FOR PROSPECTIVE AND NEWLY ADMITTED STUDENTS

Partnering for the Good of the Students

We are so appreciative of the time and effort you put into creating a positive learning environment for all students. We are here to partner with you in the learning process. We want to work alongside you in creating equitable opportunities for all students with disabilities to engage in higher education.

As we consider this a partnership, we are available for feedback and conversations at any time. Our collective goal of supporting students includes making sure you feel supported. Additionally, we are available for consultation for specific student concerns as well as for general universal design for your classroom.

Syllabus Statement

Academic Accommodations from the Accessibility Services Office

Regardless of whether the course or the student is on-campus or remote, Merrimack College provides reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities through the Accessibility Services Office. Students who have, or think they may have, a disability are invited to contact the Accessibility Services Office via the online request form found on the Accessibility Services website: merrimack.edu/aso, email [email protected] or by visiting us on the third floor of McQuade Library.

Students are encouraged to contact the office as soon as possible via the website or via email at [email protected] to ensure adequate time to meet and create a plan. Students already registered with Accessibility Services are encouraged semesterly to request for their letters to be emailed and students are responsible to then email the letter to their instructors personally. The Accessibility Services Testing Center remains available to students whether in-person or remote. While it is understood that some students will not use all accommodations in all courses, accommodations can not be made retroactively.

Testing Center Information

Students taking exams in the Testing Center must request testing appointments via Accommodate at least 72-hours prior to the test date. We will then email the professor to alert you of the request and the reasonable date and time for the exam with accommodation as well as to confirm the test information, materials allowed (if any) and plan for the transaction of the exam. Upon receipt, please complete the form on Accommodate and specify any and all materials allowed, allotted time, and the manner in which the exam will be delivered to our office. 

Students should arrange directly with their faculty member for accommodations for quizzes, or any assessment less than 30 minutes (before/after class, at a prearranged space or at an alternate time). We have found that taking short quizzes in the Testing Center can cause students to miss class time. 

All testing at the Testing Center, including final examinations, must be started and completed Monday-Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Should the class exam time exceed these hours, we will assign a different test time for the student as close to the actual exam time as 

possible, and will communicate that to you. This might mean that the student is taking an exam at a different time or, on a rare occasion, a different day than the rest of the class (as is the case for night classes, for example). 

After you complete the form, please submit your assessment via Accommodate (this is our preferred method of submission), by email to [email protected], or deliver the exam in person before the specified start time of the student’s exam (please note this may be different than the scheduled class exam time). Please see the steps below for uploading an exam to Accommodate: 

Steps for Faculty Exam Request Submission

Please log-in to our Accommodate Software by following the steps below: 

1. Login to Accommodate
2. Select Faculty
3. Sign in with your Merrimack credentials using @merrimack.edu and your password
4. On the left hand side, click “Courses”
5. Click on the course and section

If you would like to fill out different information for each student who has requested to take this exam: 

6. Click on Alternative Test Room Booking
7. Click on the Student’s Name
8. Fill in the prompted information on the form
9. Upload exam (optional- exams can be uploaded later in Accommodate or they can be emailed to [email protected] or delivered in person). 10. Click Submit

If you would like the same information to apply to anyone in any section taking this exam: 

11. Click on “Exam”
12. Click “Add New Exam”
13. “Title” can be anything like “Exam 3” the date, or whatever you’d like
14. “Start Date” and “End Date” should be when the entire class has the opportunity to take the assessment
15. “Test Length” is how long the students without accommodations have to take the assessment
16. Complete the rest of the form
17. “Apply to all Records” – if selected yes, will automatically qualify for all students in any section within the exam date range you posted
18. “Attachment” – you are not required to upload your exam here but may if you wish. You may also:
19. Ignore if an online exam
20. Return to this form and upload it later
21. Email it to [email protected]
22. Drop it off at ASO
23. Make alternative arrangements
24. Click Submit

Upon the student’s completion of the exam, we will return the exam based on the method you noted in the faculty response form (however, due to liability, we are not able to deliver exams to faculty).

Typical Academic Accommodations

Extended Time

Extended time applies to quizzes, exams and all time-constrained academic competitions, such as in-class writing for a grade or a take-home exam limited to a few days. It does not apply to papers or assignments, as students should be notified well in advance of a long-term assignment and its due date. Student requests for extensions, typically an additional day or two, are granted at the discretion of the instructor. Please keep in mind that many students feel their learning is undermined if they fall behind in their work.

Reduced Distraction Test Location

Reduced distraction location does not require that a student test alone. Rather, it simply requires that common distractions in the test location be reduced, often by having fewer students and distractions in the testing room. This is often achieved via utilizing the Testing Center. However, if agreed upon between instructor and student, an alternative location can be determined.

Use of an Exam Laptop

This accommodation requires a student to reserve an exam laptop through the Accessibility Services Office at least one week in advance of a test, which typically takes place in our testing center. We ensure that the laptop is fully charged, the exam is loaded and the internet connection and calculator function are disabled. Students use this accommodation for various purposes which could include type and/or read-aloud software.

Use of a Calculator

This accommodation allows for use of a simple calculator if such use does not fundamentally alter the nature of the course or test. Instructors must specify whether use of a graphing calculator is permitted.

Note Taking Assistance

When a student requests support with note taking beyond traditional resources to supplement learning, it would be helpful for the student to receive notes from the instructor or to be paired with a volunteer in your class. On occasion, if determined by our office that the student cannot access the curriculum without note taking assistance, our office will hire a student in your course to be a paid notetaker.

When a student is absent from class due to illness or surgery, if requested by the student, instructors are encouraged to share their notes and/or help identify another student in class who is willing to share notes. Posting instructor or classmate-shared notes are common strategies for strengthening student engagement.

Electronic Note Taking

Students use a laptop or other device to take notes during a particular class.

Audio Recordings

Students use an electronic device to record the lecture for learning purposes. Students agree to not share, publish or quote recorded material without the consent of the instructor and to turn off the recorder when requested to do so by the instructor. **Regarding remote learning – we ask that you provide these students with the zoom recording of the lectures as soon as they have been made available to you.**

Electronic Textbooks

Our office will help students to acquire textbooks in electronic format for independent study.