Academic Enrichment Center

Students with learning disabilities can initiate services by contacting the CSSD as soon as they are accepted. The students need to provide comprehensive documentation by a qualified professional that includes assessment results and recommendations. On the basis of the documentation, reasonable accommodations are made on a case by case basis; therefore, the assessment is most useful if it is no more than three years old. Students currently enrolled in a K-12 school district are usually eligible for free testing from the district.

• Students with sensory, mobility, or health disabilities should forward a recent and complete medical report to the CSSD.

• Students who are currently receiving services from a rehabilitation agency should have their caseworker contact the CSSD.

• Students who are currently registered with Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic should submit their ID number to the CSSD.

• Students taking a reduced course load due to a disability may be granted full-time status regarding housing and financial aid.

For more information, write or call:

Dordt University, Coordinator of Services for Students with Disabilities
Academic Enrichment Center
700 7th St NE
Sioux Center, IA 51250

Ph: (712) 722-6490

• course supports: note taking, testing accommodations
  
• tutoring
• course advising
• screening and referral for diagnostic testing
• faculty advocacy
• pre-registration
• campus accessibility
• housing arrangements
• inter-agency communication (e.g., vocational rehabilitation)

Dordt University makes academic support available for students with special needs such as sensory impairments, physical and health problems, and learning disabilities. For more information contact the coordinator of services for students with disabilities (CSSD).

Students who believe they need academic support should notify the CSSD as soon as possible. Ideally, this should occur during the application process. Accepted applicants will be asked to provide relevant assessment information so that appropriate academic support can be planned. If prior assessment information is not available or is more than three years old, the applicant will be encouraged to have such assessment done. This type of assessment can usually be obtained in the student's school district, at no cost, if the student is currently enrolled in a K-12 school.

Students who request academic accommodations after they have enrolled as students at Dordt University will also be asked to provide assessment information that confirms the existence of the special need (e.g., learning disability). Where such assessment information is not available, the student will be encouraged to have appropriate assessment performed.

Academic support services are available for students who qualify, including those with learning, mobility, sensory, health, or psychological disabilities.

Students with disabilities are responsible for contacting Amy Feekes, the coordinator of services for students with disabilities (CSSD), to initiate services. She can be reached at (712) 722-6490 or Amy.Feekes@dordt.edu.

This contact should be made six months before the start of the semester of admission or as early as possible to ensure the accessibility of classrooms, housing, and auxiliary aids. Students will need to provide the CSSD with appropriate documentation of the disability. On the basis of documentation, reasonable accommodations assuring equal access are implemented on a case by case basis. For further information, click on one or more of the following links.

Appropriate documentation of a disability should be no more than three years old so that the current impact of the disability is addressed. The documentation should include the following:

1. A clear diagnostic statement from a qualified professional identifying the disability, date of the current evaluation, and date of the original diagnosis
2. A description of the diagnostic criteria and/or diagnostic tests used. The diagnosis of a specific learning disability should be comprehensive and should not rely on one test or subtest for diagnosis. Minimally, the testing should address the following domains:
   1. aptitude (such as WAIS-R or Woodcock Johnson)
   2. academic achievement in reading, mathematics, and oral and written language
   3. information processing (e.g. short and long term memory, auditory and visual processing, processing speed)
3. Recommendations for accommodations including rationale
4. Treatment, medication, or auxiliary aids prescribed
5. The credentials of the diagnosing professional(s)

Interested in learning more about Dordt University? Request more information or visit the campus.

The following information was compiled to help students with disabilities make the transition from high school to college as smoothly as possible.

1. UNDERSTANDING THE LAW

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) govern both employers and institutions of higher education. In short the laws state that students with disabilities can not be discriminated against because of their disability. Students may be eligible for modifications or academic adjustments so that they have equal opportunity and equal access.

Section 504 and the ADA are not the same as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Under IDEA primary and secondary schools are responsible to identify and to provide a free, appropriate education for all students. In post-secondary institutions it is the student's responsibility to self-identify and to provide documentation of the disability. Students should obtain copies of their diagnostic assessment and make sure that the assessment is current before they graduate from high school. If prior assessment information is not available or is more than three years old, students can usually have this type of an assessment done by the local school district, at no cost, if they are currently enrolled in a K-12 school.

2. DISCLOSING DISABILITIES

Students are not required and may not be asked to reveal a disability in the application, but revealing a disability may be beneficial especially if there is a discrepancy in the application information (e.g. GPA and ACT scores). Special admission considerations may be made on a case by case basis if the student does not meet minimum requirements for admission due to a disability.

Students with disabilities can initiate services by contacting the Coordinator of Services for Students with Disabilities (CSSD), Amy.Feekes@dordt.edu, as soon as they are accepted. This contact should be made as early as possible to ensure the accessibility of the resident hall and classrooms and the availability of auxiliary aids. The CSSD can also assist in pre-registration if the contact is made before the course selection deadline (usually the beginning of July).

Students are also encouraged to make an appointment with the CSSD during campus visit days. Once the initial contact is made the student will be asked to provide appropriate documentation of the disability. On the basis of the documentation, reasonable accommodations needed to offer equal access are implemented on a case by case basis. Reasonable accommodations may not lower course standards or alter degree requirements, but they give students with disabilities an equal opportunity to learn and demonstrate their abilities.

3. BECOMING ONE'S OWN ADVOCATE

Independence is a goal of the support services for students with disabilities, and students are encouraged and taught to become their own advocate. The more students know about their own strengths and weaknesses, strategies and accommodations during high school, the better prepared they will be for a post secondary education.

4. OTHER INFORMATION

• The SAT and ACT do allow special exam arrangements for students with disabilities.
• Contacting the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation may be beneficial. Vocational Rehabilitation is a nationwide federal/state program that offers a variety of services to help eligible people with disabilities become employed. Since education may be part of the plan to reach the goal of employment, both counseling and financial assistance may be available. To find your local vocational rehabilitation agency look under the state listing in the telephone book.
• HEATH is a national clearinghouse on post-secondary education for individuals with disabilities and offers information and materials to assist people with disabilities in developing their full potential through post-secondary education and training. Single copies of printed materials are available at a cost/recovery price and duplication of HEATH materials is encouraged. HEATH can be reached at HEATH Resource Center; One Dupont Circle, Suite 800; Washington, DC 20036-1193 or www.heath.gwu.edu.

Learn more about Dordt University: Request more information or visit the campus.