Next term, Portland State’s Disability Resource Center will join other universities which have long had an electronic system for students to file service request forms, a document informing faculty members of any special accommodations needed in the classroom.
The DRC hopes that its new online format will be more convenient for students, as they will not have to fill out paperwork at the beginning of each term.
Currently, the service request form looks like a class add/drop form. It asks for the course registration number, subject, class title and instructor. The form, filled out by students, then asks for the type of accommodations that the student wants for each class.
Now, students will be able to fill out the form online rather than having to e-mail, fax or bring it into the DRC office.
With the new online system, students will be able to log into the DRC database, type in the CRN, view the list of services available and mark what they need for each course.
This new system will help both students and DRC staff cut out a majority of the paperwork that comes with each new term. Students will also be able to make schedule changes and update their information online, rather than having to fill out and turn in a new service request form.
According to Darcy Kramer, DRC accommodations coordinator, this term was the last term that the DRC used paper-only service request forms. Come winter term, the center will offer both paper and online forms, and in the spring it will be fully online.
“We always want to make the system work better for our students,” Kramer said. “The current system of having the students fill out a print service request form is time-consuming and uses up a lot of paper. Students will no longer need to stand in line at the DRC at the beginning of the term to get copies of their faculty letters, and reducing the amount of paper used will mean we’re more sustainable,” she said.
Other institutions have been using an online system for students and faculty for some time now. For instance, Oregon State has been online for two years.
“The ultimate goal is, what is the functional impact of the disability and how…you accommodate it,” said Tracy Bentley-Townlin, OSU’s director of disability services. “I send out e-mail notification to instructors. Our philosophical stance is nobody likes to be surprised. It’s important you provide the faculty a heads-up on how to work with a student.”
At PSU, faculty will now receive e-mails, rather than letters, letting them know about students’ academic needs.
With the implementation of an online system, students will not have to track down their professors or give them forms in class, according to Kramer.
“This will reduce questions and confusion about accommodations and give instructors more timely notice of students needing accommodations,” Kramer said.
The DRC will hold workshops and training sessions to familiarize students with the new system and procedures. For more information, call 503-725-4150.