Support Services

Union's Philosophy

Our philosophy at Union College is to integrate students with disabilities into the College community and to encourage the growth of the individual in developing self-advocating strategies for living with their disability.

The College is committed to providing what assistance it can to ensure that our students fulfill their academic potential at the College. Below is a summary of the services available, as well as important information about the nature of any accommodations that might be provided with regard to the Academic Program.

Important Differences in College

College living requires that you learn to set goals and determine your own future by asking questions and taking responsibility for your own needs. This is often a difficult task given the differences between high school and college.

In college, not only are the applicable laws governing documentation different, but also self-advocacy and self-determination become the most important adjustments for the student. Students must self-identify to the Office of Student Support Services and are primarily responsible for communication and making arrangements with professors. In college, much less time is spent in class, students must learn to work independently, and there will be substantial amounts of work expected outside of class. Faculty are not required to modify or alter coursework and deadlines, and thus expectations will be significantly different than in high school. Tutoring does not fall under disability services and students must work with the available campus tutoring resources as would any other student.

Requirements for Receiving Accommodations

At Union, as at any college, you will be expected to document your disability so that we can determine what kinds of accommodations may be appropriate for you at the College. Please review the Student Handbook at our website for a detailed description of our documentation requirements.

Once your documentation is approved, you will receive a letter indicating you are eligible for services. You should meet with the Director of Student Support Services initially to discuss accommodations and your responsibilities for each term.

Self Advocacy

Should any issues arise during the term, it will be your responsibility to make faculty and administration aware of them in a timely fashion in order to receive help. You should schedule to meet with the Director of Student Support Services who can assist you in determining whether the problem can be addressed and what resources might be available to assist you. There are limitations on the accommodations that can be provided. You can work with the Director of Student Support Services and the administration to determine what is best for your situation. The accommodation will allow equal access without altering the core requirements of the academic program.

Academic Accommodations and Requirements

For those students who have provided the necessary documentation, the most requested accommodation provided is time and a half on exams, which is normally the College limit. On occasion, other accommodations may be provided if there is compelling documentation. The College does not have staffing to allow students to be seen on a weekly basis with regard to learning accommodations. The College will make efforts to match up incoming students with a PAL (see below), if requested.

Any academic accommodations can not alter the basic academic program of an individual course, academic major, or the general curriculum of the College. Both individual departments and the College have academic requirements that are viewed as intrinsic to what defines a Union education and these requirements will not be waived.

The College-wide ones include:

a quantitative and mathematical reasoning requirement (the majority of courses are offered in the Mathematics department with only a handful of other courses)
a two-course Science requirement where one of the courses must have a significant laboratory component
a Writing Across the Curriculum program, which mandates that almost 25 % of a student?s courses during their four years have a significant writing component (there is also a Literature course requirement)
there is no language requirement. It is one of several options for fulfilling the Linguistic and Cultural Competency part of the General Education program, but there are alternatives.

Other Sources of Help

Tutoring

The College has Writing Center staffed by highly qualified peer tutors to assist students with their writing. The College has had a Writing Across the Curriculum program for over 15 years and is committed to the importance of writing as an integral part of the academic program.

In addition to the Writing Center, free peer tutoring is available in Biology, Calculus, Computer Science, Economics (the intro level) and Physics. Language Laboratory work is also an important component of language instruction and the college has a staff of language assistants to assist.

PALs (Peer Assistants for Learning)

The PALs are an academic resource and referral service that assists students with issues ranging from time and stress management to familiarizing students with available resources to provide support and guidance in adjusting to the vicissitudes of college life. PALs are carefully selected and trained upperclass mentors and incoming students who may wish to have some weekly guidance as they begin college can be matched up with a PAL.

Other Disabilities

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Union College also accommodates students with physical disabilities. The campus, established more than 200 years ago, comprises a numbers of older buildings that the college is in the process of renovating.

There are also a select number of medical singles that students can request by submitting documentation from a qualified health care provider.

Any student who requires special residential, mobility or environmental accommodations may submit complete documentation to the he address listed in the next column. All requests are carefully considered by the Committee for Special Accommodations. Documentation requirements can be viewed in the Student Handbook, available online .

In any given year we have over 100 students who have signed up for disability services. As indicated above, other than the PALs program and formal tutoring services outlined above, the College can not provide students with regular weekly meetings to assist them with their learning needs. Staff will meet with students as needed if particular issues or problems arise during the course of the term.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Shelly Shinebarger, Director of Students Support Services, at 518-388-6116 or by e-mail at shinebas@union.edu.

