Accommodation Letters:
When should I request my accommodation letters?
- At least 1-2 weeks before each semester starts.
How do I request my accommodation letters?
- Upload all of your classes into SAM, then send an email to tds@augusta.edu saying you’ve done so.
When will I get my accommodation letters?
- Letters usually go out 1-3 days after you send the request to tds@augusta.edu, depending on how busy the office is with other requests.
How will my professors be notified?
- A disability service provider will email you when your letters are ready for pickup.
You will be responsible for delivering your letters to your professors.
I put my classes in SAM, but my professor said they haven’t gotten my letter yet.
- After uploading your classes, did you send an email to tds@augusta.edu to let us know? Email us after you make ANY changes in SAM.
I dropped a class and added another to my schedule. How do I request letters for my
new professor?
- Add the new class in SAM, then send an email to tds@augusta.edu to tell us which class needs a letter. You won’t be able to delete the dropped course,
but that’s ok.
I requested my letters today/yesterday and I still haven’t gotten them. When will
I get them?
- There’s no guarantee we will send your accommodation letters out the same day or the
day after you request them. It’s up to you to request your letters in a timely manner
and before any test, quiz, or other assignment you’d need accommodations for.
SAM:
I can’t log into SAM.
- Your username is your full Augusta email address. If the issue is your password, you
will need to go through the “forgot your password” process on SAM’s homepage.
How do I put my classes in SAM?
- Instructions for SAM can be found here
How do I request an exam on SAM?
- Confirm the test date and time with the professor first. Instructions for how to request an exam through SAM can be found here
Accommodation/Documentation Review:
I had accommodations at a previous college. Can I have the same ones here?
- That depends. Sending us a copy of the documentation you gave that school along with
a copy of an accommodation letter from their Office of Disability Services is helpful,
but it doesn’t guarantee the same or any accommodations here.
Who reviews my paperwork and decides if I get accommodations or not?
- For most mobility disorders, chronic illnesses, etc., a disability service provider
will review the documentation and let you know if we have enough information to approve
accommodations. For most psychological disorders, ADHD, Autism, learning disabilities,
etc., we submit paperwork to the Regents Center for Learning Disorders (RCLD) in Athens
to get approval. In other cases, academic departments at AU have the final say on
if an accommodation can be given.
Why wasn’t I given the accommodations I asked for?/ Why was my request denied?
- Common reasons could be your documentation may not meet USG and/or the RCLD’s criteria
or we may not have enough information about your disability to approve the request.
Whatever the case, we will tell you what else we need or offer other solutions for
the concern. It’s up to you to follow-up with us with the appropriate material.
Contacting a Disability Services Provider:
I emailed/left a message for a DSP. Why haven’t I received a response yet?
- The DSPs may be busy handling other concerns and can’t guarantee that they can assist
you immediately. They also typically end services at 4:30 PM during the week. The
office is closed on Saturday and Sunday, so phones and emails are not monitored, but
someone will contact you in the following business days.
How can I make an appointment with a DSP?
Where are we meeting for the appointment?
- Most of the appointments with DSPs are through Microsoft Teams but in-person appointments
are available.
Testing:
When can I take my tests with TDS?
- Confirm your test date and time with your professor.Our office closes at 5 PM on Mondays through Fridays, you may need to come in earlier
on those days. If you have any questions about testing availability for accommodated
testing, contact us directly through email tds@augusta.edu or by calling 706-737-1469.
Conflict Resolution:
I don’t think a professor will honor an accommodation I have. What should I do?
- Speak to your professor first to see if they won’t or if you just THINK they won’t.
After that, if they aren’t honoring your accommodation(s), reach out to your DSP and
we can reach out to the professor for more information about the situation.
My professor said I can’t use this accommodation in their class. What can I do?
- Let your DSP know and we will reach out to the professor for more information.
I forgot to send you something you requested. Why didn’t you remind me?
- We can’t keep track of everyone who still needs to turn in something and what they
need to turn in for their requests. After we send you the email telling you what we
need, it’s your responsibility to email it to us in a timely manner.
I received provisional accommodations last semester. Can I have them again?
- This is case-by-case, but there’s no guarantee you can. You may have been told what
else you needed to send us to transition your accommodations to permanent a few months
before the provisional accommodations ended. If you haven’t sent them to us with enough
time to review them before the next semester, you may not qualify for provisional
accommodations again.
