures for using the Testing Services Center can be found by clicking on Testing Services Center.

Relaxation of Class Attendance Policies and Procedures

As of March 2008, all students who are approved for this accommodation are required to sign and abide by the Student Agreement to Follow Procedures for Relaxation of Class Attendance Accommodation available at the DSS office.  This Agreement  states:

1.  Attendance is an essential component of a college education.  As such, students are expected to attend class and comply with class attendance policies.

2.  The University recognizes that there may be times when a student cannot attend class because of disability-related reasons.  Therefore, DSS may request that an instructor relax an attendance policy for disability-related absences if attendance is not an essential element of the course in which the "relaxation" is requested.

3.  Students are required to give their DSS memo to the instructor and specifically discuss this accommodation to verify that a relaxation of attendance policy is reasonable in each course.

4.  Relaxing an attendance policy does not mean relaxing course requirements.  Students are expected to fulfill all course requirements and evaluation standards as specified in the course syllabus.

5.  The following questions will be considered when determining the reasonableness of this accommodation:

  -- Is there classroom interaction between the instructor and students and among the students themselves?

  -- Do student contributions in class constitute a significant component of the learning process?

  -- Does the fundamental nature of the course rely upon student participation as an essential method for learning?

  -- To what degree does a student's failure to attend class constitute a significant loss to the educational experience of other students in the class?

  -- What does the course description and syllabus say regarding attendance?

  -- What is the method by which the final course grade is calculated?

6.  Students who are approved for this accommodation are expected to contact instructors in advance of an anticipated absence.  For emergencies or unexpected absences, contact should be made with instructors as soon as possible to discuss making up missed work and/or to verify the reason for the absence.

7.  Consistent with University-wide policy, the student must provide documentation to the instructor 2 weeks prior to the scheduled absence when known in advance or as soon as possible when not known in advance.  The documentation should be from an appropriate health care provider knowledgeable about the disability.

8.  Instructors are encouraged to contact DSS if they believe that disability-related absences have become excessive.

9.  Students are made aware that absences will hurt them academically, even if the attendance policy has been relaxed, and, as such, must make every attempt to attend class.  Special effort by the student must be made to attend class for quizzes, exams, and deadlines for submission of assignments.

10. The student will sign this statement indicating an understanding of the policies and procedures developed for this accommodation.  By signing this statement the student agrees to abide by these policies and procedures.  It will be kept in the student's file in the DSS office.

11. Accommodations are not retroactive.  All accommodations, including the "Relaxation of Attendance Policy", become effective when the student delivers the above-referenced memo to instructors.

12. As with all accommodations, a "Relaxation of Attendance Policy" is recommended on an individual, case-by-case basis depending upon (a) the submission, to DSS, of supporting appropriate documentation from a licensed professional and (b) the reasonableness of this accommodation in each requested class as determined by discussions between the student, course instructor and Disability Support Services, as appropriate.

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Signature of Student                                                                                    Date