Faculty and Staff Information

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CAS UPDATES FOR FACULTY - IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Conditional Accommodations - NEW PROCESS due to OCR guidance

NEW PROCESS due to guidance by The Office of Civil Rights

“Conditional Accommodations” are given in circumstances when a diagnosed disability may have a flare up or be
episodic in nature and not in the student’s control. OCR predicates that faculty and CAS offices work to determine
what is reasonable for these accommodations. 

If you see a Conditional Accommodation on a student’s Access Plan, contact CAS. 

The faculty member and student's CAS access specialist will create a plan that meets the student's needs. 

Calculating Extra Time for Assessments

Extra Time on Assessments

The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) position for persons who receive
extra time on an Assessment due to a diagnosed disability and
registered with CAS offices is as follows:


The increase in testing time a student with a disability receives is based on the assessment time that the remainder of the class receives. This means CAS will be accommodating the extra time based on the time that was afforded to other students in the class to complete the assessment.


For example, if the class is given 45 minutes and the CAS student has 50% extra time accommodations, then the testing time given to the CAS student is 68 minutes. At this time OCR does not support universal design concept with assessments
.
For example, an assessment takes two hours, but professor provides the class fours for the assessment (trying to
accommodate everyone in the class) then the CAS student with the 50% extra time would receive 6 hours – not the 4 hours the professor provided “to cover everyone”.

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Welcome Radford University and Radford University Carilion Faculty and Staff.

Radford faculty plays a crucial part in the lives of all of their students. CAS looks forward to working with faculty to assist in accommodating students with disabilities. There are three academic accommodations that will require faculty and a CAS access specialist to work together to determine what is reasonable and not a fundamental alteration to a course. These are: amended attendance, assignment extensions, and flexible exam schedule. 

Please contact CAS with any questions or concerns when working with a student with a disability or a student you suspect may benefit from CAS services. 

For information on the CAS Access Specialist for your department or college, please visit the About CAS page.

If you have questions or concerns not addressed by this page or the links provided, please contact the Center for Accessibility Services (CAS) office at 540-831-6350 or by emailing cas@radford.edu

May 2023 Dept. of Justice Letter on Accessibility in Postsecondary Institutions

The United States Department of Justice released a Dear Colleague Letter on May 19th, 2023 regarding online accessibility in postsecondary institutions. 

For information visit DEAR COLLEAGUE LETTER ON ONLINE ACCESSIBILITY AT POSTSECONDARY INSTITUTIONS

Download the Dear Colleague Letter.

ACCESS CAS Step by Step Instructions for Faculty

Log into ACCESS CAS (Faculty)

Log into the ACCESS CAS portal.

  • Go to the Radford University Website.
  • Select the button for OneCampus (on the top right).
  • Log into OneCampus.
  • Type ACCESS CAS in the search field.
  • Select the icon/tile titled Faculty-ACCESS CAS
  • The ACCESS CAS home page for your account will appear.

 

If you do not log into OneCampus at the start, you will be sent to the SSO log in page. Log in using your Radford username and password. 

View and E-sign an Access Plan

How to view and sign an Access Plan or Renewal Access Plan

Please do not sign Access Plans or Renewal Plans until you have met with the student and have agreed to provide the listed accommodations. Meetings can occur by email, zoom, phone, in person, etc.

  • Open your ACCESS CAS homepage and select the Accommodation dropdown tab.
  • Select Access Plans.
  • Select the appropriate Access Plan. Filters are available for selecting specific courses, semesters, or dates. Once you set your filters, select Apply Search.
  • Carefully review the Access Plan with the student.
  • If you agree to the Access Plan, please select the “Yes” radio button and type your name to electronically sign the contract. 
  • Then select SAVE (If you do not agree to the Access Plan, select Cancel and refer to the instructions for “How to Modify an Access Plan).
  • After signing a student’s Access Plan, select and press CLEAR located next to APPLY SEARCH to clear history and begin new student search. 

