Transitioning from High School to College Disability Resource Center

The Student Perspective: Discovering College Going to College Video college.org/campuslife/discovering.ht ml

Differences Between High School & College  Personal Freedom  Live by parents’ rules  Live at home with family  Structure  Schedule is very structured and predictable  Have class all day long  Classes  Smaller size  Meet daily  Teachers  Frequent contact  See teachers everyday  Teachers know you personally  Personal Freedom  Have more freedom to make own decisions  May live away from family in a residence hall  Structure  Less structure  Set your own schedule  Classes only last a few hours per day  Classes  Size varies, but can be hundreds  Usually meet 2-3 times per week  Teachers  Less frequent contact  May only see professors a couple of times per week  Teachers may not have a chance to get to know you well High SchoolCollege

Differences Between High School & College (cont.)  Study Time  Can study during study hall  May not spend a lot of time studying outside of school  Tests  Frequent  Tested on less material  Grades  Total grade may be based on many grades  Receive progress reports and quarterly grades  Study Time  No study hall  More demands for reading and independent work  May need to spend hours studying each day outside of class  Tests  May have only a few tests per semester  Tests may cover several chapters or be cumulative  Grades  Total grade may be based on only a few grades  Expected to keep track of your own grade High SchoolCollege

Differences Between High School & College (cont.)  Physical Environment  Classes are all in one building  Legal Protection  IDEA  Entitled to Free and Appropriate Education  Special Education  Classes are held specifically for students with disabilities  Physical Environment  Classes are spread across campus  Legal Protection  ADA  Must be eligible for services  Services provide only reasonable accommodations  Special Education  Classes include students with and without disabilities  Specialized programs for students with disabilities may involve a fee High SchoolCollege

Differences Between High School & College (cont.)  Documentation  School identifies the student, evaluates the student, and provides the student’s documentation  Advocating  Teachers and parents advocate for students  Receiving Accommodations  Accommodations set up through IEP  Documentation  Student must provide college with updated documentation to receive accommodations  IEP is not sufficient documentation  Advocating  Students must advocate for themselves  Receiving Accommodations  Student must contract Disability Resource Center to discuss accommodations High SchoolCollege

Responsibilities at UofL: What You Need To Do  Students with disabilities are responsible for:  Ensuring that the University is aware of disabilities that require accommodation in the educational process.  Requesting accommodations by identifying themselves to the Disability Resource Center, presenting appropriate documentation of disability, completing a service request each semester, and requesting accommodation letters for faculty outlining specific accommodation needs.  Providing the accommodation letters to each faculty.  Requesting accommodations in a timely manner.  Meeting the requirements of each class.  Notifying their coordinators at the Disability Resource Center if any problems occur receiving approved accommodations.

Responsibilities at UofL: What Faculty Do  Faculty are responsible for:  Referring students with disabilities to the Disability Resource Center and are strongly encouraged to include the following statement on the course syllabus:  Providing access to programs and services for qualified students with disabilities.  Requiring verification of eligibility. The standard form of verification is a letter to the faculty prepared by staff of the Disability Resource Center.  Providing approved accommodations for eligible students. DRC staff are available for consultation about appropriate levels of accommodation and available support resources.  Consulting freely with Disability Resource Center staff as questions and concerns arise regarding approved accommodations for each student.

Responsibilities at UofL: What We Do  The Disability Resource Center is responsible for:  General coordination of accommodations for students with disabilities.  Referring students with suspected disabilities to sources of assessment, but DRC provides no diagnostic services.  Receipt and review of documentation of disability.  Determining eligibility for specific accommodations.  Preparation of accommodation letters. Letters are given to students who in turn share letters with faculty.  Discussing accommodation needs with students, faculty and others as appropriate to identify appropriate accommodations on a case-by-case basis.  Assisting faculty with classroom accommodation needs and provision of appropriate auxiliary aids.  Assisting with problem resolution as needed.

Requesting Support Services  Documentation of disability  All students seeking assistance from DRC must disclose the presence of a disability.  The student will be asked to submit documentation of disability for review by the appropriate DRC staff person.  Upon receipt and review of the documentation, an intake appointment will be scheduled.  Intake appointment  After review of documentation, the appropriate coordinator will contact the student for an intake appointment.  The student's eligibility for accommodations and anticipated needs will be discussed.  Policies and procedures regarding specific accommodations, such as letters for faculty, exam accommodation, supplemental note-taking service, etc. will be discussed.

Requesting Support Services (cont.)  Requesting specific accommodations  Requests for accommodations coordinated by the Disability Resource Center are made by completing a Service Request Form (available at the Disability Resource Center)and submitting the form along with a copy of class schedule to the appropriate DRC Coordinator.  It is the responsibility of the student to request specific accommodations each semester via the Service Request Form.  Accommodations can generally occur only after submission of appropriate documentation, review by the coordinator, determination of eligibility for specific services, and request by student for specific accommodations.

Requesting Support Services (cont.)  Timeliness of requests  Submission of accommodation requests for instructor letters, exam accommodation, and supplemental note-taking services should generally be submitted no later than two weeks prior to beginning of term.  Some accommodations (such as interpreter service and taped textbooks) require much more notice.  Please refer to policies and procedures for specific accommodations such as reader service, interpreter service, for additional information on timeliness of requests.  Although DRC staff will make reasonable effort to process all requests, untimely requests may result in delay of accommodations.

Feel free to contact Colleen Gettys at or (502) with any questions you may have about the transition from high school to college. Any Questions?

References  Differences Between High School and College Document  Disability Resource Center Disability Resource Center  Going to College Going to College