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Quarterly Newsletter

Spring Quarter 2023 Newsletter

Happy Spring! We Hope You Have a Great Spring Quarter!

SDS would like to wish you all a happy and productive start to the Spring Quarter!

We’re Open

The Student Disability Services office will reopen in April.  Renovations are almost complete and staff will return in office for the duration of the Spring Term.

Contacting SDS

The SDS office is available remotely via Zoom or telephone. For questions about accommodations or access matters, you may email questions to disabilities@uchicago.edu or call 773-702-6000.

To set up an appointment with an SDS Director:

To set up an appointment or ask questions of a SDS Access Coordinator:

Requesting Academic Accommodations

College and High School Program Students Only: AIM Portal Procedures

Remember to request accommodation letters for the Spring Quarter. Many accommodations must be scheduled through the online AIM Student Portal.

The procedures for notifying your instructors of your approved accommodations, using exam accommodations, and alternative format conversion requests are all outlined on our website under Using Accommodations. Please review these procedures carefully and contact SDS immediately if you have any questions.

Instructors should be notified at least 7 days in advance of testing accommodation requests. 

Graduate/Professional Students Only

Accommodation implementation varies by academic division. Graduate/Professional students have a different process than College students. Please consult with your disability liaison within your graduate/professional division and follow the procedures to make arrangements for accommodations during Spring Quarter. Contact information for your graduate and professional disability liaison is available on the Disability Liaisons webpage.

Using Exam Accommodations

Exams may be administered in-person or remotely (via Zoom) during Spring 2023. It is recommended to notify your instructors of any approved accommodations you intend to use in their course via AIM. Students are encouraged to follow up with their instructor regarding the exam types or if they have exam-related questions.

If exam(s) will be administered with live monitoring by a proctor, you must submit an exam request to SDS to schedule a proctoring appointment at least 7 days in advance of an exam date. It is recommended you schedule your exams as soon as possible. SDS cannot guarantee availability for exam requests within 7 days of the exam date.

If you have sent your Faculty Notification Letters through AIM, have contacted each instructor or designee to discuss how exam accommodations will be administered in the course, and the instructor is requesting that SDS proctor the exam, please complete the following steps: 

  1. Log in to the AIM Student Portal https://rainier.accessiblelearning.com/UChicago.
  2. Click on “Alternative Testing” in the “My Accommodations” navigation menu and select the course from the drop-down menu.
  3. On the next page, you will be asked to enter the date and time of the exam and indicate the exam accommodations that you will be using for the exam.

Exams must be scheduled to start/end during SDS hours of availability to proctor. SDS availability to proctor is 8:30am-5:00pm. During Finals, SDS availability to proctor is 8:30 AM-6:00 PM.

Please email us at proctor@uchicago.edu with any questions.

Transportation Assistance

Dial-A-Ride a point-to-point shuttle service for students with temporary and long-term conditions that affect mobility. The service provides rides to and from classes and medical appointments at the University of Chicago Medicine complex. Rides must be scheduled at least three business days in advance. Lyft services also available to approved students as a supplemental option for gaps in scheduled Dial-A-Ride services. If you have questions about transportation during the Spring please contact your assigned SDS Director.

Videos to Help You Succeed

For more information on how to access SDS services and other helpful tips to aid you on your academic journey, check out the videos linked below!

Introduction to Student Disability Services

Using Academic Accommodations

Requesting Alternative Format Texts

The Top 5 Things You Should Know as a Graduate/Professional Student

Events and Opportunities

Director’s Dialogue

You are cordially invited to meet quarterly with the SDS Director, Charnessa Warren. Each quarter, Director Warren will host an informal, one hour session for students to bring forward any questions, concerns, or ideas they would like to discuss. The Spring Quarter Director Dialogue will take place on Wednesday, March 29, 2023 at 4:00pm.

Register for Director’s Dialogue

Convocation 2023

The 537th Convocation, during which degrees are officially conferred to all graduates, will be held on the Main Quadrangle on Saturday, June 3, 2023 at 9:15 a.m. CDT. If you have any questions about access or to request a reasonable accommodation that will facilitate your full participation in this event such as ASL interpreting, captioned videos, Braille or electronic text, food options for individuals with dietary restrictions, etc. please visit the Convocation Accessibility and Accommodations page.

Get a Free Trial of Glean

Student Disability Services is excited to partner with Glean, a browser-based app that can be used online or offline to help you take better notes, pinpoint important information, and keep a recording of class meetings. Glean allows you to record lectures in full, listen back at your own pace and annotate with different note types to create a complete learning resource – tailored to you.

Check out this brief video for an overview of the ways Glean can help students take better notes.

Glean is offering University of Chicago Students a 6 week trial to try out the note-taking app in their classes. If you are interested, email notetake@uchicago.edu to set up your free trial.

Dates of Interest

March

  • World Down Syndrome Day – March 21
  • Purple Day for Epilepsy – March 26
  • Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month
  • Developmental Disabilities Month
  • Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month

April

  • World Autism Awareness Day – April 2
  • International Guide Dog Day – April 26
  • Parkinson’s Awareness Month
  • Autism Acceptance Month

May

  • Deaf Awareness Week – May 2-8
  • Global Accessibility Awareness Day – May 18
  • ALS Awareness Month
  • Mental Health Awareness Month
  • Arthritis Awareness Month
  • National Stroke Awareness Month

Staff Announcement

Amber Chess, Deputy Director

Student Disability Services is pleased to welcome Amber Chess to the Director’s team. Amber has several years of experience supporting students with disabilities and will continue to do so for University of Chicago.

We hope you have a great Spring!

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