When an Access Plan Conflicts with a Course Objective

When an Access Plan Conflicts with a Course Objective

If you are reviewing an Access Plan with your student and one of the accommodations conflicts with a course objective, please do the following:

  • Email cas@radford.edu and cc the student on the email.
  • Provide information regarding the accommodation of concern, the objective in conflict, and the alternate strategy that you propose.
  • If the alternate strategy is approved by CAS, an email will be sent to the instructor and student to confirm.
  • If there is an issue, a coordinator will be contacting the instructor to discuss the issue further.

How to Approve a Pending Test Proctoring Request

How to approve a pending Proctoring Request

  • Open your ACCESS CAS homepage
  • Select the Courses tab on the left-hand side.
  • Search by semester
  • Scroll and select the appropriate course.
  • Select the Student Proctoring Request tab across the top of the page.  Please note, you should be on the Pending subtab.
  • Select the student’s name to open the request and please complete the form in its entirety.
  • Once complete, select SUBMIT.  

It is the instructor’s responsibility to deliver the test/exam to CAS offices 48 hours prior to student’s testing time.

Any proctoring requests that you have approved can be found under the “Approved” tab. 

If a student tells you that a Proctoring Request has been submitted, but you have not received an email, please check the Access CAS portal. 

How to Edit an Approved Test Proctoring Request

How to edit an approved Proctoring Request* (Day, Time, Item)

  • Open to the ACCESS CAS homepage, click on the Courses tab.
  • Select the appropriate course.
  • Select the Student Proctoring Request tab.  Choose the Approved subtab.
  • Select the student’s name to open the request and edit your responses as needed**
  • Once complete, click Submit.

Changes within 24 hours of student’s requested time? Please contact CAS by phone or email.

Some changes cannot be made by the faculty member, please contact CAS for assistance.

How to Review a Peer Note Taker's Notes

How to review a Volunteer Note-taker’s notes

  • Open to the ACCESS CAS homepage, select the Courses tab on the left-hand side.
  • Search by semester
  • Scroll and select the appropriate course.
  • Select the Course Notes tab located across the top of the page. Notes will be downloaded, and the file may then be opened for review.
  • To return to your list of courses, select Course Details tab located across the top of the page and select CANCEL below course details.
  • Select CLEAR
  • Select Home tab to return homepage. 

CAS Test Proctoring Center Faculty Information

CAS Testing Faculty

The CAS Testing Center and Testing Coordinator work to advocate for equal access in the testing environment, while also supporting faculty in maintaining fair standards.

The Testing Coordinator will follow an instructor’s statement on how the exam should be proctored for a student. Therefore, it is important that faculty provide timely and relevant information that you want CAS and/or the student to know regarding the assessment. 

More information is available on the CAS website at the CAS Test Proctoring Center - CAS Testing Faculty page

 

How CAS Determines Reasonable Accommodations for Students

CAS and Student Create the Access Plan

Creating the Access Plan

Students complete the following steps to acquire reasonable accommodations (An Access Plan).

  1. Self-disclose disability by completing the online CAS Application for Services.
  2. Meet with a CAS Access Specialist to determine an access barrier and reasonable accommodations.
  3. Provide verifying documentation that meets CAS Documentation Guidelines.
  4. Request an Access Plan each semester.
  5. Each semester, communicate with their faculty to review their Access Plan. 

 

 

 

Students' Steps for Arranging Accommodations

Setting Up Accommodations

Each semester CAS students complete the following steps to set up their accommodations.

  1. Log into Access CAS to submit a semester request for using accommodations.
  2. Contact each instructor for which they want to use accommodations, to schedule a meeting to review the student's Access Plan.
  3. After meeting with an instructor, students will return to Access CAS and electronically sign their copy of the semester Access Plan.
  4. After meeting with a student, faculty will log into Access CAS and electronically sign their copy of the semester Access Plan.

If faculty considers an accommodation listed on a student's Access Plan to conflict with a course objective, faculty must notify CAS to schedule a meeting to discuss the concern. 