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Below is a summary of the services available, as well as important information about the nature of any accommodations that might be provided with regard to the Academic Program. Important Differences in College College living requires that you learn to set goals and determine your own future by asking questions and taking responsibility for your own needs. This is often a difficult task given the differences between high school and college. In college, not only are the applicable laws governing documentation different, but also self-advocacy and self-determination become the most important adjustments for the student. Students must self-identify to the Office of Student Support Services and are primarily responsible for communication and making arrangements with professors. In college, much less time is spent in class, students must learn to work independently, and there will be substantial amounts of work expected outside of class. Faculty are not required to modify or alter coursework and deadlines, and thus expectations will be significantly different than in high school. Tutoring does not fall under disability services and students must work with the available campus tutoring resources as would any other student. Requirements for Receiving Accommodations At Union, as at any college, you will be expected to document your disability so that we can determine what kinds of accommodations may be appropriate for you at the College. Please review the Student Handbook at our website for a detailed description of our documentation requirements. Once your documentation is approved, you will receive a letter indicating you are eligible for services. You should meet with the Director of Student Support Services initially to discuss accommodations and your responsibilities for each term. Self Advocacy Should any issues arise during the term, it will be your responsibility to make faculty and administration aware of them in a timely fashion in order to receive help. You should schedule to meet with the Director of Student Support Services who can assist you in determining whether the problem can be addressed and what resources might be available to assist you. There are limitations on the accommodations that can be provided. You can work with the Director of Student Support Services and the administration to determine what is best for your situation. The accommodation will allow equal access without altering the core requirements of the academic program. Academic Accommodations and Requirements For those students who have provided the necessary documentation, the most requested accommodation provided is time and a half on exams, which is normally the College limit. On occasion, other accommodations may be provided if there is compelling documentation. The College does not have staffing to allow students to be seen on a weekly basis with regard to learning accommodations. The College will make efforts to match up incoming students with a PAL (see below), if requested. Any academic accommodations can not alter the basic academic program of an individual course, academic major, or the general curriculum of the College. Both individual departments and the College have academic requirements that are viewed as intrinsic to what defines a Union education and these requirements will not be waived. The College-wide ones include: a quantitative and mathematical reasoning requirement (the majority of courses are offered in the Mathematics department with only a handful of other courses) a two-course Science requirement where one of the courses must have a significant laboratory component a Writing Across the Curriculum program, which mandates that almost 25 % of a student?s courses during their four years have a significant writing component (there is also a Literature course requirement) there is no language requirement. It is one of several options for fulfilling the Linguistic and Cultural Competency part of the General Education program, but there are alternatives. Other Sources of Help Tutoring The College has Writing Center staffed by highly qualified peer tutors to assist students with their writing. The College has had a Writing Across the Curriculum program for over 15 years and is committed to the importance of writing as an integral part of the academic program. In addition to the Writing Center, free peer tutoring is available in Biology, Calculus, Computer Science, Economics (the intro level) and Physics. Language Laboratory work is also an important component of language instruction and the college has a staff of language assistants to assist. PALs (Peer Assistants for Learning) The PALs are an academic resource and referral service that assists students with issues ranging from time and stress management to familiarizing students with available resources to provide support and guidance in adjusting to the vicissitudes of college life. PALs are carefully selected and trained upperclass mentors and incoming students who may wish to have some weekly guidance as they begin college can be matched up with a PAL. Other Disabilities In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Union College also accommodates students with physical disabilities. The campus, established more than 200 years ago, comprises a numbers of older buildings that the college is in the process of renovating. There are also a select number of medical singles that students can request by submitting documentation from a qualified health care provider. Any student who requires special residential, mobility or environmental accommodations may submit complete documentation to the he address listed in the next column. All requests are carefully considered by the Committee for Special Accommodations. Documentation requirements can be viewed in the Student Handbook, available online . In any given year we have over 100 students who have signed up for disability services. As indicated above, other than the PALs program and formal tutoring services outlined above, the College can not provide students with regular weekly meetings to assist them with their learning needs. Staff will meet with students as needed if particular issues or problems arise during the course of the term. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Shelly Shinebarger, Director of Students Support Services, at 518-388-6116 or by e-mail at shinebas@union.edu.
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