Program and Service Guidelines

Class Attendance

The WSU classroom attendance policy states it is the student's responsibility to "attend all meetings of each class in which they are enrolled (instructors will announce at the beginning of the semester if they consider attendance in computing final grades.) (2005-06 WSU Undergraduate Catalog, p. 31.)

ODS is not obligated to provide services for students who do not attend class. Students may request continuation of services from the Director if the absence is due to a disability-related issue. Otherwise, if a student misses a class, regular services and class notes or tapes may not be provided.

Requesting Services

When a student makes initial contact with the ODS the Director or the Services Coordinator will schedule a meeting to obtain information from the student and enter this information into the ODS database. At this initial meeting policies and procedures and forms relevant to the student's services will be discussed with the student. It is necessary that current documentation of disability for each student be on file at ODS. Student should meet with the Services Coordinator at least five school days before the services start. ODS will try to accommodate requests made under the five day limit, but services will be provided only if there is adequate staffing available.

All service requests and the completion of the "Semester Service Agreement" form must be made in person at the ODS main office. The Director or Services Coordinator will complete "Semester Service Agreement" in consultation with the student. All other forms used to request additional services should be submitted to ODS a minimum of three school days before the service is needed.

Requests for services will be not accepted over the telephone. The student must complete the appropriate form to insure appropriate services.

Canceling/Changing Services

Students are required to inform ODS when they plan to cancel or change scheduled services. ODS has a telephone voice mail system (987-3309) and a TDD with message-taking capabilities (978-3391) that are activated after office hours to allow the student to call and cancel or change services. ODS is not a demand responsive system.

If a student changes or cancels services, the following should occur:

1. The student can substitute the scheduled service with a new, revised request which will occur during their previously scheduled time period, but they must inform ODS of the change prior to the scheduled service. Depending on the nature of the substituted service, ODS will make the determination as to the availability of staff to provide that service.

2. The student should meet with the Director or Services Coordinator to permanently cancel services or change services. Changes to the ""Semester Service Agreement" " form should be completed to reflect the new services.

Arriving Late for Services

Student Assistants (SA's) provided by ODS will wait ten minutes for the student to arrive for the scheduled assignment. If the student fails to previously inform ODS they will not be arriving within the ten-minute frame, services will not be provided unless there is available ODS staff.

Interpreters for deaf and hard of hearing students will wait ten minutes for every hour of the class for students who arrive late.

Suspension of Services

All incidents regarding absenteeism, tardiness, cancellations, changes, and interruption of service will be documented by ODS staff and submitted to the Director for review. If a student develops a consistent pattern of behavior that causes a disruption in scheduling, the provisions of services, or is continuously confrontational with ODS employees or other students, the following steps will occur to rectify the situation:

1. The Director will meet with the student to discuss the issues and develop a mutually agreed upon action plan to correct the situation. The plan will include goals, objectives, and compliance time lines to be monitored by the Services Coordinator.

2. If the problem occurs before or after the initial time line has been set, a second meeting with the Director will take place to evaluate the situation. Final written time lines to resolve the problem will be established at this meeting.

3. If there is no resolution of the problem, the student will receive, in writing, a temporary suspension of services for a two-week period. At the end of the two-week temporary suspension period, a meeting will be held with the student and the Director to determine if services will be reinstated.

4. If an agreement of compliance by the student is not reached between the student and the Director, then services will be terminated. The student will be notified in writing that she/he may appeal this decision to the Dean of Students. Services will be pending during the appeal process. Reinstatement of services depends on the outcome of the appeal.

Note: The Interpreter Coordinator or Staff Interpreter will be in attendance during all meetings with the Services Coordinator and/or Director which involve a deaf or hard of hearing student.