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Student Responsibilities and Policies for an Interpreter

Student Responsibilities and Policies for an Interpreter
These policies are intended to assist the Office for Disability Services, ODS, its service providers and registered students in the orderly and efficient operation of providing Interpreting/Transliterating services.

Every effort will be made to provide Interpreters/Transliterators for students who request these services. Students must have completed the appropriate forms and provided documentation of their disability to ODS.

Student Responsibilities:
When requesting classroom adjustments, student responsibilities are to:

Meet with your Disability Specialist and obtain an adjustment letter every semester that you are requesting classroom adjustments.
Schedule a private meeting with the instructor, present the adjustment letter to the instructor, and discuss the adjustments stated in the letter.
Introduce the Interpreter/Transliterator to the professor/instructor on the first day of class and explain the role of the Interpreter/Transliterator.
Make arrangements with the instructor related to suggested adjustment (refer to adjustment letter).
Leave the meeting with an understanding of the arrangements.

Provider Commitment:
Each Interpreter/Transliterator is committed to work for the entire semester. Interpreters/Transliterators will not be changed unless there is a compelling reason, and approval of ODS is required.

Early Registration:
Early registration is your best assurance of receiving services promptly. Switching sections or making schedule changes may present problems in providing services in a timely manner.

Commencement and Duration of Assignments:
Interpreters/Transliterators are expected to arrive 15 minutes before class begins. You are responsible for notifying ODS if your Interpreter/Transliterator is late or misses a class.

If the Interpreter/Transliterator reports to an assignment and the student fails to show, the Interpreter/Transliterator must wait fifteen minutes for a class which is up to one hour in duration and twenty minutes for any class over an hour in length. This will confirm the no-show. Interpreters/Transliterators are required to report student no-shows immediately to ODS so that student absences can be monitored.

As tests are announced, students should determine if the Interpreter/Transliterator would be needed for that class period. Students should inform the Interpreter/Transliterator if their services will not be required for the testing period.

All final exam services are per request only. If the student would like an Interpreter/Transliterator for a final exam, the student must contact ODS two weeks in advance.

Absence:
If interpreting/transliterating services have been requested, and you know that you will be unable to attend class, you must provide ODS with at least 24 hours advanced notice so the Interpreter/Transliterator can be informed. In some situations, students may not be able to provide 24 hours notice, and these type of situations will be reviewed by ODS. Failure to provide any advanced notice is considered a “No-Show”. To give advance notice, a student should call ODS at 863-1807 (V/TTY).

Failure to provide notice will result in the following actions:

1. First “No-Show”: A letter or email will be sent to remind the student of the policy and appropriate procedures.

2. Second “No-Show”: A letter or email will be sent to the student informing the student they have two “No-Shows”. In addition, the letter will remind the student of the policy and appropriate procedures.

3. Third “No-Show”: Services will automatically be temporarily suspended and a letter or email will be sent to the student informing him/her of the policy and the appropriate procedure. Services will remain suspended until the student makes an appointment and meets with their Disability Specialist to discuss reinstating services.

4. For each subsequent “No-Show”: Services will automatically be suspended and a letter or email will be sent to the student informing the student of the policy and the appropriate procedures. The services will remain suspended until the student makes an appointment and meets with their Disability Specialist in ODS.

In the event that an Interpreter/Transliterator is unable to attend a class for any reason, ODS will attempt to find a replacement Interpreter/Transliterator. ODS will provide the student with a tape recorder to be utilized in the unlikely event that the Interpreter/Transliterator is late or fails to provide services on a given day. Please note that ODS may not be aware the Interpreter/Transliterator is absent, especially in unpredictable events such as car problems, traffic, weather conditions, etc. If an unforeseen event occurs, the student should tape record the lecture and provide ODS with the tape as soon as possible. ODS will have the tape transcribed in a reasonable amount of time.

Communication Between Student and Interpreter/Transliterator:
If you have problems with your Interpreter/Transliterator that you are unable to resolve, please contact your ODS Disability Specialist or the main ODS office. Every reasonable effort will be made to resolve the problem(s) quickly and fairly.

Requests for Services Outside Class:
Meetings with professors, academic advisors, university officials, etc. require students to give ODS a minimum of forty-eight hours advance notice in view of the difficulty in scheduling Interpreters/Transliterators. An effort will be made to fulfill requests made on short notice, with the understanding that Interpreter/Transliterator may not be available.

If you have any questions about services, or about your rights and/or responsibilities, please contact the Office for Disability Services at (814)863-1807 (V/TTY).

SIGNATURE PAGE
I have read and understand the policies and procedures pertaining to Interpreter/Transliterator services.

Student Signature:_____________________________________

Student Name (Please Print): ____________________________________

ODS Witness Signature: _______________________________________

ODS Witness Title: _________________________

Phone #:______________________

Email Address: __________________

Date: ________________________________________________

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