Faculty Information Regarding Accommodations

For information on animals in the classroom, we recommend that you take a look at Pepperdine's university policy for animals on campus. For additional information you may also want to refer to these frequently asked questions and answers from the ADA:
Service Animals and the ADA

Video captioning:

• OSA provides captioning services for any videos or films to be shown in classes. The video should be sent to the Assistant Director of Student Accessibility 10 days in advance of showing.

CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation):

• CART is a speech-to-text process that brings communication access to deaf and hard of hearing people. Accurate and complete text representations of lectures or dialogue are simultaneously prepared and displayed to the student at natural language speeds.
• The CART provider (captioner) can be onsite or operate remotely (where the audio can be clearly and accurately transmitted via phone or internet). He or she uses a stenography machine and laptop computer to key in all that is being said in class. The student views the text through a standard internet browser in real time and may receive a transcript as well.

As a professor seeking to support a student using CART services, you are asked to:

• Always speak directly to the student, not to the student's captioner. You can speak as you normally would, without "over-enunciating" or speaking loudly. Should the lecture or discussion rate become too fast, the student or captioner will advise you.
• Arrange in advance of the first class for a discussion with the captioner and the student regarding seating positions that are convenient for all concerned. (Notetakers are provided because it is difficult for a deaf student to watch their screen and take notes simultaneously.) If online, communicate with the captioner and OSA to coordinate access to the class.
• Contact Student Accessibility (310-506-6500), if needed, to arrange for a three-way meeting between you, an OSA staff member, and the student to work out any issues and to collaborate on the best instructional strategies for the student.
• During class discussions, ask that one person speak at a time and that the students raise their hands to request recognition. When a class member asks a question, repeat the question before answering.
• Provide the captioner with copies of any handouts (syllabus, vocabulary list, or other course materials) to assist in preparing for the course and/or programming their equipment.
• Understand that focusing intently on the CART transcription for up to an hour or more is extremely fatiguing. If the student must leave class for a moment, the service provider will stop for that time. If a student fails to show up for class, service providers are instructed to wait for 10 to 15 minutes before leaving as discretely as possible.
• When reading directly from text, provide an advance copy and pause slightly when interjecting information not in the text.
• When working with the whiteboard or an overhead projection system, pause briefly so that the student may look first at the board/screen, and then at their screen, to see what is being said.
• Periodically check in with the student privately to make sure that all class content is being accessed.

Exam Accommodations are the responsibility of the faculty.

The OSA is prepared to assist professors by providing alternate testing rooms or proctors when necessary. It is between the student and professor, however, to decide how such services are rendered and to contact the OSA if assistance is needed. Email or call (310-506-6500) with any questions or concerns about providing exam accommodations.

The OSA is available to assist professors who are unable to accommodate students' exam needs. It is the responsibility of the student to refer to the specific school exam proctoring policies provided on the OSA website to find out how to request exam accommodations. We would ask that professors provide staff members who request exam information with the following:

• Appropriate contact information (so that we can contact the professor with any exam questions)
• Delivery instructions
• Materials allowed/procedures for proctoring
• Post-test return instructions
• Standard length of the exam

For a more comprehensive description on the exam request and proctoring process, see Exam Accommodations.

How do I know what exam accommodations to provide?

Students who are approved for exam accommodations should provide you with an updated accommodation letter specifically detailing their accommodations. Exam accommodations may include but are not limited to:

• Enlarged text
• Extended time
• Distraction-reduced environment
• Reader
• Scribe
• Use of a word processor

How do students use exam accommodations?

Students should refer to the specific school exam proctoring policies provided on the OSA website once they have either been approved for accommodations or completed a Semester Request.

What constitutes a distraction-reduced environment?

A distraction-reduced environment is a testing locale with minimal interruptions and noise. Smaller classrooms with few students or a quiet office would be suitable. It is important to discuss the testing environment with the student in order to determine the appropriateness of the testing environment.

Should I contact Student Accessibility if I am providing the exam accommodations on my own?

It is not necessary for the instructor to contact our office if providing exam accommodations without assistance from the OSA. Professors will just want to confirm that they are providing all requested accommodations found on an updated accommodation letter (students who have activated accommodations will have an accommodation letter for the current semester listing their approved accommodations).

This accommodation means there may be times when the student has a flare-up of symptoms and is not able to complete an individual assignment by the due date.

Extensions on group assignments are not reasonable given the impact on the group and class timelines.

Extensions on assignments are different than an incomplete in a course. Extensions must be resolved as outlined in the accommodation letter. The professor, student, and the registrar's office should work together to determine when and if an incomplete is necessary.

The parameters of this accommodation need to be worked out on an individual basis between the professor and student, based on the structure and requirements of the class. This accommodation depends upon a partnership between the student and professor. OSA is always available to facilitate or advise.

To make sure there is mutual understanding of expectations of this accommodation, we urge each professor and the student to discuss the following (though there may be other questions more specific to your course):

• How do individual assignments impact the timing of class assignments? For example, are assignments scaffolded or stand alone?
• Should the student submit unfinished work on the due date or wait until completed?
• How and when should the professor be notified when the student is having a flare-up? What are the expectations of communication?

Please know we are here to support you both in providing access and maintaining the integrity of the course. We would also ask that you speak directly with the student.

The Office of Student Accessibility assumes the responsibility for finding note takers in specific courses. If we are unable to locate a note taker, faculty are asked to do the following:

• Encourage students to volunteer: make a general class announcement about the need.
• If a note taker is not available, it may be helpful to provide the student with a copy of lecture/class notes as an alternate means of meeting this accommodation. Student may also need to record the class if notes are not available.
• Instructors are encouraged to post notes and PowerPoints online. This universal accessibility will be appreciated by all students, not just those associated with the OSA.
• Maintain confidentiality regarding student(s) in need; do not publicly use the name(s) of the student(s) in need while making this request to your class.

The parameters of this accommodation need to be worked out on an individual basis between the professor and student, based on the structure and requirements of the class. This accommodation depends upon a partnership between the student and professor. OSA is always available to facilitate or advise.

To make sure there is mutual understanding of expectations of this accommodation, we urge each professor and student to discuss the following (though there may be other questions more specific to your course):

• How is attendance an essential component of the class?
• How should the student to submit work if absent on a day that an assignment is due? Would the student submit unfinished work on the due date?
• If the student is absent on the day of a quiz, exam or presentation, is there a class policy already in place regarding missed quizzes, exams, presentations? If the student misses a presentation, would the student submit materials electronically and present at another class?
• How and when should the professor be notified when the student is having a flare-up? What are the expectations of communication?

The OSA is here to support you both in providing access and maintaining the integrity of the course.