On behalf of Disability Resources, we hope this finds you somewhere safe, sound, and taking care of yourself in light of the COVID-19 national emergency. As you have no doubt seen, and as Chancellor Andrew D. Martin stated, “This is increasingly becoming a rather extraordinary time for us here at WashU.” Toward that end, WashU faculty and staff are busy at work assisting students, and preparing for the transition to online instruction starting on March 23, 2020.
Some of you have probably already heard from your schools and/or instructors with details about going forward with online instruction for the remainder of the spring semester. If you have not, we anticipate you will by the end of the week, but as always, we encourage you to be proactive in communicating with individual faculty.
We recognize this is a stressful situation, so we wanted to wait a few days before reaching out to you with some updates.
· Disability Resources will not be accepting face-to-face appointments or allowing walk-in visitors until further notice. However, DR staff are committed to supporting students through this situation via virtual communication. Individuals may arrange phone and Zoom appointments to occur during business hours (8:30 am-4:00 pm CST), by emailing Disability Resources.
· Disability Resources will not administer exams and quizzes until further notice.
· Review the Updated Syllabi. Consider how your disability-related concerns are impacted by new expectations, and make an appointment to speak with a DR staff about any concerns if you believe accommodations need to be adjusted.
· Communicate with Your Faculty. Even if you did so at the beginning of the semester, provide your instructors a copy of your accommodation letter, and talk with them about your intent to utilize the accommodations. It is your responsibility to inform faculty of your needs and approved academic accommodations.
· Request testing accommodations prior to tests. Online test platforms allow faculty to easily adjust established settings for students, particularly individuals needing extended time. If you receive DR authorized testing accommodations, confirm this need with your instructors. DR staff can assist you (and faculty) with questions.
· When messaging faculty, CC: Disability Resources. We welcome the opportunity to assist students in conversations with their instructors. If you choose, add Disability Resources in the “CC” line of your email, and use the subject line: “DR Accommodations” (or similar).