Accommodative Services

Accommodative Services

At Union College, providing equal opportunities for students who experience disabilities is a campus-wide responsibility and commitment. Academic support services are an integral part of equalizing the post-secondary environment for students who experience disabilities.

The Accommodative Services Office is committed to providing students with disabilities equal opportunities to benefit from all College services, programs, and activities. We comply with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Quicklinks:

New students - registration Portal​​​​​

Returning Students - term accommodations request
Students with accommodation - Request laptop Form for Essay Exams
Faculty - Testing Center Exam Scheduling Form

Online Learning Resources

  • Helpful Tips for Online Learning

    Practical Advice

    1. Make and keep a schedule. Set your alarm! Mon - Fri, set your alarm, get up, do your morning routine. (Eat, work out, clean up - whatever.)

    2. Create a daily/weekly schedule, as well as a spring term monthly schedule with all exams and assignments noted (see course syllabi). Write. It. Down.

    3. Where do you plan to do your work? Find a place that will not distract you. If you plan to attend class/study in your bedroom, make your bed and tidy up. Clutter and disarray are distractions.

    4. During class, study or test time, eliminate all distractions. Put your phone away where you cannot see or hear it. No TV either. Clear your workspace of everything that is not related to what you are working on right now.

    5. When it comes to independent study time, ideally you should try for a minimum of 2 hours of study time for each class. (Obviously adjust the amount of time to fit the demands of the course.) Schedule study time for the time of day when you are most focused (especially for your challenging classes)!

    • Use the Pomodoro Technique: Work for 25 minutes, then take a 5-minute break. After completing 4 Pomodoros, take a 15-minute break. It will be easier to stay on task if you know you only need to do it for the next 25 minutes. Try Strict Workflow (Chrome Extension) to have these breaks built into your Chromebook.

    6. Getting started on independent study or project/paper time is often the hardest part of getting work done. If it feels like something is too much to even start, then break the job up into pieces. For example, you need to read chapter 4 and take notes. If the chapter is long, plan to read half before lunch and the other half after lunch. Breaking up a large task into smaller ones will help you get the job done, but you need to have a plan to get the job done, and you need to stick to that plan.

    7. To make it easier to get started next time, jot down exactly what you need to do when you come back to an assignment. Knowing what you have to do makes it easier to pick up again. For example, you just completed a rough outline for your paper. Write down the first sentence of the introduction to that paper before you stop working. When you come back to writing, you will know exactly where you want to start.

    8. Do you know someone in the same class? After class, set up a time to FaceTime or Skype with that person. This can help you both with learning the course material and being accountable, but equally important, it can be the new "social" outlet for the time being. We are all going to need each other during this time.

    Other resources that will help you adjust to an online learning environment.

  • Tips for Practicing Mindfulness

    Tips for Practicing Mindfulness

    Mindfulness takes practice, time and effort. Typically, you begin the practice with 5 minutes of “mindfulness of breath.” (Focus on breathing, be in the present/now.)

    • RAIN exercise: (1) Recognize - what emotion you are feeling right now? Name the emotion. E.g., overwhelmed, sad, anger, anxiousness (2) Accept - can I accept that I am experiencing this emotion even if I don’t want it? (3) Investigate - How is this emotion affecting my body, thoughts and behavior right now? (4) Non-Identify with your negative emotions - know that it is temporary, doesn’t define you as a person, will go away. Cultivate positive emotions and appreciate other peoples’ presence in your life; gratitude.
    • STOP exercise: (1) Stop what you are doing; (2) Take a break and a breath; (3) Observe - where is my attention right now? Notice sounds, body, breath; (4) Proceed - Do I keep doing what I am doing OR do I change direction/activity?
    • Quick/easy ways to practice mindfulness each day - (1) be in the present; (2) telephone breath - take a mindful breath every time the phone rings before you pick up for awareness of breath; (3) red light breath - same thing at a red light while driving.

    Source: https://www.additudemag.com/webinar/how-to-relieve-stress-mindfulness-podcast-338/