As University class sizes increase, the Office of Disability Services assures it is up to the challenge.
“Large classes can cause students with learning disabilities to struggle even more,” said Benjamin Cornwell, associate director of the Student Health Center.
To accommodate students with disabilities, instructors cater to these students’ needs. According to the Office of Disability Services’ handbook, students can request the presence of a communication facilitator, an aide who interprets and enhances the student’s understanding, at appointments such as study groups and teacher meetings.
According to the handbook, a student with a disability is allowed a note-taker and can tape-record lectures, as well as have extended time for tests, specifically in the math department.
The Office of Disability Services created a sequence of two classes, math 1021 and 1022, covering college algebra and trigonometry, specifically geared toward students with learning disabilities.
“We are providing students with a foundation to succeed,” said Julia Ledet, a mathematics professor who teaches the sequence.
Ledet “fills in the gaps” and reviews difficult material with students who struggle with math and have diagnosed disabilities.
Administrators made the 1021, 1022 math sequence available for all students beginning with the 1995 fall semester. The Office of Disability Services redesigned the sequence with math 1021 and 1022 in fall 2002.
Students enrolled in this class are entitled to certain accommodations by the Disability Act, Ledet said. Students receive specific accommodations pertaining to their disabilities. Some students receive more time on tests or tests without scantrons, while some require note-takers to assist them in class.
Ledet, one of the teachers affected by the teacher cutbacks of the College of Arts and Sciences, is concerned about the class sizes increasing.
“I’m not sure how we’ll handle this, but one of the reasons the class is successful is because of the small class size,” Ledet said.
The Math Department is working with the Office of Disability Services to determine the number of students who qualify for the classes designated for students with learning disabilities, said Head of Math Department Guillermo Ferreyra.
“Approximately 1,000 students will be enrolled in two classes, 1022 and business calculus 1431 for the fall 2004 semester,” Ferreyra said.
Seven teachers designated as instructors will develop the program and “basically start the math program from ground zero,” Ferreyra said.
Ferreyra is optimistic about the program and he feels the effects of revamping the curriculum will benefit every student.
“Students with disabilities will not be forgotten,” Ferreyra said.
Facility Services is also working with a campus access group to identify access problems. The organizations identified three problem sections: one near Tureaud Hall and CEBA and two sections in the Quadrangle.
A fee of $2.50 was assessed last semester to fund maintenance or creation of curb cuts and sidewalk modifications for wheelchairs. Chancellor Mark Emmert matches these funds to provide adequate funding for these projects, which will begin during winter break.
“During semester break, workers will renovate $30 to $50,000 worth of problems mostly around Howe-Russell,” Cornwell said.
This semester, the fee will be raised to $3.50, and the renovation and construction will continue with alterations in the Quadrangle during summer 2004.