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ACADEMICS

  • ⚠ Coronavirus Response

    How being “Remote” affects Student Accessibility Services
     

    In the wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, Student Accessibility Services will be working with students remotely through Zoom, Google Hangouts or telephone.

    In-Person Service and Remote Office Hours
    December 21, 2020 – February 1, 2021


    During these periods, please call 508-929-8733 or email sas@worcester.edu for more immediate assistance.

    December 21 through December 31, 2020

    • Services will be offered remotely only.
    • Office hours are 8:00 am – 5:00 pm.
    • The office will be closed on December 25, 2020 and January 1, 2021.

    January 4 – February 1, 2021

    • Services will be offered remotely only.
    • Office hours are 8:00 am – 5:00 pm.
    • The office will be closed on January 18, 2021.

    Current Students

    If you are registered with Student Accessibility Services you may contact the office by phone 508-929-8733 or email sas@worcester.edu. Or, if you are working directly with one of the staff members, please contact via email:

    Staff Member Email Address
    Fran Manocchio, Assistant Dean and Director fmanocchio@worcester.edu
    Sharon de Klerk, Assistant Director sdeklerk@worcester.edu
    Stephanie Giguere, Accessibility Specialist sgiguere2@worcester.edu
    Alyssa Law, Graduate Assistant alaw1@worcester.edu
    Heather Nadeau, Graduate Assistant hnadeau@worcester.edu

    New Students

    If you are not currently registered with Student Accessibility Services you can register by doing the following:

    • Complete and submit a registration/intake form. This is the first form found at: https://emr.worcester.edu/TitaniumWeb_SAS/
    • We will need documentation of disability. Because documentation type varies, we will email you documentation guidelines when we receive your intake form.
    • Email our office at sas@worcester.edu a copy of your documentation (we are currently unable to receive faxes and standard mail).  
    • Once we receive your documentation we will email you to let you know if it meets guidelines or if we need any additional information. If it meets guidelines we will reach out to you to schedule an intake meeting, via zoom, google hangout or over the phone.
    • During our intake meeting we will discuss and determine reasonable accommodations, explain how the process works and answer any questions you may have.

    Resources Available

    The transition to remote and distance learning is challenging. The following resources provide strategies and practical advice for coping and succeeding:

    PDF icon Resources for Spring 2020
    PDF icon Tips for Transitioning to Online Classes  

  • 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.
    Placement Testing for Incoming Students with Disabilities

    Placement Testing Accommodations for Incoming First Year and Transfer Students

    All newly admitted first year and transfer students accepted to Worcester State University and plan to enroll in the Fall Semester of 2019 will receive information by email regarding placement testing through the Academic Success Center. If you are a student with a documented disability and would like to request accommodations for a placement test, you must submit a request to Student Accessibility Services (SAS). The Director of SAS must review your supporting disability documentation first in order to determine your eligibility for placement test accommodations.

    Please contact Student Accessibility Services at sas@worcester.edu or 508-929-8733.

    Fran Manocchio, Assistant Dean of Student Affairs and Director, Student Accessibility Services fmanocchio@worcester.edu

  • Announcements

    Attention new first-year and transfer students: Student Accessibility Services will begin intakes on June 1.
  • CONTACT US
     
    Student Accessibility Services
    Shaughnessy Administration Building
    Suite A-131
    508-929-8733
    508-929-8214 (fax)

    sas@worcester.edu

    Hours
    Monday - Friday
    8 a.m. - 5 p.m.