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ACADEMICS

  • Student Accessibility Services

    In the Student Accessibility Services at Worcester State University, we coordinate support services and programs that enable equal access to education and university life for students with disabilities—including temporary or permanent challenges with mental health, chronic health, sensory ability, physical health/mobility, and learning ability. If you are living with one or more disabilities, we invite you to meet with us and register with our office—it’s voluntary and confidential. You’ll need to supply documentation by a qualified professional regarding the impact of your disability along with your completed self report.

    What We Provide
    We’ve designed our services to help you achieve academic and social success. We will meet with you to discuss risk factors and decide on a case-by-case basis what educational, housing, and classroom accommodations are appropriate.

    Accommodations and services are individually determined based on the functional limitation(s) that are identified by a diagnostic evaluation and during an intake interview. They may include, but are not limited to:

    • Assistive technology
    • Disability-related advising
    • Exam-related accommodations (i.e. additional time on exams; distraction-reduced testing location)
    • Faculty consultation/training
    • Housing accommodations
    • Interpreting accommodations
    • Note-taking services
    • One-on-one support from a learning specialist
    • Scheduling accessible classrooms

    Our office collaborates with academic advisors, faculty, the Counseling Center, residence life, health services, and athletics to help ensure that you have a positive, supportive college experience. Our staff includes a full-time, year-round learning specialist who is able to provide one-on-one support and help you establish a consistent relationship with us.

    Student Empowerment
    Empowerment is our overarching goal, and we work with you to develop self-advocacy and other life skills. WSU’s chapter of Delta Alpha Pi, the international honor society for students with disabilities, plays a key role in helping us accomplish this objective.

  • Transitioning to Life at Worcester State University

    Are there differences between high school and college disability services?

    The kinds of support services you may have received in high school will not necessarily be continued similarly at Worcester State University. There are a number of differences between high school and college that result in new roles, responsibilities, and expectations. These include:

    • Students must self-identify directly with the Student Accessibility Services Office and provide documentation that demonstrates a substantial limitation to one or more major life activities as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
    • Students are treated as independent adults and are expected to take full personal responsibility for their educational experience. Students must advocate for themselves.
    • Students must request accommodations from the Student Accessibility Services Office in order to receive them and do so on a semester-by-semester basis. Primary responsibility for accommodations belongs to the student. Accommodations are not put in place automatically.
    • Students are expected to monitor their own progress, seek out assistance, and communicate their needs to appropriate faculty and staff.
    • Students must make decisions on their own, manage their own time, and arrange their own schedules.
    • Students must meet all academic standards and requirements with or without reasonable accommodations. WSU isn’t required to reduce, alter, or waive any of the essential requirements of a course or program.
    • Students must arrange for and obtain their own personal assistants or tutoring.