Faculty Notification of Accommodations

The accommodations process begins with receiving an email from cas@radford.edu notifying faculty that a student is registered with CAS, has an Access Plan, and will contact the faculty member to review the Access Plan. This email notification is sent to faculty's Radford email account.

Students are expected as part of the CAS process to initiate a meeting to discuss accommodation plans. However, if you receive a letter and the student does not contact you regarding their accommodations, we recommend reaching out to the student. A brief email acknowledging you received the CAS notification and encouraging them to meet with you is suggested. Include this email in your class records.

We recommend only providing accommodations to a student who meets with you to review their Access Plan.  Please refer students to CAS if they disclose accommodations needs that you have not been formally notified about.

 

Student Confidentiality

Information about a student’s CAS affiliation and accommodations should be provided reasonable confidentiality. CAS complies with FERPA guidelines and can discuss student progress to support coordination of services for the student’s educational benefit. CAS welcomes faculty to contact the office at anytime concerning student needs.

Instructor Resources

Radford faculty plays a crucial part in the lives of all of their students. CAS looks forward to working with faculty to assist in accommodating students with disabilities. There are three academic accommodations that will require faculty and a CAS access specialist to work together to determine what is reasonable and not a fundamental alteration to a course. These are: amended attendance, assignment extensions, and flexible exam schedule. 

Please contact CAS with any questions or concerns when working with a student with a disability or a student you suspect may benefit from CAS services. 

For information on the CAS Access Specialist for your department or college, please visit the About CAS page.

 

Syllabus Statement

SAMPLE SYLLABUS STATEMENT

“If you are a student with special needs or circumstances, I invite you to contact me early in the course so appropriate supports and scheduling can be addressed. 

 Students seeking academic accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act must apply for services with Radford University’s Center for Accessibility Services (CAS). The policies regarding students with disabilities may be found on the CAS website at http://www.radford.edu/content/cas/home.html.  You may also contact the CAS office."

CAS Contact Information

Website:  www.radford.edu/cas
Phone:  540-831-6350 
Email:  cas@radford.edu

When is it too late to share the access plan?

It is preferred and recommended that students approved for services with CAS, request access plans, and share them with instructors prior to the start of the semester.  However, per ADA regulations, students can request accommodations due to a medical diagnosis at any time of their academic career.

Can I ask a student if they have a disability?

A student does not have to disclose their disability.  If a student is approved for services with CAS, we encourage students to share as much information about their learning style as possible.  However, if you suspect a student is struggling academically due to the lack of access to material and information, please have private conversation.  Ask the student if they applied for services with CAS.  If the answer is, "no", then encourage them to do so.  In some cases, instructors have accompanied a student to the CAS office to share their thoughts and concerns. 

How To Calculate the Extra Time for Assessments Accommodation

The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) position for persons who receive extra time on an Assessment due to a diagnosed disability and registered with CAS offices is as follows:

The increase in testing time a student with a disability receives is based on the assessment time that the remainder of the class receives. This means CAS will be accommodating the extra time based on the time that was afforded to other students in the class to complete the assessment.

For example, if the class is given 45 minutes and the CAS student has 50% extra time accommodations, then the testing time given to the CAS student is 68 minutes. At this time OCR does not support universal design concept with assessments.
.
For example, an assessment takes two hours, but professor provides the class fours for the assessment (trying to
accommodate everyone in the class) then the CAS student with the 50% extra time would receive 6 hours – not the 4 hours the professor provided “to cover everyone”.

Important Process when Student has Conditional Accommodations

NEW PROCESS due to Office of Civil Rights (OCR) guidance


Conditional Accommodations” are given in circumstances when a diagnosed disability may have a flare up or be episodic in nature and not in the student’s control. the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) predicates that faculty and CAS offices work to determine what is reasonable for these accommodations. 

If you see a Conditional Accommodation on a student’s Access Plan, contact CAS. 

The faculty member and student's CAS access specialist will create a plan that meets the student's needs.