Students in need of remote class accommodations for Spring 2023 classes:

1) Schedule an appointment with an Access Coordinator after selecting the UWW course(s) you are interested in enrolling in.

2) Once you have enrolled in a UWW course, you will see there is a fee listed per UWW course. Disregard this. If you are enrolled in a UWW course as an accommodation for remote courses, you will not be responsible for this fee. You will receive an email from the Registrar's office confirming this.

FINAL EXAM DEADLINE for Spring Semester:  Monday, April 24, 2023 

Final examinations are scheduled for May 19th and will resume again on May 22nd through May 25th. 

To view your final exam schedule, please use the following link: https://www.umass.edu/registrar/spring-final-exam-matrix

To schedule your final exams:

• Login to Clockwork via the Disability Services website at www.umass.edu/disability/ and select the large “Clockwork” icon then select “Book a Test”.
• The process is nearly identical to regular exam bookings, with one exception. After you select “Book a Test”, you will need to select “SCHEDULE A FINAL EXAM” from the left-side menu. Be aware that the DEADLINE FOR SCHEDULING ALL FINAL EXAMS IS Monday, April 24, 2023 at 5 p.m.
• There will be no exceptions to the deadline, so please plan accordingly. The final exam schedule is out now, so there is no reason why exams requests should come in late. You will receive an email confirmation of all booked exams. 

If you encounter any challenges using Clockwork:

• Contact Trisha Link at dsexams@umass.edu by sending along your final exam schedule with your:
  • ID#,
  • dates/times of the scheduled exams,
  • your faculty member’s full name
  • DEADLINE: Monday, April 24, 2023 at 5 p.m.
• The earlier you contact Trisha Link, EPC Coordinator, the better. 

Exam Locations:

• With the volume of exams we proctor, we cannot accommodate everyone in the testing center for final exams.
• The majority of exams will be administered in small classrooms in the Bartlett Hall and Herter Hall Academic Building.
• Mt. Ida exams will be held in the library or Shaw Hall.

Reminders:

• Be sure to bring your student ID.
• All coats, backpacks, purses, phones, iOS or Android watches, hats, etc. will be kept at the front of the classroom. We recommend layers to avoid getting too cold/warm.
• Try to use the restroom in advance of your exam. A proctor may need to escort you to the restroom if necessary, during the exam.
• Please refrain from wearing excessively baggy clothing and be sure to silence all electronic devices. 

Exam Conflicts:

• If you have a University exam conflict on the same day, please contact the Registrar’s Office and see which exam you should take first. 

• If you need to take an exam on another date or time than the original exam date/time, please contact your professor and email me the approved confirmation email from your professor. 

• Students enrolled in courses with conflicting scheduled exams or who have three or more exams scheduled in one calendar day should submit the Final Exam Conflict form in SPIRE by visiting Student Home > Final Exam Conflict. The Registrar’s Office will review your exam schedule and notify you and your instructor when a make-up exam is warranted based on the policy. 

Final Exam Scheduling:

• All finals start at the same time as the regularly scheduled exams except for the 3:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. exams.
• Finals that begin at 3:30 pm will be administered at 2:00 p.m., and
• Finals that begin at 6:00pm will be administered at 4:00 p.m., so please plan accordingly. 
• It is expected that you schedule your exam for an overlapping time period with the class scheduled final exam. If you need to reschedule an exam or take the exam at a non-overlapping time, you will need to speak with your instructor and have them email dsexams@umass.edu permission and confirmation of when you are allowed to schedule the exam, before we can confirm your final exam booking.
• Students in the 2:00 p.m. exams are not allowed to leave the classroom until 4:00 p.m., and students in the 4:00 p.m. exams are not allowed to leave the classroom until 6:30 p.m. All final exams will be scheduled for 8:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 1:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m., and 4:00 p.m. 

If you have any questions, send an email or stop by the office in 169A Whitmore.

We know final exams are inherently stressful. Know that we believe in you and wish you the best of luck!

Best wishes!

Trisha Link

Exam Accommodations Coordinator

Disability Services (DS) is implementing several exciting initiatives to improve access on campus. This information is for all members of the UMass community, including new students, returning students, and those already registered with DS. Updates will also be posted on our website, the UMass DS Facebook page (“You Can at UMass”), and on Clockwork.

Appointment Access | Online Registration | Physical Access Improvements | Note Taking Updates

Early access to Access Coordinator appointments: Appointment Access 

This summer, Disability Services (DS) debuted a new process where all incoming students or folks new to DS, could register with our office, meet with an Access Coordinator (AC) and implement accommodation notification through Clockwork. All returning students AND new students who have had an accommodations appointments with an Access Coordinator can (and should) log onto Clockwork and send out their accommodation forms to their instructors for Fall semester.

Previously, limitations to our technology prohibited this, which led to bottlenecks in obtaining appointments at the start of the semester.

Students can now register online with Disability Services: Online Registration  

DS has added a ‘Registration’ icon on the Clockwork login page. This direct Registration link will also deliver you there. Students can login directly to Clockwork to complete their registration form (currently on the DS website) and upload their diagnostic documentation for review by DS. These changes will expedite the time it takes to register with DS and keeps your confidential information from being shared with any unnecessary parties. Once approved, students will receive a confirmation email at their UMass email address instructing them to login to Clockwork to schedule an appointment with any available Access Coordinator.

