On average, 350 students with disabilities attend classes at UTEP each semester. Each student will have a unique set of abilities and disabilities requiring unique accommodations. These accommodations may include but are not limited to:

• Extended time on examinations and quizzes

• Note-taking assistance and/or copies of notes

• Use of tape recorder in class

• Preferential seating in the classroom

• Alternative text in Braille or e-text format

• Alternate testing format, (i.e., oral vs. written)

• Sign Language Interpreter

• Scribes/Readers for tests

• Large print material

• Assistive Listening Device

• The freedom to change positions or take breaks in class

• Computer use in class

  Please download our Faculty Handbook for more information on the services we provide. You can also find tips on how to teach students with disabilities.

Faculty/Staff have the right to:

• Request verification of a student’s eligibility for any requested accommodations. Such verification will be in the form of a letter written by CASS and delivered by the student directly to you. (CASS is the only office designated to review disability documentation and determine eligibility for appropriate accommodations.)

• Expect the student to initiate accommodation requests.

• If the student is taking their tests at CASS, expect CASS to administer exams in a secure and monitored environment.

  • If you need CASS to proctor a test or quiz please follow the instructions on the Schedule a Test section.

Faculty/Staff have the responsibility to:

• Identify and establish essential functions, abilities, skills, and knowledge of their courses and evaluate students on this basis. Students with disabilities should meet the same course expectations as their peers.

• Provide accommodations only to students who are registered with CASS. It is NOT your responsibility to provide accommodations to students who are not registered with CASS.

• Use a syllabus statement and class announcements to invite students to disclose their needs.

• If a Student has or suspects he/she has a disability and needs an accommodation, he/she should contact the Center for Accommodations and Support Services (CASS) at 747-5148 or at dss@utep.edu or go to Room 106 Union East Building. The Student is responsible for presenting to the instructor any CASS accommodation letters and instructions.

• Act immediately upon receiving a student’s official request for accommodations by providing the service or by meeting with the student to further discuss the accommodation. If unsure or unclear about the request, contact CASS immediately.

• Work to ensure that all audio-visual materials used in class are accessible (e.g., that videos shown are captioned for students with hearing impairments and that the VCR equipment used has captioning capabilities, that videos shown will be made with auditory description in some way or that written transcripts will be provided, etc.)

• Clearly communicate your testing procedures with the student and with CASS. Consider incorporating principles of Universal Design for Learning in your teaching. More information about universal design can be found at http://www.ahead.org/resources/universal-design