Previously students filled out an online intake form on our website, then submitted diagnostic documentation to our office via mail, fax and scanned uploads to OneDrive. A Registration Coordinator would then enter all data manually before any information from SPIRE could be synched. Then staff would scan all paper documents, which then required confidential shredding. The change in terminology is consistent with our desire to move away from “medical model” language, as recommended by AHEAD and the DS external review

Online Booking with ANY Access Coordinator: Schedule an appointment

Students registered with DS can now book appointments online with ANY Access Coordinator or Jamison Burnside, our Asst. Director of Communication Access (for those who are Deaf/HOH or require communication access). Online booking is available on Clockwork by using the ‘Schedule an appointment’ link from the main Clockwork menu and students can select the first available appointment with an Access Coordinator.

This process allows students to meet with the first available Access Coordinator, instead of having to find a mutually available time with their AC. Students can elect to schedule an in-person or phone/ Zoom appointment. Appointments can also be canceled online, until 24 hours prior. After that, students should call the office at 413-545-0892 to reschedule.

Our goal is to reduce the amount of students who engage in the registration process but do not follow up with a receptionist to schedule an appointment.

Physical Access Improvements: Physical Access Improvements

Instructions:

Q: How can I view my upcoming appointments?

You can access a list of your future appointments by clicking the 'Calendar' button in the menu.

Q: How can I schedule an appointment?

You can browse the schedule for existing availabilities. Here are the steps:

• Click on 'Schedule an appointment' in the menu
• Use the left and right arrows at the top left of the calendar to browse the schedule. Note that availabilities will appear as boxes on the calendar.
• Click once on an availability slot to schedule your appointment
• Follow the prompts to confirm and finalize the booking.

Q. How can I cancel an appointment?

If you see a 'cancel' link beside your appointment on the 'Calendar' tab you can use this to cancel your appointment. If you do not see this link, please call 413-545-0892 to cancel and reschedule your appointment.

Q. What can I do if I have a question or concern?

If your question/concern is urgent you should contact the office of Disability Services through phone (413-545-0892) or email disability@umass.edu.

Note Taking Updates: Introducing GLEAN! Note Taking Updates

If you are a student eligible for note taking as an accommodation, you will need to login to Clockwork and select the classes where you will need notes, each semester. This step is essential because it populates in Clockwork the names of students who are in need of notes and provides accurate statistics for usage.

Glean is AI transcription software that allows students to take their own notes, make to do lists and organize their information. It is a common application used at many colleges and universities across the globe and is very easy to use. Check it out here!

Each student eligible for notes will be provided a Glean license. With your license, you’ll be able to take notes in as many classes as necessary. You’ll be assigned a license through DS, which will be sent to you electronically via your UMass email address. FAQ’s and informational video tutorials will soon be available on the DS website.

We received the Glean licenses today, so we are still planning with our 5 College partners for implementation, but we plan to send them out with enough time for eligible students who are already registered to try out, prior to the start of classes. We encourage you to try it out with a TV show or podcast prior to class.

There is a brief ‘Glean Recording Agreement’ that we ask each student and their faculty member/instructor to sign. Please send those signed and completed forms to notes@umass.edu. This form clarifies the proper usage of Glean and protects the faculty member/instructors intellectual property and copyright while also prioritizing the ADA access to a student accommodation.

If you experience any challenges with Glean, please notify us via notes@umass.edu and a staff member will assist you. Glean is accessible for use with assistive technology, but if you experience technical difficulties, please contact the ATC Coordinator for assistance. In most cases, Glean is the best possible option, but we do recognize that in some rare instances, it will not be. We ask that you engage with the product, follow the tutorial for assistance and then contact us for assistance. Glean will not be appropriate for any classes taught that are not in English or when you have an instructor with a strong accent or fast speech pattern. We encourage you to sit closer to the instructor or speaker (this can also be used in remote class) for best use.  

Some student note takers will be needed, when Glean is not the best fit. We will reach out to instructors when this is the case. We ask instructors to inform the class that DS has a note taking need and interested students inform us at notes@umass.edu. Student volunteer note takers may earn 1 P/F academic credit or 45 hours of community service for engaging in a training Moodle and posting their notes to Clockwork for download by eligible students. This process and Glean are confidential.  

Physical Access Improvements: Physical Access Improvements

Disability Services, ADA Ambassadors and members of the Access Advisory Council and Architectural Access Board have been working diligently this summer to attend to concerns raised about physical access needs on campus.

• The student union restrooms were renovated to be gender inclusive and are outfitted with restroom stalls that provide floor to ceiling privacy. The entrance/exit doors were removed to reduce access limitations.
• Testing is being completed by Facilities staff to examine which additional fire doors may be removed to create less door barriers for people with disabilities.
• Additional power doors have been added on campus to assist in removing barriers to access.
• ADA Ambassadors performed a review of campus classrooms deemed accessible and provided a review of access barriers which are being addressed. Some classroom locations have been updated to improve access and in all cases where a student with a registered physical access need has been assigned, DS has checked their locations for access in some cases relocated the class to an accessible location.  
• The AAB (Architectural Access Board) meets year round to address ongoing campus needs as well as all renovations, capital projects and regularly scheduled ADA Access Plan. Please bring any concerns regarding physical access to DS’ attention and we can seek guidance from the AAB.
• The AAC (Accessibility Advisory Council) is a group of key stakeholders and students that meet monthly to address all campus access needs.

Students with physical access needs will receive a letter from DS with information about their locations. They will also be assigned a Classroom Access Assistant (CAA) who can assist with opening doors, obtaining classroom materials or taking notes. If CAA assistance is not needed, the student can inform DS staff.

We will be hiring more CAA’s soon, so if you are interested in the position, please seek info from Student Employment. This position pays $20 an hour and serves as an ADA accommodation for another student, so attendance in classes is essential.